Tuesday, Governor-Elect Matt Bevin announced the selection of attorney M. Stephen Pitt to the position of General Counsel for the Office of the Governor. Pitt joins the administration with more than 44 years of legal experience.
“I am pleased to have Steve Pitt join our team,” said Governor-Elect Bevin. “He is widely respected and has a deep understanding of the law that is rooted in decades of experience. The office of General Counsel is a critical one and Steve's character, competence and commitment to the Commonwealth are beyond reproach. He is going to be an excellent public servant for Kentucky. ”“I am really impressed with Matt Bevin and his vision for Kentucky,” said Stephen Pitt. “I'm looking forward to giving back to the people of Kentucky. I want to be part of something that's lasting and meaningful. It is an honor to have this opportunity.”
Steve Pitt is a graduate of Lewisburg High School where he was involved in many school activities, including sports. He is the son of the Marion Pitts, who owned and operated the Lewisburg hardware store which bore their names for decades. He is 69 years old and a 1971 graduate of the UK College of Law, where he served on the staff of the Kentucky Law Journal. He and his wife of 42 years, Kathy, have four grown daughters and reside in Louisville.
Pitt has practiced law for Wyatt, Tarrant, and Combs LLP for 38 years. He was a member of the Firm's Litigation & Dispute Resolution Service Team, Executive Committee and chaired the Firm's Environmental & Toxic Torts and Antitrust & RICO practice groups for many years. Prior to that he served as Assistant Budget Director in the Office of the President at the University of Kentucky (1970-1972) (working with his cousin, Larry Forgy), Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky (1972-1976) and senior trial attorney with the Public Integrity Section of the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. (1976-1977).
Steve Pitt has been lead litigation counsel for numerous national companies during his career, including representing Rockwell International in its highly publicized litigation with Logan County landowners over PCBs found in Mud River. Other corporate clients have included DuPont, General Electric and Occidental Chemical. In addition, he has served as outside counsel for the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville for more than 20 years.
Mr. Pitt has received numerous honors throughout his career including: Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Highest Professional AV Rating by Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, recognized by his peers as one of the Kentucky Super Lawyers®, Woodward/White’s The Best Lawyers in America® 2005-2016, Best Lawyers® 2016 Louisville Litigation-Antitrust "Lawyers of the Year" and recognized as a Local Litigation Star by Benchmark Litigation 2016.
He has several Logan County relatives, including Buddy and Bryson Price and Fayetta Cropper. His sister Sherri is married to another North Logan native, John Paul Brady.