Judge rules Andrew Greystoke harassed Anita Obiagwu in nice hotel; £20k compensation awarded.
An employment tribunal has ordered senior lawyer Andrew Greystoke to pay £20,000 in compensation after finding he sexually harassed a junior colleague more than five decades his junior during a work trip to the French Riviera.
The 83-year-old, a Cambridge- and Harvard-educated solicitor and founder of Pantheon International, was found to have “inappropriately caressed” 29-year-old corporate projects executive Anita Obiagwu in his hotel room in Nice after a boozy dinner with clients.
The central London tribunal heard that in October 2023, following a client meal, Greystoke invited Obiagwu to his room for what he described as a “post-dinner debrief”. He opened a bottle of champagne and began touching her while she was working on her laptop.
Embed from Getty ImagesObiagwu told the panel she froze in fear as Greystoke rubbed her arm and back, calling her “beautiful” and remarking that if asked whether he would sleep with her, “he would”. She said she was left shocked and terrified, later ringing a colleague in tears to describe the encounter.
During proceedings, evidence emerged that Greystoke’s personal assistant had caught him messaging sex workers on WhatsApp, and that he frequently left the office to meet women despite being married. Witnesses also described his “outdated modus operandi” of heavy drinking during the working day, including wine at lunch and champagne in the late afternoon.
Buse Saglam, who had worked as his PA and is now a CPS paralegal, told the tribunal she had found Obiagwu crying uncontrollably after the incident and confirmed Greystoke’s habit of daytime drinking. Another lawyer said Greystoke’s practice of consuming alcohol with clients was commonplace and part of his working style.
Despite her ordeal, Obiagwu was dismissed from Pantheon International just a month later for what the firm claimed were performance-related reasons. She argued her dismissal was connected to her complaint, but the tribunal rejected that link, although it found clear evidence of harassment during the Nice trip.
Judge Richard Nicolle concluded that Obiagwu’s testimony was credible and supported by witness evidence. He criticised Greystoke’s behaviour, noting: “I do not accept that in 2025 it is advisable employment practice for a senior manager to invite a junior female employee to their hotel room whether to discuss business or otherwise.”
The judge added that discussions could easily have taken place in neutral settings, such as during the walk back from the restaurant or in the hotel lobby, and stressed that the age and power imbalance between the pair made Greystoke’s advances particularly inappropriate.
“I take account of the very significant 54-year age difference between Mr Greystoke and Miss Obiagwu, which makes it very improbable that there can have been any reasonable grounds for a mistaken belief by Mr Greystoke that any overtures he may have made to her were likely to have been reciprocated and welcome,” he said.
While Greystoke denied that “anything improper took place”, the tribunal ruled against him and ordered that £20,000 be paid to Obiagwu for harassment.
The case shines a harsh light on workplace culture in parts of the legal and advisory professions, particularly where senior figures wield significant influence over junior staff. The tribunal noted Greystoke’s drinking and informal style were not only outdated but risked creating unsafe environments for employees, especially younger women.
For Obiagwu, the tribunal’s ruling represents vindication after what she described as a deeply distressing experience with someone she had trusted as a senior colleague. The decision also reinforces legal protections against harassment under the Equality Act, with the judge stressing that seniority and professional standing offer no shield from accountability.
The ruling leaves Greystoke’s long career in disrepute. Once celebrated for his education and business connections, he is now remembered for conduct the tribunal said reflected a failure to respect boundaries, professional responsibility and the trust placed in him by staff.