Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, the law firm, yesterday dropped its attempt to win legal costs from a former partner it defeated in a high-profile and increasingly bad-tempered age discrimination case. The firm said it would withdraw the claim against Peter Bloxham, a former insolvency partner, after he decided not to appeal against the employment tribunal decision. The case was a highprofile test of new age discrimination rules that have generated thousands of claims since they came into force a year ago.