While you may feel too old to make a lateral move, the short answer to the above question is that you are never too old to make a lateral move. While some partners may feel as if firms discriminate on the basis of age, it is much more likely that the firm will turn down a potential lateral based on the size (or lack thereof) of the partner's book of business. Think of it this way: firms exist to make money, so no matter how old you are and how close you are to retirement, if bringing a partner into the firm is going to be profitable for the firm, even for a short period of time, then a firm is likely to do so. Moreover, some firms may jump at the chance to hire older partners in hopes that they will pass their large books of business down to other firm partners when they retire.