A City lawyer who allegedly made racist remarks, groped colleagues, and got so drunk he wet himself at work parties has been suspended.
Ryan Williams was accused of making antisemitic claims to Jewish colleagues and using a slur to describe a black person while a partner at law firm SBP Law.
At a party in an East Finchley pub, north London, in 2021, Williams is said to have told a Jewish colleague that ‘racism to Jews does not exist’, and said: ‘You’re all on top,’ the tribunal heard.
He was also accused of having repeatedly described his black opponent in a charity boxing match as a ‘tall, large n*****’, using the foul insult repeatedly, The Telegraph reports.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), which brought the case against Williams, claimed his behaviour became increasingly erratic over the course of the evening, descending into him throwing pizza around the pub garden.
By the end of the night, he was described as ‘incredibly drunk,’ and an Uber driver reportedly refused to pick him up.
He was reportedly incapable of standing up and urinated on his clothes – though Mr Williams said this was a result of a medical condition.
Williams allegedly made previous antisemitic remarks to a Jewish colleague while working on a case related to a Jewish security charity.
Ryan Williams, now of Healys LLP, has been suspended after being accused of making racist remarks and groping colleagues while at SBP Law
The colleague claimed Williams said there was only security outside synagogues because Jewish people have lots of money.
At a Christmas party at the Dorchester Hotel, two months after the pub-garden bash, he was accused of telling the same Jewish colleague they only got their job due to their faith, and that Jewish people think they are above everyone else.
He was also said to have referenced another colleague’s ‘big Jew hands’.
At a bar after the party, the tribunal heard that Williams slapped a female colleague on the inner thigh, before touching her and another colleague on the bottom.
The SRA investigated the accusations and referred the case to the tribunal, accusing Williams of breaching bullying, harassment and discrimination rules.
Williams denied the claims, but stepped down from his £125,000-a-year partnership role at SBP Law, and is now a partner at corporate London firm Healys LLP.
He was hauled before the Solicitors’ Disciplinary Tribunal, which found all the charges proved and suspended him. It is understood he has been banned for 12 months, with a full judgment yet to be released.
The costs he will have to pay, which could be as high as £220,000, will be decided at a later date.
A spokesman for SBP Law told The Telegraph: ‘Immediately these events were brought to our attention, we suspended Mr Williams, and upon our investigation of matters, he resigned from the practice. We do not tolerate such conduct.’
Mr Williams told the Daily Mail he was suffering from severe PTSD at the relevant time due to the death close family members.
He also said the phrase ‘wet himself’ is a ‘wrong and humiliating description of a medical condition’.
Mr Williams added: ‘I am considering an appeal and matters are not at an end from my perspective.’
Healys was contacted for comment.
