Concerns about the behaviour of the disgraced former Conservative MP Charlie Elphicke were raised with a prestigious UK law firm he worked for before entering politics, according to a lawyer who accuses him of sexual harassment.
Elphicke was jailed last month for sexual assault. Fifteen years ago, a former colleague cited Elphicke’s conduct as her reason for leaving Reed Smith LLP. She now wonders if others would not have suffered had his behaviour been “nipped in the bud”.
A judge described the former MP as a “sexual predator” as she sentenced him to two years in prison after a jury found him guilty of three counts of sexual assault against two women. Elphicke is appealing.
The 49-year-old, who represented the Kent constituency of Dover from 2010 until last year, was convicted in July of the charges, two in relation to a parliamentary worker in 2016 and one in relation to a woman at his family’s central London home in 2007.
The latest allegations against him have been made by a woman who spoke to the Guardian on condition of anonymity. On the section of an exit interview form asking why she was leaving Reed Smith, which she provided to the Guardian, she wrote: “Charlie Elphicke.”
The woman also raised concerns about Elphicke with the Conservative party when a series of allegations concerning the involvement of British politicians in cases of sexual harassment and assault arose in October and November 2017.
However, she was particularly critical of Reed Smith, where she said he developed a reputation as “the office sex-pest” and was nicknamed “Elfreak” by junior lawyers.
She spoke of bearing the brunt of his behaviour and regularly endured “completely inappropriate questioning over my personal and sex life”. “It was all very embarrassing and totally inappropriate,” she said, adding that he would attempt to play “footsie” rubbing his his foot up and down her leg or touching her knee.
It happened on numerous occasions at a time when she was in her early 20s, lacked confidence and had no experience in the corporate world.
“Towards the end of my time at Reed Smith, the relentless and incessant blatant sexual harassment became overbearing and I sought help from Reed Smith as my employer. I spoke to a partner in the department. He was appalled and said he would speak to senior management. He did, but Charles was given no more than a telling off and I was moved from his office to sit with another partner,” she added.
“On reflection, I am very disappointed that a formal investigation wasn’t undertaken given the gravity of my complaint. I now wonder if this early sexual harassment-type behaviour had been nipped in the bud those poor women wouldn’t have had to endure being sexually assaulted. Sadly we will never know.”
After Elphicke was “told off”, the woman said he began to bully her and would ensure that she had to cope with unrealistic amounts of work to do late in the day.
She said: “During my exit interview with HR, no one seemed surprised at my reason for leaving. They all knew what he was like.”
After it was approached by the Guardian about the woman’s allegations, Reed Smith has been reviewing the steps taken by the firm at that time.
Tamara Box, Reed Smith’s Europe and Middle East managing partner, said the company strongly condemned all acts of harassment or discrimination.
“Conduct of this kind is not tolerated by the firm, any allegations are swiftly investigated and all appropriate action is taken. We are committed to providing a positive and professional workplace for all our people.
“The firm’s code of conduct is a living commitment to maintaining positive and productive relationships with our valued colleagues, clients, suppliers and others. As part of this commitment, Reed Smith prioritises making the firm a great place to work for all our people. Through that commitment we have made the firm the diverse, inclusive and welcoming place that it is today.”
A spokesman for Elphicke told the Guardian: “These allegations are false and entirely untrue. They are made at a time when Mr Elphicke is unable fully to defend himself against those jumping aboard the bandwagon following his conviction and sentencing.
“Supported by Natalie Elphicke and backed by many well-wishers, he is in the process of appealing against both convictions and sentence,” they added, referring to Elphicke’s estranged wife, who last year become the Tory MP for Dover.
A global law firm with headquarters in Pittsburgh, Reed Smith’s largest office is in London, where its website says it has 350 lawyers serving international and domestic clients. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) last year dropped an investigation into a former Reed Smith partner who was dismissed in 2017 from the firm over a complaint of sexual harassment.
Reports of sexual misconduct in the legal profession have more than doubled in five years, according to figures released in January by the SRA, which is a separate arm of the Law Society. Against the backdrop of the #MeToo movement, complaints of inappropriate behaviour to the watchdog jumped from 25 in 2014-15 to 63 in 2018-19, an increase of 152%, according to a response to a freedom of information request
Simon Davis, the president of the Law Society, said: “It is incumbent on all of us to work to end bullying and harassment of any kind. We will not tolerate sexual harassment or bullying in the legal sector.”
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