Following a hearing this week, the judge at Exeter Employment Tribunal upheld the decision by Punch Taverns to dismiss Hugh O’Rourke, who was a senior partnership development manager at the company until last year.
A spokeswoman for the pub company said: “The tribunal unanimously agreed to uphold the decision made by Punch Taverns”.
Chief operating officer Neil Griffiths, HR director Jackie Burn, company secretary Ed Bashforth and legal director Stuart Gallyot were all scheduled to attend the hearing.