Thomas Girardi’s Net Worth & Bio -Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Thomas Girardi or more famously known as Tom Girardi is an American lawyer and co-founder of the now-closed Girardi & Keese Law Firm in LA. However, due to various anomalies in his career, he was disbarred and can no longer practice law. He is the ex-husband of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne.

Thomas Girardi's Net Worth

Several sources claim that Thomas Girardi’s 2021 net worth has plummeted after lawsuits were filed against him. One source claims that Tom Girardi’s net worth is only at $100,000 Dollars but this might be unlikely since, in 2020, he had sworn in court that his net worth was $50-80$ Million. These numbers are a far cry in comparison to his net worth of $264 Million in 2015. 

The majority of Tom Girardi’s money comes from his long years of practice as an attorney in Los Angeles. During his glory days, he was one of the most sought-after lawyers and even owned his own law firm called Girardi Keese in downtown Los Angeles. However, those days are no longer the case now, because the former lawyer is now the one being sued for millions of dollars. 

Thomas Girardi's Early Life

Thomas Girardi is a  native of Colorado. He was born on June 3, 1939, in Denver, Colorado. 

He has a brother named Robert Girardi, who is currently designated as the person in charge of his activities and personal care after he was under temporary conservatorship. 

Thomas Girardi's Education

Thomas Girardi finished his high school education at Loyola High School in Los Angeles, California in 1957. Afterwards, he went to study at Loyola Marymount University in 1961 where he received his undergraduate degree. He then proceeded to get a Juris Doctor Degree from Loyola Law School in 1964. After his Juris Doctor degree, he went to New York University to take up a Masters of Law Degree. 

Thomas Girardi's Relationships and Family Life

Erika Jayne may be his last wife, but she isn’t the only one who, for once in their lives, had to be called Mrs. Thomas Girardi. Tom Girardi has been married twice before he met and married the much more younger Erika Jayne. 

His first marriage was with a woman named Karen Weitzul, whom he married in 1964 and then his second marriage was in 1993 to a woman named Kathy Riser. However, both marriages ended up in a divorce. It is unclear how many children he had with his previous relationships, but one thing is for sure, his kids are almost the same age as Erika Jayne. 

In one of her interviews, Erika Jayne had said that Tom Girardi had kids in his previous marriages and they get along pretty well since they are close in age. One of his children, a daughter, works as a chef and they often celebrate thanksgiving at her house.

 Tom Girardi’s last relationship was with Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne. The couple met in 1999. Erika Jayne was working as a cocktail waitress at the famed Los Angeles restaurant called Chasen’s, where Tom Girardi was a regular for many years. 

The couple’s unconventional relationship has drawn many frowning eyes from the public. Erika Jayne was only 27 years old when she met Girardi who was 33 years her senior. 

However, the couple still continued on with their relationship and in 2000 they got married. The couple didn’t have a child together but Tom Girardi raised Erika Jayne’s son from her previous marriage. 

The couple’s relationship also ended up in a divorce. Erika Jayne filed for divorce on November of 2020, thus, ending their 21 years of marriage. However, even with the divorce already finalized, Erika Jayne and Tom Girardi are still being criticized by the public and are being accused that their divorce is just a sham in order to protect Erika Jayne from lawsuits. 

The reason for their divorce was the controversies surrounding Tom Girardi’s career as a lawyer and the different lawsuits being thrown at him.

Thomas Girardi's Career

During his early years as a lawyer, Thomas Girardi did a really good job, earning him notoriety. Tom Girardi has handled many high-profile cases, his most notable being the case against the Pacific Gas & Electric Company. The company was being sued by 650 residents of the desert community of Hinkley, California. The residents blamed incidents of cancer and other diseases on contaminated water leaked from a gas pumping station. Tom Girardi represented the residents and was able to make the company pay $460 Million to 650 residents. 

The case was so remarkable that it was the inspiration for the film Erin Brockovich starring Julia Roberts, where Tom Girardi also became a part of as an adviser to the film. 

In 1970, Tom Girardi became the first attorney in the state of California to win a $1 Million-plus award for a medical malpractice case. Other major cases that he handled were Lockheed Corp (now the Lockheed Martin Corp.), and Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 

In 2003, Tom Girardi received the honor of being inducted into the Trial Lawyer of Frame by the California State Bar. He also served as a member of the Board of Directors and former President of the prestigious International Academy of Trial Lawyers. Holding such a position is a very huge honor since it is an invitation-only worldwide organization limited to 500 trial lawyers. Another achievement made by Girardi in his career is his recognition as the first trial lawyer to be appointed to the California Judicial Council, the policymaking body of the state courts. 

Thomas Girardi is also known for his work in Democratic party politics, even donating millions of dollars to campaigns and playing a huge role during fundraising events, and giving advice to governors regarding judiciary appointments. 

Thomas Girardi’s career made a turn for the worse for the first time in 2010, when he, along with other lawyers attempted to enforce in U.S. courts a $498 million default judgment entered by a court in Nicaragua against Dole Food and Shell Chemicals based on the effects of the pesticide DBCP upon exposed workers. The U.S courts found that Girardi and his colleagues had submitted a translation of the pertinent Nicaraguan documents that was flawed in crucial respects, because of this he and his law firm was reprimanded and fined for violating their duty of candor to the courts. 

In 2020, Tom Girardi had once again faced legal troubles. However, this time, it cost him his entire career. Thomas Girardi was proven to have “misappropriated at least $2 Million in client funds that were due to the families of those killed”  by the Boeing 737 MAX Lion Air Flight 610 crash in Indonesia. This case caused the bankruptcy of his law firm Girardi Keese. 

In March 2021, the Los Angeles Times reported that Girardi has been sued 100 times and many complaints were filed against him in the California State Bar causing his disbarment. This caused him to be bankrupt as well. 

Today, Thomas Girardi is living with his brother and is now suffering from an alleged short term memory loss. 

 

Thomas Girardi's Appearance (Height, Hair, Eyes & More)

Height5 ft 5 in
1.65 m
Weight156 pounds
71 kg
Hair ColorGray
Eye ColorDark Brown
Body Type—-
Sexual OrientationStraight

Facts About Thomas Girardi

NationalityAmerican
Estimate Net Worth$50-80  Million
ReligionN/A
Zodiac SignGemini
BirthplaceDenver, Colorado
BirthdayJune 3, 1939