A group of senior partners fought Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s move to restructure the partnership, it emerged in a high-profile age discrimination hearing against the firm this week.

The informal group, dubbed the ‘Grey Panthers’ – led by Linklaters defector and finance partner David Ereira and including Lois Moore, Don Guiney, Simon Witty and Julian Francis – disagreed with the firm’s plan to overhaul its pensions scheme and proposed an alternative deal, a tribunal heard.