Law firms may be allowed to enforce a compulsory retirement age policy in certain circumstances – but in doing so they must navigate a legal minefield
Partnerships may be able, in their own particular circumstances, to justify the adoption of a compulsory retirement age for partners. However, City and national firms which are run primarily on modern corporate, performance-based models would be unwise to rely too heavily on the reasons cited in the recent Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) decision in Seldon v Clarkson Wright & Jakes to justify their compulsory retirement age rule.
