The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has fined a senior partner for inappropriately touching a paralegal, when drunk at a bar.

Julian Critchlow, 63, was the senior partner at eponymous firm Al Bawardi Critchlow Solicitors (now Costigan King) at the time of the incident in 2018. He had been drinking at a wine bar during lunch and stayed there into the evening. Various colleagues joined him at the bar during his marathon vino session. Witnesses said that Critchlow was "extremely drunk" and was seen spilling wine on other people and slurring his speech. 

A female paralegal, who had joined the firm recently and was supervised by Critchlow, became the subject of the partner's attentions. The senior partner touched her leg on more than one occasion, rubbed her back and kissed the back of her neck, the tribunal was told, according to a report.

Critchlow's display of unwanted affection was particularly uncomfortable as colleagues and a client were seated at the same table. The paralegal asked her co-workers that night how the incident might affect her job prospects, according to witnesses. 


octoman

"Anyone for drinks?"


The matter was reported to the firm, and Critchlow apologised to the paralegal. It was arranged for another partner to become her supervisor. But the paralegal left the firm the following month after signing a non-disclosure agreement. Critchlow paid £13,000 for a settlement agreement.

Critchlow self-reported his misconduct, and the SRA brought the matter before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.

Critchlow's barrister, Alexandra Felix, told the tribunal that the paralegal had not been forced out by what happened, and said the incident had not hampered her career. The paralegal decided not to give evidence at the hearing.

Felix said that Critchlow had made full admissions about his conduct from the start and before the SRA investigated the matter. Character witnesses were "surprised and shocked" that Critchlow had acted in this manner, said Felix, who described the partner's actions towards the paralegal as "inept and bumbling".

The SDT has heard other harassment matters in recent times, including the well-publicised cases of Ryan Beckwith and Gary Senior. Felix sought to distinguish Critchlow's behaviour from other cases, as she argued that the paralegal was not alone with the partner. She also said that Critchlow did not appreciate what he was doing because of his inebriated state.

Critchlow said he remembered little of what had happened, but admitted that he had failed to act with integrity and failed to act in a way which maintains trust in the profession. The tribunal noted that Critchlow had self-reported and fully apologised. But the panel also said it had "considerable sympathy" for the paralegal who must have been "appalled and upset" by the incident.

The tribunal fined Critchlow £10,000 .

 

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Comments

Dearie 31 July 20 10:17

"paralegal decided not to give evidence at the hearing" - that'll be because of the NDA then.

"oh but I was drunk". No mate, you chose to drink yourself to oblivion in front of clients and colleagues and damn the consequences.

Anonymous 31 July 20 10:26

why men think a woman 30+ years younger will find them attractive is astonishing and delusional.

Anonymous 31 July 20 11:26

So NQ leaves files on a train (accidentally) and is struck off.... Partner intentionally sexually assaults paralegal and is fined likely less than a month drawings. 

Nice one the SDT - justice! 

Inmate 31 July 20 12:54

Dang, I think I know who the female was, but paid 13,000 that’ll definitely work as a deposit at a London home

Arachnae 31 July 20 13:13

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4087636/solicitor-58-barged-commuters-tube-station-assaulted-woman-unprovoked-attack.html

Anonymous 31 July 20 13:58

"inept and bumbling"??  Like there's a competent and smooth way to sexually harass a subordinate?

Human 31 July 20 15:26

In many criminal sentencing guidelines, drink is an aggravating and not a mitigating factor. I would give significant credit for self reporting though. I think £10,000 is still far too low when measured against the Gary Senior case. I think £25,000 is about right. 

The flip side is that there is an absolute epidemic of alcoholism and binge drinking and the Law Society could and should do far more to commission then publish advice on managing the problem. Partners taking a leave of several months to sort themselves out should be far more normal and acceptable  than it is at present.

Anonymous 01 August 20 10:22

@ Anonymous 01 August 20 06:21

 They like the wealth that men in their fifties have accumulated and their relatively slight sexual needs.

There are some exceptions of course, but very few of them are pot-bellied, unkempt, self-absorbed drunks.  Keanu Reeves?  Yes.  Overweight, self-absorbed drunk?  No.

Anonymous 01 August 20 10:40

@Anonymous 01 August 20 06:21

Your estimation is off the chart. There aren't that many with such terrible daddy issues. 

Anonymous 01 August 20 14:32

There are a variety of things they like 10.22, and there are millions of them. And not all women who like older men are overweight self-absorbed drunks.

Anonymous 01 August 20 16:45

From the article it sounds as if the paralegal decided not to give evidence because she wasn't forced out and it didn’t hamper her career rather than because of the NDA Dearie, but had she willingly entered into an NDA to resolve the matter and then not given evidence that would have been her right to do so.

Anonymous 01 August 20 21:11

@ Anonymous 01 August 20 14:32

And how did you come by this knowledge of the secret thoughts of millions of women?

By watching all those films and tv shows where 25 year old women cop off with 65 year old men?  I don't know how to sugar this pill but those are fantasies.

Anonymous 01 August 20 21:46

It wasn't come across, its a fact that millions of women are attracted to (and dating, and happily married to) men significantly older than them. You might not like it, but its the undeniable truth.

Anonymous 01 August 20 23:41

The struck off NQ was certainly treated unfairly, 31st at 11.26. There was no sexual assault in the case here though.

Anonymous 02 August 20 21:23

Using alcohol to excuse your true nature - isn't that called "the Mel Gibson defence"?

I wonder how long it will be before he turns up in front of the magistrate or the SRA again.

Baz 03 August 20 12:11

Yeah, there are some women who go for guys older AND richer than them, but it has to be significantly richer. As in, MC partner-level rich, not glorified high street bucketshop partner-level "rich". There's a major difference in salary.

At the MC firm I was a paralegal at, those sorts of age gap relationships weren't entirely uncommon, but I've never seen them anywhere else so commonly.

Anonymous 03 August 20 13:12

It happens all over Baz, not just at MC. Money is often a factor, but not always. And the older man isn't always significantly richer.

Anonymous 03 August 20 13:28

People say Homer Simpson is everyman but I say no.  It's Randy Marsh.

Hang on a minute.  Homer Simpson is a loveable doofus.  Randy Marsh is a bit of an asshole.

Oh....

Anonymous 03 August 20 21:53

Agree about the help with alcohol problems Human, but its not only a problem which effects Partners.  A lot of 'harassment' type issues arise from junior members of staff drinking too much and doing things they regret.

Anonymous 04 August 20 08:55

The comment was about the millions of women attracted to significantly older men 1st 10.40, not those with 'daddy issues'.

Anonymous 04 August 20 11:31

@  Anonymous 04 August 20 08:55

The comment was about the millions of women attracted to significantly older men 1st 10.40, not those with 'daddy issues'.

If these women exist, prove it.  What are their names?

Anonymous 04 August 20 14:09

No way man.

Randy Marsh has set TWO WORLD RECORDS for having the world's biggest dump.

And he could do that because he is such a big asshole.

Pwned.

Anonymous 04 August 20 21:46

And there are millions of names of women who marry older men for money in newspapers?

Have you been licking toads?  Or is it just too much cough medicine?

Anonymous 04 August 20 21:49

You don't need me to give you their names 11.31, look online or open a newspaper.

It's in the books says Donald Trump.  Which books asks the interviewer.  The books says Donald.  Read the manuals he says.  Which manuals asks the interviewer.

Donald does not reply.

Give me a couple of million names of these women or admit that you're making it up.  And I'm letting you off lightly only asking for two million - which, by the way, is an insignificant proportion out of a global population of over 7 billion. 

Anonymous 04 August 20 21:53

Newspapers.

Yeah.  Nice one Grandad.  I'll get one when I pick your pension up from the Post Office shall I?

Why don't you learn to use the internet? 

Anonymous 05 August 20 00:26

Anonymous 04 August 20 18:35

You don't need me to give you their names 11.31, look online or open a newspaper.

You don't have to give us all of their names.  How about just the ones you know.  30 year age gap.

If there's millions of them you must know one or two - like this one, for example.

https://www.newsmax.com/thewire/al-pacino-pacino-girlfriend-al-pacino-age-meital-dohan/2020/02/19/id/954761/

Anonymous 05 August 20 07:25

Anonymous 04 August 20 18:35

You don't need me to give you their names 11.31, look online or open a newspaper.

I've looked in The Times, The Guardian and the Financial Times.  None of them have supported your thesis.

Anonymous 05 August 20 07:30

Anonymous 04 August 20 18:35

There's been an explosion in the Lebananon (https://youtu.be/TH-_bsCwdRw), lorry drivers will need a permit to drive in Kent after 31 December (internal partition in England - Cornish independence next?) and Donald Trump has brains made of oatmeal.

Am I getting close?

Anonymous 05 August 20 14:28

@ ShootyMcShootyface 05 August 20 12:48

Why?  I'd rather force you to read two line comments and get so outraged about it that you have to beg me to stop.

I like it when slaves give me their power.

Mwahahahahaha.......

Anonymous 05 August 20 15:00

Sounds like you're finding plenty of examples all by yourself 21.46,  21.49, 21.50, 21.53, 00.26, 07.25, 07.30. Keep googling and you'll find more - there are millions.

Anonymous 05 August 20 20:12

the cripple fight on here is mildly amusing. It is clear however that evading a direct response to a straightforward question allows the readers to work out who looks the bigger fool.

Anonymous 05 August 20 20:22

Anonymous 05 August 20 15:00

Sounds like you're finding plenty of examples all by yourself 21.46,  21.49, 21.50, 21.53, 00.26, 07.25, 07.30. Keep googling and you'll find more - there are millions.

Definitely licking a toad.

Anonymous 05 August 20 20:23

Anonymous 05 August 20 16:44

Lots of women are attracted to older men who play guitar.

Yeah.  What are their names?

Anonymous 05 August 20 20:26

Lots of older men who play guitar think that women 30 years younger than them are attracted to them.

They're wrong but fortunately most of them don't get so drunk that they turn into Gropey McGropeface at work meetings.

And then, I suppose, there's you.  Good luck finding your unicorn.

Anonymous 05 August 20 20:56

Anonymous 05 August 20 16:44

Lots of women are attracted to older men who play guitar.

What happened to millions of women are attracted to men 30 years older than them?

I like this one though.

https://www.newsmax.com/thewire/al-pacino-pacino-girlfriend-al-pacino-age-meital-dohan/2020/02/19/id/954761/

Well spotted.  Has the May - December guy read it?

 

Anonymous 06 August 20 07:58

He wasn't in front of a magistrate this time, 2nd at 21.23  so isn't possible for him to be so 'again.

Anonymous 06 August 20 09:22

Anonymous 05 August 20 15:00

Sounds like you're finding plenty of examples all by yourself 21.46,  21.49, 21.50, 21.53, 00.26, 07.25, 07.30. Keep googling and you'll find more - there are millions.

Definitely licking a toad.

Keep googling - only a few more million to go!

Anonymous 06 August 20 09:23

Anonymous 05 August 20 16:44

Lots of women are attracted to older men who play guitar.

Yeah.  What are their names?

Google them or open a newspaper. Yeah.

Anonymous 06 August 20 10:25

Lots of women are attracted to older men who play guitar.

What happened to millions of women are attracted to men 30 years older than them?

I like this one though.

https://www.newsmax.com/thewire/al-pacino-pacino-girlfriend-al-pacino-age-meital-dohan/2020/02/19/id/954761/

Well spotted.  Has the May - December guy read it?

Nothing happened to them, indeed you've highlighted one of the millions of examples.

Anonymous 06 August 20 10:30

He wasn't in front of a magistrate this time, 2nd at 21.23  so isn't possible for him to be so 'again.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4087636/solicitor-58-barged-commuters-tube-station-assaulted-woman-unprovoked-attack.html

Not very good at this internet thing, are you.

Maybe you need to read the thread before replying to it.

Anonymous 06 August 20 10:32

Nothing happened to them, indeed you've highlighted one of the millions of examples.

If you'd read this example you'd have noticed that the woman said that she dumped Pacino because he was too old.

You don't have a single example, do you.

Pwned.  Utterly and completely pwned.

Anonymous 06 August 20 17:30

You don't have a single example, do you.

what kind of idiot asks for evidence?

I bet you think 9/11 was a terrorist attack too.

Everyone knows the truth.  Women love older men.  And you can find always the truth in The Sun and the Daily Mail if you really want to.  Just look for yourself.

Anonymous 06 August 20 18:13

Charges were withdrawn 10.30 - perhaps you ought to read the article before sending a link to it.

Anonymous 06 August 20 22:14

Anonymous 06 August 20 18:13

Charges were withdrawn 10.30 - perhaps you ought to read the article before sending a link to i

So he was in front of a magistrate after all.

 

Anonymous 06 August 20 18:15

Not a single example 10.32, millions of examples.

You say that a lot.  And yet fail to provide any. 

Anonymous 06 August 20 22:55

Its OK if you're attracted to older men 5th at 20.26, its perfectly normal and millions of women are. There's no need to be in denial or try to closet it.

 

 

Anonymous 07 August 20 08:18

@ Anonymous 06 August 20 17:30 - the type of person pretending there are no examples of women being attracted to older men is probably the type of person who a) is attracted to older men themselves but doesn't want to admit it or b) doesn't want to admit that women are attracted to older men because they don't want older men to be able to defend themselves against allegations from younger women, even if the allegations are not true.

You are correct - millions of younger women love older men. Examples can be found in many sources including The Sun and The Daily Mail.

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