Harvey Weinstein could face a civil compensation claim in the UK from a woman who alleges she was sexually assaulted by the Hollywood producer in Britain and the US.

The woman, who worked in the film industry, currently wishes to remain anonymous but is represented by a prominent London lawyer, Jill Greenfield, who has previously won significant damages for a client in a civil rape claim. The unusual route for redress could lead to further civil claims in the UK against Weinstein, who is facing multiple sexual assault accusations from women on both sides of the Atlantic. He denies any allegations of non-consensual sex. Scotland Yard has said it is investigating allegations made last month by seven women against Weinstein, some dating back to the 1980s.

The woman in the latest claim has not yet made a complaint to the police but is expected to do so. She is said to remain traumatised by the attacks which allegedly took place after 2000, and has not discussed them with her family. Greenfield, a partner at the law firm Fieldfisher who specialises in personal injury cases, told the Guardian: “We have a sent a letter of claim to Harvey Weinstein’s London and New York offices. I am waiting to hear from them but I have indicated that [if it is not settled] we will be pursuing a civil claim in relation to sexual assaults by Harvey Weinstein. “This is very difficult for her and no doubt for many other victims. I would hope that the Weinstein corporation would want to meet and discuss without having to go too much further. He was a very powerful man but [his victims] now feel they have been given permission to talk about it.” In criminal courts, the prosecution has to prove the charges of sexual assault or any other offence to the standard of beyond all reasonable doubt. In civil cases, it is a matter of proving it on the balance of probabilities.

Greenfield said she would like to speak to Weinstein’s lawyers about the case.

“I hope this will prove one way of taking [claims] forward. If we are not able to reach any resolution, I will be considering and expecting to issue [civil] proceedings in this case.”

She said her client wanted to remain anonymous but it was important that people know about the case.

“A lot of people have been too scared to talk about it. What’s so upsetting is that people have been carrying this around with them and didn’t speak. It’s a very difficult thing to carry around.”

In 2006, Greenfield secured a £259,000 payment from the estate of Christopher Dawes, a millionaire who had lured Amanda Lawson to the island of Alderney with the promise of a job that never existed, then drugged and abused her.

The case is one of only a handful of civil claims for damages for rape to have been brought in the English courts. Lawson faced the hurdle of convincing the court her story was true although, as in most rape cases, there were no witnesses to the assaults.

After that case, Greenfield advised other rape victims whose attackers had not been brought before the criminal courts to consider bringing civil claims: “This sends a message to women everywhere who find themselves in this position that they should stand up for themselves and seek proper advice.”

A spokesperson for Weinstein in the US told the Guardian: “Any allegations of non-consensual sex are unequivocally denied by Mr Weinstein. Mr Weinstein has further confirmed that there were never any acts of retaliation against any women for refusing his advances. Mr Weinstein obviously can’t speak to anonymous allegations, but with respect to any women who have made allegations on the record, Mr Weinstein believes that all of these relationships were consensual.”