Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is being scrutinised by the City’s top legal regulator over allegations the powerful law firm misled the woman who accused UBS, the Swiss bank, of mishandling her rape claim.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority is examining whether Freshfields misinformed the woman by explicitly telling her the law firm was acting independently of UBS when it was appointed to investigate the bank’s approach to her claims, according to a person familiar with the matter and documents seen by Financial News.