The judgment — which was initially anticipated in late August or early September — is with tribunal chairman Thomas Ryan, who is currently away from the court and is not expected to make an announcement on the decision until he returns on 8 October.
At the time of the hearing in July, no date was set for a decision due to the employment tribunal’s workload and the size of the case.
Ryan indicated that a decision would not be imminent and that his deliberations were likely to go beyond the scheduled time.
The case sees former Freshfields restructuring head Bloxham allege Freshfields discriminated against him on the basis of age when it introduced a new, less generous pension scheme. He claims the magic circle law firm ‘forced’ him to retire, affecting his entitlements.
The verdict will be closely watched as it could set a precedent as the first major partnership case brought under new age discrimination laws introduced in the
The judgment will also be vital for former corporate partner Lois Moore, who is bringing a similar claim against the firm in a six-day hearing scheduled for December.
The Bloxham dispute could be further drawn out by an appeal, which many believe is likely.
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