The former director of international law firm Gowling WLG has been found guilty of multiple allegations by the UK Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal which found he had engaged in a “sexual fantasy relationship” with a teenage colleague.
Oliver Bretherton was found to have demonstrated a lack of integrity and an abuse of his position.
The tribunal reached a verdict after a lengthy hearing spanning over two months, during which 70 specific allegations were proven against Bretherton. The case, characterized as one of the longest and most expensive in the tribunal’s history, began in February and exceeded its initially allocated duration of 10 days.
During the proceedings, it was revealed that Bretherton had made explicit remarks to a teenage female colleague, referred to as Person A.
He allegedly expressed a desire to have sex with her in front of other colleagues and asked her to engage in sexual activities at the office.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) accused Bretherton of instructing the woman on who to sleep with and requesting explicit pictures of their sexual encounters. The messages exchanged between them were described as explicit and descriptive, with Bretherton even sending a video of himself masturbating.
Another incident involved Bretherton throwing ping-pong balls down the front of the woman’s dress and insisting she retrieve them when he missed.
In addition to Person A’s allegations, two other former colleagues testified against Bretherton, claiming that he had abused his seniority with them.
Witnesses from Gowling WLG stated that Bretherton displayed jealousy towards a female colleague’s workplace relationship and bombarded her with numerous messages. Another witness stated that Bretherton referred to the first complainant as “the fittest” following her job interview at the firm.
Oliver Bretherton, a married father who was admitted to the profession in 2007, admitted to exchanging messages with Person A and kissing her on one occasion. He denied any wrongdoing or lack of integrity.
During the tribunal, Bretherton’s representative argued that the SRA should focus on relevant evidence and points that fall within the regulatory sphere, asserting that they were not responsible for arbitrating sexual morality.
The tribunal has now entered deliberations to determine appropriate mitigation, sanctions, and costs.
In response to the tribunal’s decision, David Fennell, the chief executive of Gowling WLG (UK) LLP, expressed dismay at Bretherton’s actions and pledged support for the individuals who came forward with complaints.
Fennell emphasized that the firm found Bretherton’s behavior abhorrent and inconsistent with its values, placing priority on the well-being of its employees and encouraging anyone experiencing unacceptable behavior to report it.
