"As a result, the firm took action to immediately suspend the partner and to remove the partner from the firm as swiftly as possible. This action is being taken in accordance with the terms of the firm's Global LLP Agreement and is endorsed by the Global Council."

HSF global chief executive Mark Rigotti said the firm's priority was to support affected staff.

"It is paramount that the individuals who have come forward feel fully supported and can have faith that the firm is taking the right action," he said.

"We do not tolerate behaviour that contravenes our values, codes and policies and we will not accept behaviour that violates a person's dignity or erodes their self-respect.

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"As custodians of the business, the partnership in particular must live and breathe our values and do all they can to ensure that all our team members enjoy an open, inclusive and supportive working environment that encourages them to thrive and enables them to be their whole, true selves at work and outside work.

"On a personal level, I am deeply disappointed to hear how the behaviour of this person has impacted others at our firm. Every one of our people deserves to be treated with respect and dignity and the action we are taking should highlight the importance of this."

At least two women have come forward and made misconduct allegations against the senior partner.


A second email was also sent to the firm's partnership which is understood to have named the senior partner that was suspended.

Law firms, like the major accounting firms, have been pushing for years to increase the percentage of women at partnership level. Around 23 per cent of HSF's partners, or 38 of 163, are women. The firm has around 832 fee-earning staff in Australia.

The firm becomes the third major professional services firm in as many weeks where misconduct allegations has forced the chief executive to remind partners and staff to behave themselves at work.

The email sent out to all partners and staff is sign of the increasing transparency with which firms deal with these allegations.

Male partners at big four accounting and consulting firms EY and KPMG left their respective firms after allegations of misconduct were raised.

That news acted as a lightning strike throughout the professional services industry, with the firms privately encouraging staff to come forward about any allegations of misconduct.

edmundtadros@afr.com.au