Solicitors Regulation Authority

Clyde & Co and Kingsley Napley partners are among the high-profile lawyers representing defendants in an ethics body's case against Baker McKenzie, its former London head Gary Senior, and others.

It emerged earlier this week that Baker McKenzie, former partners Senior and Tom Cassels and former HR director Martin Blackburn have been referred to the Solicitiors' Disciplinary Tribunal over how they handled a historical investigation into misconduct against Senior.

Kingsley Napley partner Iain Miller is acting for Baker McKenzie, according to a person close to the matter.

Nigel West, believed to be the commercial litigation partner at Radcliffes Le Brasseur, is acting for Gary Senior, while Ian Ryan, a white-collar crime partner at Howard Kennedy, is acting for Martin Blackburn, according to the SDT website.

Clyde & Co partner Fergal Cathie is acting for Cassels, now a dispute resolution partner at Linklaters, and has instructed Fountain Court Chambers Richard Coleman QC, according to a Linklaters spokesperson.

They will be up against Daniel Purcell, a partner at Capticks who is acting for the SRA.

All the instructed lawyers are highly regarded in the field of investigations advice.

The first case management hearing will take place on August 12.

The SRA decision relates to how Bakers handled an internal investigation into allegations of inappropriate conduct by Senior in 2012.

Cassels and Blackburn, who were involved in that investigation, are accused by the SRA of allowing to “influence or seek to influence the conduct and outcome of the said investigation”, and “failed to cause information to be appropriately shared within the firm as to the nature and outcome of the complaint as to the conduct of the First Respondent [Senior]“.

In February last year, it emerged that a senior Baker McKenzie partner had allegedly sexually assaulted a female associate several years ago.

The partner, who could not be named, left the firm shortly after the allegations emerged.