Thomas Girardi Biography; Age, Height, Career, Marriage, Net Worth– Thomas Girardi is a former attorney and co-founder of the now-defunct Girardi & Keese, a downtown Los Angeles law firm. He was born June 3, 1939.
Thomas Girardi Biography, Life and Education
Thomas Girardi was born in Denver, Colorado. Girardi received his diploma from Loyola High School in Los Angeles in 1957. He graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a bachelor’s degree in 1961, the Loyola Law School with a J.D in 1964, and the New York University with an LL.M. in 1965.
Due to short-term memory loss, Girardi was placed in a conservatorship in February 2021. In March 2021, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. In August 2021, Girardi was moved into a memory care facility.
Thomas Girardi: Profile Summary
Full Name: Thomas Vincent Girardi
Gender: Male
Date of Birth: June 3rd, 1939
Age: 83
Place of Birth: Denver, Colorado
Zodiac Sign: Gemini
Nationality: American
Alma Mater: Loyola Marymount University (BA, JD), New York University School of Law (LLM)
Profession: Former Lawyer
Height: 5feet 4inches (165cm)
Weight: 156 lbs. (71kg)
Parents name: N/A
Relatives: N/A
Marital Status: Divorced
Spouse(s): Karen Witzul (m. 1964; div. 1983), Kathy Risner (m. 1993; div. 1998), Erika Jayne (m. 2000, div. 2020)
Children: N/A
Net Worth: $100,000
Thomas Girardi’s Career
Girardi was the first legal representative in the state of California to get a judgment in excess of $1 million for a case involving medical malpractice in 1970. In addition to the seven major Hollywood studios, Girardi has handled significant cases against the former Lockheed Corp (now the Lockheed Martin Corp.), Pacific Gas & Electric Co., the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and other parties.
In a well-known dispute with Pacific Gas & Electric, the utility company consented to pay $460 million to 650 residents of the California desert community of Hinkley. The residents attributed cancer cases and other illnesses on tainted water that escaped from a gas pumping station. The movie Erin Brockovich, starring Julia Roberts, was based on this true story. “That particular case revolutionized people’s thinking about all the toxic things that they are exposed to,” he told Attorney at Law magazine. Girardi also served as an adviser on the film.
Thomas Girardi was given the honor of being inducted by the California State Bar in to the Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame in 2003. According to his website, he is a Member of the Board of Directors and a former President and of the prestigious International Academy of Trial Lawyers, which admits only 500 trial lawyers worldwide by invitation. In addition, Girardi is the first trial lawyer to b selected to the California Judicial Council, the policymaking body of the state courts.
Girardi was well-known for his involvement in Democratic Party politics, giving campaigns millions of dollars, participating in fundraising activities, and advising governors on court selections.
However, Girardi’s status was modified by the State Bar of California to “not eligible to practice law in [California] based on several legal issues on March 9, 2021.
A court mandated Girardi’s disbarment and the payment of $2,300,000 in restitution on June 1, 2022.
The State Bar of California modified Girardi’s status to “Disbarred” on July 1st, 2022.
Thomas Girardi’s Marriage
Girardi married Karen Weitzul, his first wife, in August 1964. In October 1963, she filed for divorce. Then, in September 1993, Girardi married Kathy Risner; she then requested a divorce in January 1998. In May 2018, Kathy passed away.
The 28-year-old singer and actress Erika Jayne, who subsequently rose to fame as a star of reality television series The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, was married to 60-year-old Girardi as his third wife in January 2000.
Along with his wife, he has made multiple appearances on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Erika Girardi announced their separation and that she had filed for divorce in November 2020.
