A woman solicitor who alleges that her boss remarked she had ‘all the traits of a blonde’ and should find herself a rich husband has begun tribunal proceedings for sexual discrimination and unfair dismissal.

Kate Welch, who worked at Birkenhead firm Nadim Associates from 1 July to 30 September 2009, told the Liverpool employment tribunal that principal Ibrahim Nadim had made a series of sexist remarks about her and other female employees.

Nadim denies the allegations.

Welch told the tribunal that Nadim said ‘women should not be allowed to drive big cars’.

She claimed he had said an accounts clerk was merely ‘pretending’ that she had an ectopic pregnancy.

Welch, now a partner at Liverpool firm Parry Welch Lacey, was dismissed following a three-month probationary period.

She claims she did not know she was on probation and never received a contract of employment.

Nadim has not yet been called to give evidence in the proceedings, which have been adjourned until August.

However, a witness who lets offices to the firm described Nadim as ‘one of life’s true gentlemen’ and claimed it was ‘rubbish’ to suggest he would make sexist remarks to female employees.

Two former employees have also supported Nadim.

Welch’s solicitor Peter Jewell, associate at Liverpool firm John Halson, declined to comment while proceedings were ongoing.

Nadim’s solicitor Ian Steel, head of employment at Leeds firm O’Rourke Reid, said his client denied the allegations and was ‘confident’ of the outcome.