Blake Lively Fires Back at Justin Baldoni's Gloating Team

Blake Lively's team is telling Justin Baldoni the lawsuit still ends with them ... because, despite the court's dismissal of many of her major claims Thursday, they feel the lawsuit's core is still intact.

Lively's lawyer, Michael Gottlieb, tells TMZ ... he's not surprised Baldoni's attorney, Bryan Freedman, doesn't understand the judge's Thursday ruling -- especially since he "had to bring in another law firm for the trial, and just last week was reprimanded by the court for having filed legally frivolous claims."

Gottlieb claims the judge decided to strip the case down to its core claims ... that Lively "spoke out against what she believed was sexual harassment on the set, and suffered retaliation that harmed her reputation as a result."

He claims the court held that Lively provided sufficient evidence that she was victimized by the on-set behavior of Baldoni and producer Jamey Heath ... behavior she felt was "unlawful sexual harassment."

Gottlieb says the court held she provided sufficient evidence to prove "Baldoni, Heath, and Wayfarer Studios understood that her claims amounted to sexual harassment allegations" ... before they "crossed the line in response and took steps that harmed her reputation and career."

These retaliation claims are the "beating heart" of Lively's case, according to Gottlieb ... the very reasons she filed the lawsuit in the first place.

Gottlieb adds, "The Court’s ruling that Ms. Lively’s state and federal harassment claims could not go to trial was about legal issues rather than an endorsement of the defendants’ conduct. The court held that Ms. Lively’s sexual harassment claims could not go to a jury because Ms. Lively did not sign a contract, that she is an independent contractor instead of an employee, and that the offensive conduct occurred in New Jersey instead of California. The fact that Bryan Freedman is claiming exoneration based on legal technicalities while facing trial next month tells you everything you need to know." Gottlieb says Lively's team looks forward to the trial next month.

Of course, Freedman is claiming victory, nonetheless ... telling us, "Since the first day of this case, when Justin and the other defendants were blindsided by these allegations, the legal team on the ground from the beginning have worked extremely long days and nights defending this case through transparency by releasing the actual truthful text messages, and by welcoming and facilitating the release of all documents exhibiting the truth."