So Freshfields won. Having access only to the small snippets from the judgment circulated in the press, it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly the basis of the decision. It seems that the tribunal was satisfied that Freshfields’ pension reforms were a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim and that therefore the age discrimination was justified.
Where does that leave the profession? I believe that, in practice, Freshfields’ success actually leaves law firms and the legal sector in a potentially more vulnerable position for the future.
