‘Deluded’ solicitor struck off after bullying and harassing junior colleagues
The former director of a law firm has been struck off for inappropriate and unacceptable behaviour in the workplace.
Domenico Pisano, formerly of north London firm Dominic Levent Solicitors, was involved in a series of verbal and physical assaults on staff members between September 2021 and April 2022.
His co-director, Levent Hasan, described Pisano’s behaviour as “increasingly erratic and bizarre” and he was taken to the Central London County Court earlier this year over allegations of misusing company funds.
Pisano was accused of transferring £95,000 of company funds to his personal account, and using an additional £14,000 for “goods for his own use, of no benefit to the company”.
Judge Simon Monty KC ordered Pisano to repay the funds and make a payment on account of costs totalling nearly £139,000. The judge deemed Pisano’s misuse of funds and inappropriate behaviour part of a baseless vendetta against Hasan, stemming from a fallout between the two directors.
The court heard Pisano used homophobic language towards former colleagues, shouted at staff in the presence of clients, and made sexually inappropriate comments to female colleagues. Additionally, Pisano showed female colleagues sexually explicit photographs on his phone without their consent.
Disturbingly, the court also heard that a student, who was working temporarily at Dominic Levent Solicitors whilst on placement, was physically assaulted by Pisano. The former director reportedly shouted at the student whilst kicking his bag, consequently making contact with the student’s body. Other colleagues shared their own troubling experiences of Pisano’s offensive behaviour.
Ultimately, the court found Pisano’s behaviour to be utterly “offensive, intimidating and insulting”, causing “physical and emotional harm” to colleagues in a way which amounts to bullying and harassment.
The former director denied all allegations, claiming his conduct was unintentional. The judge labelled Pisano “a strange and deluded individual with a tenuous grasp on reality”, after granting an anti-harassment injunction against him in relation to the firm and its employees.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority conducted an investigation into Pisano’s conduct, leading to a hearing at the Solicitor’s Disciplinary Tribunal. The tribunal determined Pisano’s actions were “deliberate and continued over a period of time”, constituting an abuse of power.
Importantly, Pisano was subsequently struck off, demonstrating the SRA’s firm stance on behaviour of this nature.
Unfortunately, many of those who were subjected to Pisano’s conduct were early into their careers in the legal profession. It is disheartening their initial experiences with the profession have been tarnished in this way. The SRA highlighted the vulnerability of these junior colleagues who were taken advantage of, noting that Pisano’s behaviour led them to believe that such conduct is to be expected in the profession.
Bullying and harassment should never be tolerated. If you have experienced such behaviour in the workplace, we encourage you to reach out to Bolt Burdon Kemp for a free and confidential conversation with one of our experts.
