Australia's most costly sexual harassment lawsuit is about to be played out in court.
Lawyers for former David Jones boss Mark McInnes and publicist Kristy Fraser-Kirk will face off for the first time in Sydney's Federal Court on Monday.
Ms Fraser-Kirk, a 27-year-old junior publicist with David Jones, has filed a $37 million lawsuit against Mr McInnes and David Jones alleging the retail giant's former chief executive made unwelcome sexual comments and advances towards her at a lunch on May 23.
The lunch was to celebrate the renewal of a contract between racehorse trainer Gai Waterhouse and David Jones.
Mr McInnes, 45, resigned in mid-June over the allegations, admitting he had behaved "in a manner unbecoming of a chief executive to a female staff member".
He is defending the legal action, saying many of the allegations against him are untrue.
The first directions hearing in the case will be heard before Justice Geoffrey Flick on Monday.
