The High Court has overturned a decision by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal that ex-Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer restructuring partner Ryan Beckwith acted unprofessionally by engaging in sexual conduct with a junior employee.

The decision threw out the Tribunal’s 10 October 2019 ruling that Beckwith’s conduct following a night of drinking in July 2016 was “inappropriate” and that he should have known the junior’s judgement was “impaired”.