Former Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer partner Lois Moore unconditionally dropped her age discrimination case against the London giant, it emerged Wednesday.
Moore �- now a partner at the London arm of U.S. giant Shearman & Sterling -� had claimed that the introduction of a new, less generous pension scheme by the firm represented discrimination against its older partners.Following Freshfields’ defeat last month of a similar claim brought by former restructuring head Peter Bloxham, Moore has now decided to unconditionally withdraw all claims against the firm.It is understood Moore decided not to pursue her case -� for which a hearing had been scheduled for December -� earlier this week. There had been no discussions between Moore and Freshfields to come to an agreement.Freshfields had turned to its regular adviser Lewis Silken, while Moore was being represented by Herbert Smith senior partner David Gold.The move comes as it emerges that Freshfields will look to recoup its costs on the Bloxham hearing earlier this summer, with the Magic Circle law firm setting the ball rolling on a costs claim with the tribunal earlier this week. The firm has yet to put a value on the claim, pending a case management discussion.Dawsons, the firm that advised Bloxham on his claim, said Thursday in a statement that it would contest any claim the firm makes.Bloxham had alleged that Freshfields effectively forced him to retire through the changes to the pension scheme, affecting his entitlements.However, the tribunal found that while Freshfields had been discriminatory on the grounds of age when the new pensions provisions were introduced, it had “comfortably passed” the test of whether the reforms were executed in a proportionate manner as a means of achieving a legitimate business aim.
