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Los Angeles trial lawyer, Thomas Girardi, is not a stranger to controversy and scandal. Girardi received allegations of skimmed settlement money, inflated costs, abandoned clients, cases asserting misconduct, and cheated colleagues that resulted in his firm being sued over a hundred times starting in the 1980s.
Known for being Erika Jayne’s husband on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Girardi was a regular feature on the reality show. His fame only fueled his power in California.
However, his record with the State Bar of California remained clean. The state bar, which regulates over 250,000 attorneys, did not warn the people even though they received complaints about Girardi. Vulnerable clients later came forward claiming that Girardi took millions of their settlement money.
Nevertheless, Girardi continued to be one of the most famous civil lawyers with thousands of clients as his record remained pristine. However, this winter the nation became aware of Girardi’s deceit when his law firm, Girardi & Keese, ceased operations, ultimately ruining his once spotless reputation.
Girardi manipulated the State Bar of California by making personal relationships with the officials, which were often considered inappropriate. Bar officials were invited to extravagant parties hosted by Girardi with celebrity guest appearances, according to attendees, and internal bar investigations.
Specifically, Girardi befriended Tom Layton, a bar investigator of over a decade. Girardi bribed Layton with lavish meals at private clubs, private jets, granting Layton’s two children jobs at his firm, and free legal work for building Layton’s new home, stated by Layton’s sworn testimony.
Girardi was sued over a hundred times with many complaints filed against him, reported by the Los Angeles Times. Many clients questioned where their settlements were being distributed. In what became a pattern, often millions of dollars would go missing. However, these frequent complaints remained private unless they resulted in formal charges in state bar court. On several occasions, Girardi would avoid court orders demanding his firm books and other financial records due to his close relationships with bar officials.
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Girardi’s firm has since collapsed and filed for bankruptcy. Facing the backlash, Girardi is under criminal investigation and his once-powerful reputation is lost. His wife and “Housewives” star, Erika Jayne, is divorcing him.
On March 9, Girardi was declared ineligible to practice law forcing him to lose his active law license due to “suspension, involuntary transfer to inactive status and failure to pay mandatory state bar fees,” according to online records. There is no record of disciplinary action against Girardi.
In December of 2020, Girardi was hospitalized for a “serious illness” and suffers from short-term memory loss, according to his brother, Robert Girardi. A psychiatrist diagnosed Girardi with Alzheimer’s disease stating that he cannot comprehend and partake in further court trials.
Girardi received his J.D. from Loyola Law School in 1964 and his LL.M. from the New York University in 1965. Girardi received his California law license on January 13, 1965. Girardi was the first to be selected to the California Judicial Council and to win a $1 million award for a medical malpractice case. Girardi worked in Democratic party politics, donated millions to campaigns, participated in fundraising events, and gave judicial appointment advice to governors.
