Nigel Forsyth
Barker Gillette Who? Nigel Forsyth, 49-year-old employment and dispute resolution partner at London firm Barker Gillette.


Why is he in the news? Acts for Faria Alam, the Football Association (FA) secretary at the centre of the 'Svengate' scandal - who is now considering suing the FA for constructive dismissal. Ms Alam maintains that when questioned by the FA over her affairs with England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson and former chief executive Mark Palios - which she denied at the time - she was not told that she could refuse to answer questions about her private life. Both Mr Palios and former FA communications director Colin Gibson resigned over the scandal, while Ms Alam herself has now resigned and is reported to have earned some £500,000 in tabloid interviews.



Background: LLB at Pembroke College, Cambridge, graduating in 1975. LPC in Chester, followed by training at Devonshires in the City, qualifying in 1979. Joined City firm Speechly Bircham in 1980, moving to international firm Amhurst Brown Colombotti in 1982 and becoming partner in 1985. Joined Barker Gillette as a partner in June last year.



Route to the case: Ms Alam was introduced to Barker Gillette partner Steven Barker by a mutual friend.



Thoughts on the case: 'This case raises a number of issues about an employee's right to privacy, the ability of an employer to monitor e-mails, and the duty of care that an employer owes to an employee - particularly in the situation in which Ms Alam found herself. Should not the FA or its lawyers, who were purporting to act for both Ms Alam and the FA, have warned Faria Alam of her right to refuse to answer questions about her personal life? Some legal action is obviously on the agenda... Ms Alam has given newspaper and TV interviews, but she felt pushed into all this. The press had carried so much about her already that she felt she had to give her own account.'



Dealing with the media: 'Our firm acts for a lot of professional footballers and other high-profile clients, and so we are used to dealing with the media. But in this case, we took the view that we would keep our own name out things, to protect the client. She was staying in several safe houses and it was vital that we kept our identity quiet - if we had had the media on our doorstep it would have made it harder for her to pass instructions to us.