11 Aug O’DWYER’S PR NEWS: “HURD CALLS ON SITRICK”

By Greg Hazley – O’Dwyer’s

Deposed H-P CEO Mark Hurd has hired Sitrick & Co. for PR counsel as he navigates the aftermath of his forced resignation from the Silicon Valley giant.

Hurd’s departure was announced by H-P on Aug. 6 following an investigation of a claim of sexual harassment against him by a former company contractor and ex-reality show contestant, Jodie Fisher.

Sitrick partner Glenn Bunting, a crisis and media specialist who heads the firm’s San Francisco, Silicon Valley and Miami offices, is representing Hurd. Bunting is a 22-year veteran of the Los Angeles Times.

The firm repped former H-P board chair Patricia Dunn when she resigned in 2006 during the company’s “pretexting” scandal.

H-P said the 53-year-old Hurd, mostly lauded for his term guiding the tech giant, did not violate the company’s sexual harassment policy but broke its standards of business conduct.

Hurd has not issued any public comments himself since he was quoted in the resignation announcement from HP .

Fisher released a statement on Sunday through high-profile Los Angeles attorney Gloria Allred.

“I have resolved my claim with Mark privately, without litigation, and I do not intend to comment on it further,” said an Aug. 8 statement from Fisher via Allred.

The New York Times reported earlier this week that APCO Worldwide counseled H-P’s board that it would likely “endure a devastating PR hit” if Hurd remained at the helm.