A former partner from the Hong Kong law firm, Deacons, who later moved to Baker McKenzie, has been accused of sexual harassment by a former colleague. The alleged actions took place while the accused, Stefano Mariani, was still with Deacons.
According to a proceeding in the Hong Kong District Court, the nameless female lawyer lodged formal accusations against Mariani, who currently serves as counsel at Baker McKenzie. Prior to the allegations, Mariani had held the position of head of Deacons’ tax practice. Law.com reports his profile has now been removed from Baker McKenzie’s website. The firm has yet to issue a public comment due to the ongoing nature of the court proceedings.
The claimant, represented by Hugill & Ip Solicitors, accuses Mariani of exercising control over her by presenting himself as her mentor, and using this position to implement a string of coercion tactics. The case alleges that this created a significant power differential, due to Mariani’s standing as a partner in Deacons.
Few amongst Mariani’s former colleagues expected him to be hired by Baker McKenzie shortly after leaving Deacons. Reportedly, Mariani’s departures were unbeknownst to Baker McKenzie during their hiring process. Neither Deacons nor Baker McKenzie have commented on this matter.
This is the summary of a Law.com article that provides more detailed allegations, including incidents leading up to the case. The original story is paywalled, incomplete information is available due to access limitation.