We've posted previously on the age discrimination case that was brought by the EEOC on behalf of demoted and fired partners of legal giant Sidley Austin.  The case has been followed closely by the legal community since it had the potential to affect the mandatory retirement policies of many large firms.  Now the Wall Street Journal reports that the case has been settled, with $27.5 million dollars being divided among 32 plaintiffs.

Due to the settlement, interesting and important questions about what it means to be a "partner" in a large law firm will not be decided by the court, at least not in this case.  Francis Pileggi of the Delaware Corporate and Commercial Litigation Blog has some thoughts on the subject, as does Professor Larry Ribstein on Ideoblog.    

A somewhat similar case was decided in New Jersey in 2006, where the issue was the definition of "employer" for purposes of CEPA, New Jersey's whistleblower law.  You can follow up through our post on Feldman v. Hunterdon Radiological Associates, bearing in mind that the issues, though similar, are not identical.