June 18, 2010 11:04 AM

Kasowitz in Clear on Pitcock Comments

Posted by Zach Lowe

Could it be? Have we heard the last of the Jeremy Pitcock saga? On Thursday, a state trial court ruled that Pitcock's former firm, Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman, did not defame Pitcock when it released a public statement saying the firm terminated Pitcock because of his "extremely inappropriate" behavior, according to the New York Law Journal, an Am Law Daily sibling publication. As you surely recall, that behavior involved hitting on at least seven female firm employees at a holiday party and an alleged pattern of what the firm called "suggestive comments" and "gender-specific jokes" aimed at women.

The firm released that statement only after a trade publication, IP Law 360, reported Pitcock's move to Morgan & Finnegan as if it that firm had lured him from Kasowitz, the NYLJ says. The publication reported that Morgan had "nabbed" Pitcock, and that Pitcock had "jumped ship." Kasowitz then set the record straight by revealing they had actually fired Pitcock. Pitcock sued for defamation.

A trial court judge dismissed that suit, saying the evidence, including an apologetic e-mail from Pitcock to Kasowitz higher-ups, showed that Kasowitz's characterization of Pitcock's behavior was accurate. A state appeals court upheld that decision Thursday, the NYLJ says.

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