Disciplinary Record - Jake Flint

Decision - Employee-related decision

Outcome: Control of non-qualified staff (Section 43 / Section 99 order)

Outcome date: 2 November 2023

Published date: 5 December 2023

Firm details

Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome

Name: Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP

Address(es): One Wood Street, London, EC2V 7WS

Firm ID: 383181

Outcome details

This outcome was reached by SRA decision.

Decision details

Summary of decision

The SRA has put restrictions on where and how Mr Flint can work in an SRA regulated firm. It was found that:

On 12 July 2022, while attending a work event organised by Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP (the firm), Mr Flint persisted in a course of conduct towards a female employee of the firm without her consent. He grabbed her breast on three occasions, touched her bottom and touched her upper thigh while asking if they were eating food in his room or hers.

The facts

Between 10 May 2021 and 12 August 2022, Mr Flint was employed by the firm as a senior client development manager.

On 12 July 2022, Mr Flint attended the firm’s business development and marketing department’s away day organised by the firm. Employees from the firm’s offices attended the event which involved socialising by the staff and an overnight stay at a hotel.

After the event, when walking to the hotel with a group of colleagues, Mr Flint touched and grabbed the breast of one of his colleagues without her consent. On each occasion, his colleague told him that she did not want him to do so and asked him to stop. Once at the hotel, Mr Flint put his arm around his colleague’s waist and touched her bottom. She again told him to stop. Another colleague intervened and spoke to Mr Flint about his conduct.

Later in the same evening, Mr Flint approached his colleague again when she was ordering take away food with other colleagues. He put his hand on her upper thigh and asked her if they were eating food in his room or hers. Mr Flint admitted his conduct and accepted the SRA’s recommendation for a section 43 order.

Our decision on outcome

An order pursuant to section 43(2) of the Solicitors Act 1974 was made as Mr Flint’s conduct meant that it was undesirable for him to be involved in a legal practice without the SRA’s prior approval.

This was because of the serious nature of his conduct in repeatedly touching his colleague in a sexual way without her consent and in making a comment to her of a sexual nature.

Mr Flint was also ordered to pay the SRA’s costs of £600.

What our Section 43 order means

To make an order pursuant to section 43 that with effect from the date of the letter or email notifying Mr Flint of this decision:

1. no solicitor shall employ or remunerate him in connection with his/her practice as a solicitor;
2. no employee of a solicitor shall employ or remunerate him in connection with the solicitor's practice;
3. no recognised body shall employ or remunerate him;
4. no manager or employee of a recognised body shall employ or remunerate him in connection with the business of that body;
5. no recognised body or manager or employee of such a body shall permit him to be a manager of the body; and
6. no recognised body or manager or employee of such a body shall permit him to have an interest in the body

   except in accordance with the SRA’s prior written permission.