Lawyer 'told to go after revealing pregnancy'

Sarah Collins, a corporate partner earning over £100,000 a year, told executives at Tarlo Lyons she was expecting a baby in January last year.

Later that day she walked into a pre-arranged meeting and was told that she alone had been selected for redundancy and would have leave.

"I was extremely shocked," she told Woburn employment tribunal. "Nothing was mentioned to me about my potential selection for redundancy until some two and a half hours after I had informed the equity partners of my pregnancy."

The 38-year-old said her news had not particularly surprised them. "They all made the comment-that it 'was about time'," she told the hearing.

Ms Collins - the only female among 20 partners for most of her five years at the firm - said her male bosses frequently quizzed her about whether she planned to have children and repeatedly overlooked her in favour of lesser candidates when appointing equity partners, fearing she would become pregnant and take maternity leave.

She said one boss made comments about how men and women were different and how women "did not have the same work ethic or drive and ambition as men since they could go and have babies at any time - women had a 'get-out' clause."

Ms Collins, of Clapham, is claiming damages from the firm for sex discrimination and unfair dismissal.

Outlining "rampant sexism" among the "laddish" male partners, she accused one boss, a married father of three, of suggesting they had group sex in a hotel room. He allegedly told her she had "good breasts" and that he would like to "shag" her. She said Lawrence Phillips, who was head of the corporate department, lifted up a woman client's G-string at a firm's party and groped a female trainee's crotch during a dance at another.

Ms Collins, who claims some of her male peers were paid almost double her salary, said his behaviour went unpunished despite her repeated complaints. She said one woman colleague was branded a "troublemaker" and a " whining communist" after raising similar complaints about conduct by male colleagues.

Ms Collins said she was not alleging she had been sexually harassed but said male partners' sexism extended to their decisions on pay and promotion for female lawyers.

She said that explained why she was earning £105,000 in June 2002 when her male peers were being paid up to £178,000.

"I believe it is extremely difficult for women to advance with the firm," she told the hearing. "My impression is there is an effective glass ceiling in place which prevents the promotion of women."

Daphne Romney, for the firm, claimed Ms Collins sent sexually explicit and flirty emails to male colleagues and had once told Mr Phillips a "salacious story" about threesome sex.

She suggested: "You are quite willing to flirt and use your femininity when it suits you aren't you, Miss Collins?" She replied: "I don't know what you are referring to."

The tribunal was told she joined the firm as a salaried corporate partner in June 1998 and soon realised she would have to make an effort to be "one of the boys" if she were to have any chance of fitting into the "laddish culture".

Tarlo Lyons denies her claims and alleges she used to enjoy flirting and engaging with sexual banter.

The tribunal continues.