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Tom Girardi
Born
Thomas Vincent Girardi

(1939-06-03) June 3, 1939 (age 85)
Denver, Colorado
EducationLoyola Marymount University (BA, JD)
New York University School of Law (LLM)
OccupationFormer lawyer
Spouses
Karen Weitzul
​
​
(m. 1964; div. 1983)​
Kathy Risner
​
​
(m. 1993; div. 1998)​
​
​
(m. 2000; sep. 2020)​

Thomas Vincent Girardi (born June 3, 1939) is a former attorney and co-founder of the now-defunct Girardi & Keese,[1] a downtown Los Angeles law firm. He was disbarred in 2022 after accusations of defrauding clients.[2] He is separated from his third wife, the performer Erika Jayne, with whom he occasionally appeared on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in their Pasadena mansion. In August 2024 he was found guilty of stealing tens of millions of dollars from his clients, and will be sentenced in December 2024. He faces another trial in 2025 in Chicago on similar charges of fraud.

Education

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Girardi, known as Tom, graduated from Loyola High School (Los Angeles) in 1957.[3] He received his undergraduate degree from Loyola Marymount University in 1961, his J.D. degree from Loyola Law School in 1964, and an LL.M. from New York University in 1965.

Girardi received the “Distinguished Alumnus Award," “Champion of Justice” honor, and served on the faculty at Loyola Law School.[4] In addition, he endowed the Thomas V. Girardi Chair in Consumer Protection Law in 2012, and supported the construction of the Albert H. Girardi Advocacy Center named in his father's honor.[5][6] In the wake of Girardi's legal troubles, the school removed his father's name from the Advocacy Center and no longer funds the Girardi Chair.[7]

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In 1970, Girardi became the first attorney in the state of California to win a $1 million-plus award for a medical malpractice case. Girardi has handled major cases against Boeing, Merck, Lockheed Corp (now Lockheed Martin), Pacific Gas & Electric, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Hollywood's seven major movie studios.[1]

In the case against Pacific Gas & Electric, the utility company in 1996 agreed to pay $460 million to 650 residents of the desert community of Hinkley, California.[8] The residents blamed incidents of cancer and other diseases on contaminated water leaked from a gas pumping station.[1] The story of one activist's work in Hinkley and the lawyers who backed her led to the 2000 film Erin Brockovich.[9] Girardi is thanked in the credits and served as an adviser to the filmmakers.[10]

In 2003, Girardi was inducted into the Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame by the California State Bar.[11] The International Association of Top Professionals named Girardi the “Lawyer of the Decade” for 2018.[4] He was also the first trial lawyer to be appointed to the California Judicial Council, the policymaking body of the state courts.[4]

In 2007, Girardi was among a team of lawyers who negotiated a $4.85 billion settlement on behalf of thousands of plaintiffs who complained of complications associated with Merck's pain medication Vioxx.[citation needed]

Girardi was known for his work in Democratic party politics, donating millions of dollars to campaigns, playing a role in fundraising events, and giving advice to governors regarding judicial appointments.[12] In January 2021, he was removed from California Governor Gavin Newsom's Judicial Selection Advisory Committee, which vets judges for the state bench.[5]

In March 2021, the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles revoked its awards to Girardi, including the 1995 Trial Lawyer of the Year, and removed him from its hall of fame.[13]

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In December 2020, a federal judge in Chicago froze Girardi's assets, ruling that he had "misappropriated at least $2 million in client funds that were due to the families of those killed" in the Boeing 737 MAX Lion Air Flight 610 crash in Indonesia.[14][15][16]

No one from the Girardi Keese law firm, including Girardi, appeared at the first bankruptcy hearing, in January 2021, for two Chapter 7 involuntary bankruptcy petitions filed in December 2020.[17] The shuttered Wilshire Boulevard firm faces more than $500 million in claims as of January 2024.[18]

In March 2021, the Los Angeles Times reported that Girardi had been sued more than 100 times. Multiple complaints had been filed against him with the California State Bar. Nevertheless, his Bar license had remained pristine, it was alleged, due to improper relationships between Girardi and Bar officials.[12] Many of the Bar complaints involved alleged financial malfeasance, including allegations of theft by two dozen women who won $17 million in a lawsuit claiming that hormone replacement therapy caused their cancer along with the alleged misappropriation of millions of dollars in a burn victim lawsuit.[12][19]

On March 9, 2021, the State Bar of California changed Girardi's status to "not eligible to practice law" in California.[20] On June 1, 2022, a court ordered Girardi disbarred and to pay $2.3 million in restitution[21] and the State Bar of California changed his status to "disbarred."[20]

A February 2023 internal investigation conducted on the State Bar of California by an outside firm found that its employees had accepted gifts, travel, meals, and other items of value from Girardi & Keese,[22] influencing the State Bar to block complaints against the law firm. The Bar disclosed that, across four decades, during which it had received 205 complaints against Girardi, the Bar took no action against the attorney and dismissed all cases.[23][24]

Girardi was tried in August 2024, when a federal court jury determined that Girardi was guilty of wire fraud and embezzling tens of millions from his clients. Sentencing is set for December 6 and Girardi will remain free until then.[25]

Personal life

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In August 1964, Girardi married his first wife Karen Weitzul. She filed for divorce in October 1983. Girardi married Kathy Risner in September 1993; she filed for divorce in January 1998.[26] Kathy died in May 2018.[27]

In January 2000, 60-year-old Girardi married his third wife, 28-year-old singer and actress Erika Jayne, who later became known as a star of the reality-television series The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.[28][29] He appeared in several episodes of the show alongside his wife.[12][30] In November 2020, Erika Girardi announced the couple had separated and that she had filed for divorce.[19][31]

In February 2021, Girardi was placed in a temporary conservatorship due to short-term memory loss,[12] and in March 2021, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.[32] His brother, Robert, a dentist, was made permanent conservator in July 2021.[33][34]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Girardi & Keese member bio
  2. ^ "Tom Girardi, disgraced L.A. lawyer and 'Real Housewives' spouse, indicted on fraud charges". Los Angeles Times. 2023-02-01. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
  3. ^ Alum gives Loyola HS $1 million | The-Tidings.com Archived 2008-10-12 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ a b c Thomas Girardi Selected As Lawyer of the Decade. The International Association of Top Professionals. https://thenationaltriallawyers.org/article/thomas-girardi-selected-as-lawyer-of-the-decade/
  5. ^ a b Lowrey, Brandon. "Girardi's Legacy In Shambles Amid 'Shakespearean' Scandal". www.law360.com. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
  6. ^ "Loyola Lawyer" (PDF). lls.edu. 2012. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
  7. ^ University, Loyola Marymount. "Advocacy Center - Loyola Marymount University". www.lls.edu. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
  8. ^ lawbuzz.com
  9. ^ "Erin Brockovich: the real story of the town three decades later". ABC News. June 10, 2021. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
  10. ^ Goldstein, Matthew (January 13, 2021). "A Hall of Fame Lawyer, a 'Real Housewife' and a Stunning Fall". The New York Times. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
  11. ^ Thomas V. Girardi. The Federalist Society. https://fedsoc.org/contributors/thomas-girardi
  12. ^ a b c d e Ryan, Harriet; Hamilton, Matt (March 6, 2021). "Vegas parties, celebrities and boozy lunches: How legal titan Tom Girardi seduced the State Bar". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  13. ^ Cronin, Lindsay (2021-03-23). "RHOBH Attorney Thomas Girardi Stripped of Legal Awards and Removed From CAALA Hall of Fame for Failing to Uphold "Morals, Ethics, and Standards" of Association". Reality Blurb. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
  14. ^ Hamilton, Matt; Ryan, Harriet (2020-12-14). "Judge freezes assets of famed L.A. lawyer Tom Girardi, citing millions unpaid to clients". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
  15. ^ Seidel, Jon (2020-12-02). "'Real Housewives' star Erika Jayne accused in scheme to embezzle from Lion Air settlements". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
  16. ^ Barker, Anne (2021-06-04). "Having sued for compensation after a plane crash, these families noticed money was missing. Then they saw their lawyer on The Real Housewives". ABC News. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
  17. ^ Bronstad, Amanda (January 5, 2021). "At 1st Bankruptcy Hearing, Embattled Attorney Tom Girardi Is a No-Show". The Recorder. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
  18. ^ "LA federal judge says Tom Girardi feigning mental illness". Daily News. 2024-01-06. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
  19. ^ a b Hamilton, Matt; Ryan, Harriet (December 17, 2020). "The legal titan and the 'Real Housewife': The rise and fall of Tom Girardi and Erika Jayne". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  20. ^ a b "Thomas Vincent Girardi # 36603 - Attorney Licensee Search".
  21. ^ Cutler, Joyce E. (June 2, 2022). "Tom Girardi Disbarred, Court Orders $2.3 Million Restitution (1)". Bloomberg Law. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
  22. ^ Cutler, Joyce E. (2023-03-13). "Girardi Probe Shows Internally Corrupt California State Bar". Bloomberg Law News. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  23. ^ Ryan, Harriet; Hamilton, Matt (2022-11-03). "Tom Girardi faced more than 150 complaints before State Bar took action, records show". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
  24. ^ Weiss, Debra Cassens (2023-03-13). "State bar finds 'shocking past culture of unethical and unacceptable behavior' in its handling of Girardi complaints". ABA Journal. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
  25. ^ Mejia, Brittny (August 27, 2024). "Tom Girardi found guilty of wire fraud: 'It wasn't a hard decision,' juror says". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-08-27 – via Yahoo! News.
  26. ^ "Tom Girardi: 5 Things to Know about Erika Jayne's Estranged Husband". Retrieved January 15, 2021. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  27. ^ "Kathy Risner Obituary". Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  28. ^ Vacco-Bolanos, Jessica (February 13, 2019). "RHOBH's Erika Jayne Is Unfazed by Husband Tom Girardi's $15 Million Lawsuit: 'It's Part of the Job'". Us Weekly. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  29. ^ Chen, Joyce (August 8, 2015). "Erika Jayne Joins Cast of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills for Season 6". Us Weekly.
  30. ^ "RHOBH: A Look Into Erika Jayne's 'Unconventional' Marriage With Thomas Girardi". ScreenRant. 2020-11-13. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  31. ^ Sobol, Beth; Williams, Amanda (November 3, 2020). "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' Erika Jayne and Tom Girardi Break Up After 21 Years Together". United States: E! News. Archived from the original on November 3, 2020. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
  32. ^ Hamilton, Matt; Ryan, Harriet (March 10, 2021). "Tom Girardi has Alzheimer's disease, psychiatrist tells L.A. court". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  33. ^ Cardoza, Riley (2021-07-14). "Erika Jayne's Ex Tom Girardi's Conservatorship Is Made Official". Us Weekly. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
  34. ^ Thompson, Eliza (2021-12-08). "Tom Girardi's Brother Will Represent Him in Erika Jayne Divorce". Us Weekly. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
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