Indian-origin man Nirmal Patel has faced a serious backlash on social media after he sent a misogynistic message to Fenchurch Legal's chief executive, Louisa Klouda. The controversy started when Klouda shared the screenshot of the exchange on LinkedIn, showing that Patel holds outdated views on working with women.

The exchange began in December 2024 when Patel, who describes himself as a "Sfo deal syndicate middleman" on LinkedIn, contacted Klouda, saying, "Happy to take a call as I don't like to connect without knowing the person." When he did not get a response, he followed up with a single question mark on January 6.

Klouda happily responded by inviting him to make time for a Teams call the following week. She also requested him to let her know his availability. But what followed was not something she could expect.

"Thanks, as interesting and successful as your business is, I tend not to work with women. Be well sweetheart," he replied, leaving Klouda stunned.

Klouda was desperate enough to expose the obvious misogyny: a post on LinkedIn captioned:

"Well, I woke up today and learned something groundbreaking: Some people still think women shouldn't be in business. Wild. It's 2025, we've got AI writing novels, people vacationing in space, and yet... here we are."

She continued, by stating that despite such outdated mindsets, she would keep breaking barriers and proving that "competence has NO gender." Encouraging others, she wrote, "To my fellow women (and men) in business: Keep being brilliant. Keep making deals. Keep leading. And to those who 'tend not to work with women'—best of luck finding success without half the world's talent."

Social media reaction

Klouda's post lit the social networking platform buzz, as people showed their irritation towards Patel's words. It's so pathetic to see such glaring misogyny. Don't let it bother you too much, you bring so much to the table regardless of people like that." Another user added, "Oh what a misogynistic man. I'm sure his mother/sister/partner will be shocked at such views."

Many were particularly annoyed by Patel's use of the word "sweetheart" in professional discourse. This is unbelievable, and on top of that, he ends it with 'sweetheart.' It's sad to see such comments still in 2025," wrote one user. Another praised Klouda for her resilience, saying, "This is a testament to your strength as a woman in business. Keep doing your thing, girl!"

Klouda’s decision to expose the exchange has started an important conversation about sexism in business, reminding the world that there’s still work to be done to achieve true workplace equality.