Thomas Girardi Biography
Thomas Girardi is an American former attorney, television personality, and co-founder of Girardi & Keese, a downtown Los Angeles law firm. Girardi is widely known as one of the most prominent trial lawyers in America, having spent over four decades in this career.
Thomas attended and graduated from Loyola High School in Los Angeles in 1957. He graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a bachelor’s degree in 1961, a J.D. from Loyola Law School in 1964, and an LL.M. from New York University in 1965.
Thomas Girardi Career
In 1965, Thomas began practicing law and co-founded a firm with his buddy Robert M. Keese. In 1970, he became the first California lawyer to win a lawsuit for medical malpractice worth more than $1 billion. He also received a $785 million verdict for toxic tort personal injuries caused by employees at Lockheed’s Skunkworks facility, as well as a $45.5 million verdict against Ford Motor Company for a defective seatbelt that paralyzed a six-year-old kid.
Girardi has obtained significant settlements for his clients against the pharmaceutical behemoth Merck for personal damage suffered by Vioxx users ($4.85 billion). He also achieved settlements of $1.9 billion and $1.7 billion for Californians who were defrauded by natural gas price manipulation.
Girardi was one of the most prominent lawyers in the dispute against the utility Pacific Gas $ Electric. Residents of Hinkley, a desert village, accused the corporation of poisoning their water source due to a gas pumping station leak. As a result, Pacific Gas $ Electricity agreed to pay $333 million to the town’s 650 residents.
However, one of his most glaring failures in his career occurred when he attempted to execute a $489 million default judgment made by a Nicaraguan court against Dole Food and Shell Chemicals in US courts. The pesticide Dibromochloropropane, or DBCP, is said to have had devastating effects on the employees who were exposed to it, and they were able to sue the firms in Nicaragua.
The US courts, on the other hand, found that Girardi and his team’s submission of translated papers from Nicaraguan court proceedings was faulty in key areas. Girardi & Keese was fined for breaking their duty of candor to the courts, and he and his staff got to pay fines.
Thomas Girardi Age
How old is Thomas Girardi? Thomas is 84 years old as of 2023. He was born on June 3, 1939, in Denver, Colorado, the United States of America. In addition, he celebrates his birthday on June 3rd every year, and his zodiac sign is Gemini.
Thomas Girardi Wife
Who is Thomas married to? Girardi was happily married to Erika Jayne from January 2000 to 2021. However, the singer and actress turned “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star got a divorce from powerhouse attorney Tom Girardi in November 2020. Earlier on, Thomas married Karen Weitzul and Kathy Risner.
In February 2021 Girardi was placed in a conservatorship due to short-term memory loss, and in March 2021 he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
Thomas Girardi Family
Girardi is very private about his personal life, and hence has not disclosed details about his parents and siblings. We promise to update you once the details are available.
Thomas Girardi Kids
Girardi and Erika are parents. However, they do not have children together. Erika has a son named Tommy Zizzo born in 1994 during a short-lived marriage.
Thomas Girardi’s Height
Girardi stands at an approximate height of 1.65 m tall and weighs 71 kg.
Thomas Girardi’s Net Worth
How much is Tom Girardi worth? Thomas has an estimated net worth of $264 million. This includes planes, high-valued jewelry, and other assets.