City lawyer 'who groped student in Soho strip club' is sacked

A City lawyer has been sacked after allegedly sexually assaulting a work experience student at a Soho strip club.

The 23-year-old Oxford University graduate said the associate groped her and said she could "advance her prospects" by having sex with him.

She made a complaint to bosses at Shearman & Sterling after a night out with employees of the American firm. In a formal complaint, she said that after the group was refused entry to Chinawhite in the West End she and the £85,000-a-year solicitor went to The Windmill club, formerly the Windmill Theatre, which staged London's first nude show. She said: "He grabbed my wrist and we went into a club. I said we should go when I realised it was just the two of us but he said he had already paid.

"He asked me what I looked like naked and tried to put his hand up my skirt. I said I had a boyfriend of three years and he said he had a girlfriend of two years. I said: 'What would she think of this?' and he said: 'I don't give a f***'.

"I was trying to get him to have a lap dance to distract him but he kept on sending them away.

"Then he actually kissed me. I jumped up, spilling beer all over him, and left in tears."

The lawyer was sacked for bringing the firm into disrepute by taking her to the club. The student is now with another firm on a £40,000-a-year training contract but is considering suing Shearman & Sterling.

A spokeswoman for the company said: "After a full investigation, the associate has now left the firm. He paid her entrance fee into the club but it was not on a corporate credit card. It was irresponsible, bringing the firm into disrepute."