This senior legal boss joked that a raffle winner could take a junior colleague's virginity and then trapped a wheelchair user on the dancefloor at his firm's annual conference.

Darren Shaw, a chartered legal executive at personal injury firm Keller Postman, has now been banned from the legal profession over the toe-curling comments when a prize was announced as a 'Virgin Experience Day'. 

A tribunal heard how he joked 'loudly' that a junior female colleague was a 'virgin' and that the winner of the prize would therefore be taking her virginity.

He then repeated the remark, saying: 'I didn't realise you could spend a night with [the woman]!'

After dinner at the firm-wide event in Manchester in 2022, Shaw then danced with multiple women 'some of whom appeared uncomfortable and tried to pull away', the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal heard.

One colleague, who used a wheelchair, said Shaw later approached her while she was seated in her wheelchair, took her hands without invitation and tried to move her on to the dancefloor.

The tribunal heard he moved the wheelchair on to the sloped edge by its wheels, positioning his hands on either side of her and controlling the chair so she could not move away.

When he approached her again later and tried to move her wheelchair, she repeatedly said she did not want to dance.

Shaw was said to have replied with words to the effect of: 'Oh stop, you're teasing me.'

Another female colleague said Shaw adjusted her hat to reveal more of her face, telling her: 'You should wear it like this. You've got a great face. You've got a great name. Are those your eyes?'

Another colleague said Shaw appeared beside her 'uninvited and out of nowhere', leaned close to her ear and asked: 'Do you want to come to the bar alone with me?'

The evening ended at about midnight, but around ten to 15 attendees, including Shaw, went on to a Manchester bar where Shaw continued making personal comments to female colleagues.

'Has anyone ever told you you're beautiful, gorgeous, really attractive?', he told one woman.

He put his arm around another colleague and told her: 'You smell like coconuts.'

Shaw also remarked that she was 'too pretty to be single', told her she had 'really nice eyes' and added: 'Oh, what I'd do to you with those eyes.'

Women who later complained said they felt 'shocked', 'uncomfortable' and 'violated', but felt unable to challenge Shaw at the time because of his senior position.

Shaw was later given a final written warning by his company, barred from drinking at work events and prohibited from attending offices or events outside Manchester without written approval.

He was also banned from being alone with female staff in offices other than in his main office.

The tribunal found the allegations against Shaw proven and concluded he acted in a way 'wholly inconsistent' with the standards expected of someone in legal practice.

He was handed an order preventing regulated law firms or individuals from employing him.

Shaw has been told he cannot be employed by any law firm without prior consent from the Solicitors Regulation Agency as a result of his conduct.

The tribunal found that the 'power imbalance made it more difficult for junior colleagues to challenge his behaviour at the time' and found his misconduct 'was in some respects sexually motivated'.

In an email to the SDT, Shaw said: 'I never set out to cause harm or distress to anyone, it is not in my DNA, never has been or will.

'I tried everything I could to make the Manchester office summit a success, almost single handedly managing circa 100 people at an event.'

He claimed there had been 'a corral of people in the Birmingham office encouraging each other to make wild assertions without evidence' and said he was 'ambushed' in Keller Postman's investigation process.

A spokesperson for the firm said: 'When concerns were first raised, we instructed an independent external law firm to conduct a thorough investigation, and we self-referred the matter to the Solicitors Regulation Authority in accordance with our regulatory obligations.

'We fully accept the decision of the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal concerning a former member of our firm.'

Shaw's LinkedIn profile states that he is currently open to work and 'seeking a new challenge outside of law'.

The tribunal concluded: 'The undisputed evidence of those affected was that they suffered distress as a result of the alleged conduct.

'The conduct in question took place on one evening only, but it was repetitive and persistent in the sense that it involved a number of colleagues on separate occasions during that evening.

'Mr Shaw did not engage with the proceedings and did not dispute the factual allegations. The tribunal found the allegations to be proved.

The tribunal found Mr Shaw's conduct damaged the reputation of the profession. It noted that Mr Shaw had not apologised or shown remorse in any meaningful way. The tribunal therefore considered that there was a risk of him acting in the same way again.'

Shaw was also ordered to pay costs of £20,600.