[size=18pt]Sexism row after top lawyer compliments woman barrister's 'stunning' LinkedIn picture... then claims he was talking about the 'professional quality' of the photo
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It was probably meant as a compliment – but for 57-year-old lawyer Alexander Carter-Silk it backfired spectacularly.

The married father-of-two was accused of ‘disgusting’ sexism last night for messaging high-flying barrister Charlotte Proudman, praising her ‘stunning’ picture on professional networking website LinkedIn.

He said the 27-year-old should ‘win a prize’ for her photograph, adding it was ‘the best I have ever seen’ on the site.

Miss Proudman – who is the same age as Mr Carter-Silk’s daughter – responded saying she found his message ‘offensive’ and that she was not on LinkedIn ‘to be objectified by sexist men’.

The human rights barrister, who is currently studying for a PhD at Cambridge, then posted an image of both messages on Twitter and was inundated with messages of support.

In accompanying tweets she wrote: ‘How many women @LinkedIn are contacted re physical appearance rather than [professional] skills? ...highlights wider sexism in legal [profession] perpetrated by other legal [professionals].

‘His motives are sexist & such users shouldn’t be allowed to use @LinkedIn –need firm stance.’ Asked by a Twitter user whether his message would have been more acceptable to her had he spoken to her face-to-face, she added: ‘Sexism has no appropriate context.’

Other lawyers also commented, calling his message ‘inexcusable sexism’ and ‘very worrying’.

Mr Carter-Silk’s full 9.16am message said: ‘Charlotte, delighted to connect, I appreciate that this is probably horrendously politically incorrect but that is a stunning picture !!!



‘You definitely win the prize for the best LinkedIn picture I have ever seen. Always interest to understant (sic) people’s skills and how we might work together.’

Responding around nine hours later, she wrote: ‘Alex, I find your message offensive.

‘I am on Linked-in for business purposes, not to be approached about my physical appearance or to be objectified by sexist men.

‘The eroticisation of women’s physical appearance is a way of exercising power over women. It silences women’s professional attributes as their physical appearance becomes the subject.

‘Unacceptable and misogynistic behaviour. Think twice before sending another woman (half your age) such a sexist message.’

In a statement released through City law message board RollOnFriday, Mr Carter-Silk claimed his comments had been misconstrued.

He said: ‘Most people post pretty unprofessional pictures on LinkedIn, my comment was aimed at the professional quality of the presentation on LinkedIn which was unfortunately misinterpreted.

‘Ms Proudman is clearly highly respected and I was pleased to receive her request to linkup and very happy to instruct her on matters which [are] relevant to her expertise, that remains the position.’

Miss Proudman is an award-winning barrister at the Chambers of Michael Mansfield QC. She is currently taking a sabbatical to do a PhD, where she is studying the law surrounding female genital mutilation (FGM).

Mr Carter-Silk lives in Cambridgeshire with his wife of nearly 30 years, Jacqueline, 60.

He has more than 25 years’ experience and represented high-profile clients, including Elle Macpherson throughout the phone-hacking scandal.

Speaking from the couple’s £700,000 detached home last night, Mrs Carter-Silk said she was unaware of the incident and declined to comment further.

A spokesman for law firm Brown Rudnick, which he joined last year, said: ‘We are aware of the comments made by a member of the firm on a private social media account.

‘We have apologised for the offence caused and have no further comment to make.’

tayoxx:
so I no fit tell girl say she fine again

Rukkydelta:

yes o

EnlightenedSoul:
Well, she's absolutely RIGHT, but you'd never understand!

Sagamite:


She just finished herself.

This issue will blow over in another 7 days but she will feel the impact till she retires.

She just reduced her potential earnings by at least 40% because I am sure many solicitors would avoid her like a plague and refuse to pass her work.

Everytime they google her name, this will come up and they will see her as a lunatic.

Her only alternative is to find a permanent 9-5 office job and forget being a barristers. This English men will remember and she will pay dearly.

Barristers depend on solicitors passing them briefs. Many of the solicitors are going to be men. Even women are slaughtering her with the comments I have been reading.

She is a cretin!

Sagamite:


No, I definitely don't understand.

Please enlighten me, EnlightenedSoul.

ilobasama:
Well those are feminists for you. They attack you for any comment and action you take and turn it into a gender based war.

So she could not appreciate a simple complement, even if he had talked about something else outside her looks, she ll still find way to put it in her gender- bashed-i-am-the-victim books

She's a role model and mentor to many of our feminists females here on NL

EnlightenedSoul:

How would you feel if, in your professional sphere, you were constantly being assessed by your physical appearance and so-called beauty rather than all your accomplishments, almost in spite of your accomplishments?

EnlightenedSoul:

Why should my boss or colleagues comment on something as irrelevant as my appearance at every turn? Why should a LinkedIn profile created specifically to showcase professional experience and qualifications be used as a medium to hit on women? Is this Facebook?? She took a stab at responding to irritating af behavior I try my best to ignore, and not let bother me on any given day. And I'd bet $1000 it wasn't the only comment of its kind she'd gotten that day, hence the outburst.

EnlightenedSoul:

He neither afforded her any opportunities nor gave her any cogent offers in the idio.tic e-mail he actually took the time to write, but to offer her his "vote" on being the 'Most Stunning LinkedIn Profile Picture', as if it were a thing of value to line her pockets with. Lol, screw him. Reading that, I share her annoyance.

ilobasama:
As a barrister I will definitely avoid being her client before she turns a case she's meant to win for me against me just cause she feels i am against the female race

EnlightenedSoul:


How would you feel if, in your professional sphere, you were constantly being assessed by your physical appearance and so-called beauty rather than all your accomplishments, almost in spite of your accomplishments? Why should my boss or colleagues comment on something as irrelevant as my appearance at every turn? Why should a LinkedIn profile created specifically to showcase professional experience and qualifications be used as a medium to hit on women? Is this Facebook?? She took a stab at responding to irritating af behavior I try my best to ignore, and not let bother me on any given day. And I'd bet $1000 it wasn't the only comment of its kind she'd gotten that day, hence the outburst.

He neither afforded her any opportunities nor gave her any cogent offers in the idio.tic e-mail he actually took the time to write, but to offer her his "vote" on being the 'Most Stunning LinkedIn Profile Picture' as if it were a thing of value to line her pockets with. Lol, screw him. Reading that, I share in her annoyance.

macof:

I understand that was not the medium for complementing Photos but. ..Appearance is irrelevant?

If you work diligently and accomplish things why won't people recognize that?

EnlightenedSoul:
@ Sagamite: I disagree with your response. As I'd guessed, "you'd NEVER understand", and clearly you don't so...

Sagamite:


So what medium is approved by "whoever/whatever" for complementing photos?

macof:


Well I don't think that should be the first point of call on LinkedIn

Not that it's any matter to take that seriously.. the woman might truly be crazy but the man seems like a pervert (I wouldn't say sexist)

Sagamite:


You can complement a picture ANYWHERE you see it.

Lets all come back to the normal and common sense world. The world feminists don't live in.

If for any reason, someone on LinkedIn feels the direction of a discussion is not one they want to go, they should just say so to the driver to that direction.

Easy as ABC.

Not go crazy like a typical lunatic feminist.

macof:


Well I don't think that should be the first point of call on LinkedIn

Not that it's any matter to take that seriously.. the woman might truly be crazy but the man seems like a pervert (I wouldn't say sexist)

macof:


I completely agree . I was just making my observations

EnlightenedSoul:


LinkedIn is a career networking website - thats definitely not the purpose of the site! Sagamite actually went as far as to suggest women removing professional profile photos completely to avoid being hit on by immensely stu.pid characters. What does that tell you?

EnlightenedSoul:


LinkedIn is a career networking website - thats definitely not the purpose of the site! Sagamite actually went as far as to suggest women removing professional profile photos completely to avoid being hit on by immensely stu.pid characters. What does that tell you? And yet its the feminist thats painted crazy?

macof:


it's actually very funny. One wonders if the Woman is always so hard and tough or she was just having a bad day with work, cus I think her reaction was uncalled for. What happened to simply ignoring a pervert?