By Julius Melnitzer | September 11, 2024
PHILLIPPINES SUPREME COURT HAS A PLACE IN LAWYERS’ BEDROOMS
The Phillipines Supreme Court, concluding that sex with a third party while married amounts to grossly immoral conduct, has disbarred a lawyer who had extramarital affairs with at least three different women, “completely disregarding his marital vows”. It’s not quite clear from the media report, however, whether these affairs were the driving factor behind the disbarment: for some reason, the court felt that the lawyer’s “bigamous marriage” and fathering of two illegitimate children was only a “second” consideration.
Related Article: Adultery now legal
Bird & Bird ex-partner SUSPENDED FOR SEXUAL HARASSMENT
Practice Source reports that the UK’s Solicitors Regulation Authority has suspended Takeshige Sugimoto, formerly a partner at Bird & Bird’s Brussels office, for five years. Sugimoto admitted that he pursued sexually-motivated, inappropriate conduct towards a junior legal consultant who was a direct report. Sugimoto’s actions included sending more than 900 inappropriate texts and “taking [the junior’s] hand and trying to hug her”.
Related Article: Calling a man “a bald c***” is sexual harassment
DISCIPLINARY HUBRIS
George Sideris, an Australian lawyer from New South Wales, appears to have set a new standard for not quite getting it. Accused of professional misconduct by the NSW Law Society for, among other things, using “inappropriate language” to adverse parties, Sideris, according to Practice Source, responded by telling the Law Society to “Fuck off”. His reaction clearly informed the Law Society’s decision to find him guilty of professional misconduct. But the man was undaunted: he subsequently acused the Society of “stupidity” and called the disciplinary action “ridiculous”.
Related Article: LST sanctions counsel for uncivil conduct
Julius Melnitzer is a Toronto-based legal affairs writer, ghostwriter, writing coach and media trainer. Readers can reach him at [email protected] or https://legalwriter.net/contact.
