TheCorporateCounsel.net

It is with great sadness that I write today about the death of Harvey Pitt, who served as the 26th Chairman of the SEC. He passed away yesterday at the age of 78. Harvey was a giant of the securities bar who served as the SEC’s youngest General Counsel in 1975, and who was a senior partner at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson after his first ten-year tour at the SEC concluded in 1978. He began his tenure as SEC Chairman in August 2001, and soon thereafter he addressed the September 11 crisis, navigating that extraordinarily difficult situation to see the markets up and running again in the days after the attack. During his tenure as Chairman, he also addressed a crisis in confidence in the markets brought on by the accounting scandals at companies such as Enron and WorldCom, as well as the enactment and implementation of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Following his resignation in 2003, Harvey founded the global strategic business consulting firm, Kalorama Partners, LLC, and its law firm affiliate, Kalorama Legal Services, PLLC.

One of the great accomplishments of Harvey’s career for which I will always be grateful is the founding of the SEC Historical Society. He was a founding trustee and first President of the SEC Historical Society. I have been involved with the SEC Historical Society for many years, and I was very pleased to see Harvey become more involved with the organization again during my time in leadership. To me, the SEC Historical Society represents Harvey’s love for the SEC and its staff and is a fitting legacy that he leaves behind.

Beyond his career as a regulator, lawyer and CEO, Harvey was admired as a great family man, friend and mentor. I offer my condolences to his family and many friends and colleagues. I understand that there will be a service on Monday, June 5th at 1:00 pm at the Washington Hebrew Congregation.

– Dave Lynn