The former private client manager at Merrill Lynch, who lost a record £7.5 million sexual discrimination case against the US firm, is to set...

The former private client manager at Merrill Lynch, who lost a record £7.5 million sexual discrimination case against the US firm, is to set up with her Italian banker husband, Alessandro Ciravgna, a new investment company, GoldFinger has learnt. The new firm is to be called New College Capital and will target high net worth individuals with asset management products, according to a report in Financial News. Mr Ciravagna presently runs Ciravegna Capital Management, which he set up in 2000. However, according to FN this firm made a cumulative profit of just £34,366 between when it was set up and 2003. Ms Villalba recently failed to recover her legal costs, which were £568,000, connected with her sex discrimination case against the bank. Nevertheless, Ms Villalba has reportedly signed a $500,000 book deal with a London publisher to tell her story of the affair. GoldFinger is bidding for the serialisation rights.