UK law firm accused of ageism

A high-flying London lawyer claimed his former firm forced him to retire early in a strongly-contested legal battle today.

Peter Bloxham, 54, accused Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer of age discrimination in its pension scheme and of forcing him out as a partner, the London Central Employment Tribunal heard.

The pension changes at Freshfields, where he was the head of restructuring, were disproportionate - and unlike other former colleagues he did not become a consultant for the firm, it was claimed.

The reforms, which cut the amount that partners receive in retirement, were discriminatory because they affected partners in different ways according to their age, it was suggested.

Mr Bloxham retired in October 2006 as new, less generous pension arrangements were being introduced.

Dinah Rose QC for Freshfields argued they had been fair.

She said: “We will be submitting that the way in which the respondent carried out these reforms, including an exhausting process of consultation and debate finally culminating in a vote of all the partners where the reforms were passed in an overwhelming majority, is powerful evidence that the changes were proportionate.”

The effects of the changes to the pension scheme are not in dispute.

Mr Bloxham claims he was “forced to choose between retiring six months before he wanted” in October 2006 rather than April 2007 and “sacrificing” some of his payout, according to Ms Rose.

But she told the tribunal: “He was not forced to take that option. He could have retired as a partner and remained a consultant.

“The offer made to him (of a consultancy) and how he reacted to it are also in dispute.”