A City lawyer has been rebuked by the regulator after being found to have unfairly sacked his children’s nanny.
Sylvain Dhennin, a registered foreign lawyer and partner of Hogan Lovells International LLP, was found by an employment tribunal judge to have directly discriminated against the nanny on the grounds of pregnancy when he unfairly dismissed her.
Dhennin, who did not appeal last September’s judgment, was ordered to pay £6,500 damages, £11,371 in compensation and interest of almost £500.
According to a decision notice published by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, Dhennin admitted breaching the principle requiring him to behave in a way that maintains public trust in him and in the provision of legal services.
The SRA said a rebuke was appropriate because Dhennin's conduct caused ‘loss or significant inconvenience’ to the nanny, and the sanction marked the seriousness of what happened and the impact felt. The SRA also acknowledged that his conduct was unconnected with his legal practice and there was no lack of integrity on his part.
The regulator took into account Dhennin’s mitigation, which included that he was experiencing challenging personal circumstances at the time, had paid the monies ordered by the tribunal promptly, he had cooperated with the SRA investigation and had a clear regulatory history.
Dhennin, who heads Hogan Lovells’ high yield practice in Europe, has also agreed to pay the £600 costs of the SRA’s investigation.
