A senior legal executive at the personal injury firm Keller Postman has been banned from the legal profession. The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal issued the ruling following inappropriate conduct and "sexually motivated" remarks made during a 2022 firm conference in Manchester.

The "Virgin Experience Day" and verbal harassment

The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal heard how Darren Shaw, a chartered legal executive, made several inappropriate remarks during a firm-wide event in Manchester in 2022. According to the tribunal, Shaw joked loudly that a junior female colleague was a "virgin" and suggested that the winner of a "Virgin Experience Day" prize would be taking her virginity. He reportedly repeated the remark, stating, "I didn't realise you could spend a night with [her]!"

The misconduct reportedly extended to a Manchester bar where Shaw continued to make personal comments to female colleagues. As the report states, he told one woman she was "beautiful, gorgeous, really attractive" and remarked to another that she "smelled like coconuts." Other allegations included Shaw adjusting a colleague's hat to reveal more of her face while commenting on her appearance, and approaching another woman uninvited to ask if she wanted to go to the bar alone with him.

Physical misconduct involving a wheelchair user

One of the most serious allegations involved a colleague who used a wheelchair. The tribunal heard that Shaw approached the woman while she was seated and attempted to force her onto the dancefloor without invitation. In a specific instance of physical boundary crossing, Shaw reportedly moved the wheelchair onto a sloped edge and used his hands to control the chair, preventing the woman from moving away despite her reepated refusals to dance.

These actions were cited by the tribunal as being "wholly inconsistent" with the standards expected of a legal professional. the tribunal noted that the inherent power imbalance between a senior executive and junior staff made it significantly more difficult for victims to challenge Shaw's behavior at the time of the incident.

The power imbalance and Keller Postman's response

Keller Postman took disciplinary action against Shaw following the 2022 event, though the tribunal's recent ruling is more severe. The firm previously issued Shaw a final written warning, which included being barred from drinking at work events and being prohibited from attending offices outside of Manchester without written approval. He was also banned from being alone with female staff in offices other than his main location.

A spokesperson for the firm said that when concerns were first raised, they instructed an independent external law firm to conduct a thorough investigation. Keller Postman also self-referred the matter to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to fulfill their regulatory obligations. The tribunal has now handed down an order preventing regulated law firms or individuals from employing Shaw without prior consent from the SRA.

Who is behind the alleged Birmingham "corral"?

While the tribunal found the allegations against Shaw to be proven, the executive has contested the circumstances of the investigation. In an email to the SDT, Shaw claaimed he was "ambushed" during the process and suggested that a "corral of people" in the Birmingham office were encouraging others to make "wild assertions without evidence."

However, the source does not provide evidence to support Shaw's claim of a coordinated effort to mislead investigators, nor does it identify the specific individuals he claims were part of this "corral." It remains unverified whether any formal complaints were ever filed regarding the conduct of staff in the Birmingham office, or if Shaw's claims are an attempt to deflect from the proven misconduct in Manchester.