A leading lawyer is still on course to secure a £19m compensation payment after an employment tribunal refused to rethink its decision that she suffered sex discrimination and harassment.

A leading lawyer is still on course to secure a £19m compensation payment after an employment tribunal refused to rethink its decision that she suffered sex discrimination and harassment.

Lawyers representing city finance company F&C Asset Management had asked the panel to rethink the finding in the light of new evidence concerning Gill Switalski.

The 51-year-old, once named among the legal world's "Hot 100" lawyers, successfully claimed she was driven out of her job as head of F&C's legal affairs after being subjected to an 18-month campaign of harassment.

Marrack Tonkin, from Midlothian, who is company secretary and head of F&C's office in Edinburgh, was named by Miss Switalski as one of the main aggressors in the case along with Peter Cole, head of human resources.

In June, the firm presented the tribunal with evidence she had been offered and accepted another better-paid job, despite claiming her career had been ruined. Just before launching her legal action, Miss Switalski accepted a new job at Royal London, lawyers for F&C said. She maintained she later refused the offer because she felt too ill.

She also admitted at the hearing she led F&C to believe she was suffering from breast cancer. In fact, she was bipolar but was ashamed to admit having a mental illness.

A spokesman for F&C said the tribunal in London yesterday refused to reconsider its decision but said the new evidence would be taken into account when compensation is decided next February.