LAWFUEL – The Legal Newswire – Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has been accused of insufficient consultation leading up to its 2006 partners’ pension reform and forcing out its former insolvency partner Peter Bloxham, an employment tribunal heard today, The Lawyer reports.
Bloxham, who retired from the firm last October, is making three complaints of direct and indirect age discrimination. These arise out of last year’s pension reform aimed at phasing out the scheme contained in Schedule II to the Memorandum of Terms of Partnership in favour of the new, less generous arrangements laid out under Schedule IIA .
The nine-day tribunal, which is chaired by Thomas Ryan at the London Central Employment Tribunal, will hear six witnesses on behalf of Freshfields. The principal witness is Freshfields managing partner Peter Jeffcote. It will also hear evidence from chief executive Ted Burke, senior partner Guy Morton, joint leader of the global finance practice Perry Noble and former finance department head Bob Charlton. Feargus Mitchell, a Deloittes partner, which advised Freshfields on the pension reform will also be called to submit evidence while Bloxham is the sole witness on the claimant side.
