Jessica Franqui, a 27-year-old clerk at Tullett Prebon Americas in New York is suing British chief executive, Marcus Bolton, and the company for $20m.

She claims she was grabbed without her permission by Mr Bolton whilst he was ‘intoxicated’ before being spun around and dipped so his face was close to hers.

According to the writ: “During [the] plaintiff’s struggle to free herself from [the] defendant, Bolton’s grasp, he released her from his grip and she dropped to the floor on her back.”

As she lay on her back, Bolton, allegedly stepped “directly and heavily onto [her] right breast with force enough to cause significant pain and shortness of breath”, and then, “looked at the male employees in the room and pumped his fists in the air in a victorious manner”.

After Franqui protested, Bolton, according to the writ, said words to the effect of: “Oh, come on now; it’s all right. They [her breasts] are big and you probably didn’t even feel it.”

Bolton and Tullett Prebon Americas are contesting Franqui’s claims.

According to the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Bolton, who graduated from Durham University with a degree in economics, is known by colleagues and friends as an ambitious and highly-motivated “go-getter”.