MARCH 25, 2025- Partner Maurizio Savoiardo secured summary judgment dismissing the complaint filed by Vincent Forras, who became the public face of 9/11 first responders and a media darling. Mr. Forras sued our client, NYC firefighter Thomas Whyte, who called Mr. Forras a “phony” for “passing himself off” as a NYC fireman during a television interview of Mr. Forras. Mr. Forras rose to fame as the volunteer fireman who responded to ground zero following the attack of 9/11. He often told his story on prominent news outlets of how he was searching for survivors below the burning rubble of the “pile” at ground zero. Per Mr. Forras, he got lost deep in the rubble and prayed to God to save him and promised the Lord that he would devote his life to raising money for firefighters-if he survived .
Against this backdrop, Maurice skillfully convinced the court that our client did not make his statements with actual malice, and that they were either nonactionable statements of opinion or true.