A law firm has been criticised for sending pink ice-cream makers to female lawyers and clients to mark International Women’s Day.
Ian Mann, managing partner of global ‘offshore’ practice Harneys, proudly announced the company had gifted the domestic appliance for the commemorative day.
The Cambridge-educated ultra-high net worth (UHNW) disputes lawyer cheerfully said the Japanese-made Toffy machine had been delivered to ‘some of our most valued female leaders, friends, clients and colleagues’.
Mr Mann added he had ‘slipped’ one of the work-branded ice-cream makers into his bag for a ‘daddy-daughter activity’ with his ‘sassie girl’.
But his post on LinkedIn earlier this month attracted criticism from Guernsey parliament member, Sally Rochester.
‘I was wondering if an upgrade to a Dyson hoover and washing up brush might be offered too,’ she wrote.
‘I know Harney’s will be working towards equality in the workplace so why not post about the work you are doing to advance equal participation across your firm and announce your ambition for the coming year? That would be a post I could truly celebrate!’
Mr Mann’s tongue-in-cheek response quipped that he was ‘working on a full house cleaning kit for husbands for Mother’s Day next’.
Law firm Harneys has been criticised for sending pink ice-cream makers to female lawyers and clients to mark International Women’s Day
He added: ‘Over one-third of our partners are female and seven out of ten global offices are led by women. We have previously been recognised by The Lawyer as being “the most diverse offshore law firm”.’
Others thanked him for ‘the sweetest gift’, while one female lawyer in Hong Kong said it was ‘the perfect excuse to venture into the kitchen this weekend and whip up some sweet treats with my son!’.
Mr Mann, who ‘splits his time’ between Dubai, Dublin and Hong Kong, graduated with a law degree from the University of Sheffield in 2003, and on his LinkedIn profile describes UHNW clients as his ‘sweet spot’.
He joined Harneys in 2008 and was previously the firm’s head of litigation in Hong Kong before he became a managing partner in December 2025.
A recent LinkedIn post shows him holding an ice-cream cone in which he advises people to ‘go be you, be whatever is your own flavour of choice’.
Harneys describes itself as ‘offering expert advice on the laws of the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Luxembourg, Cyprus, Bermuda, Anguilla, and Jersey’.
The firm told legal community website RollOnFriday: ‘We were proud to celebrate International Women’s Day across all our offices with each location adopting different approaches to raise awareness about this important day’.
‘Mindful of the “give to gain” theme, we held events across the firm including team lunches and sharing cakes and gifts to celebrate the contributions of women across our firm and the wider community.
‘These shared moments reflect our commitment to fostering an inclusive, supportive environment where everyone can thrive and succeed.’
