A former senior City lawyer has brought an age discrimination claim against his former partners in an employment tribunal, which starts today.
In the first case involving a senior City employee to go to trial since age discrimination legislation came into effect last October, former insolvency partner Peter Bloxham, has made the age discrimination claim against Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. This is believed to relate to changes in the firm's pension scheme, although this has not been confirmed.
Paul Callaghan, employment partner at European law firm Taylor Wessing, said: "The Freshfields case is the first big value case under the new age discrimination laws. Age discrimination claims have the potential to result in even bigger awards than the City sex discrimination claims. This is because older professional men and women who are likely to bring the claims will be amongst some of the highest paid people in the City. Also, they are unlikely ever to work at the same level of remuneration again.
"Compensation is uncapped and will be awarded for as long as an employment tribunal believes they were likely to have worked."†
