How Tom Girardi Went From Celebrity Lawyer to Felon

On The Merits

Thomas V. Girardi was once a widely admired lawyer. He assisted in the making of the film "Erin Brockovich," and, many years later, was featured with his wife Erika Jayne on "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills."

Now, Girardi is a convicted felon. He was charged with withholding funds his clients had won, and, last week, was convicted on four counts of wire fraud. Bloomberg Law reporter Maia Spoto, who covered the trial from start to finish, joins our podcast, On The Merits, to talk about Girardi's stunning downfall and what's next for the lawyers he worked with at his now disgraced firm Girardi Keese.

Spoto says jurors in the trial didn't buy the argument that Girardi was unfit to stand trial due to his cognitive decline. And, Spoto says, federal law enforcers have now started investigating other Girardi Keese attorneys amid allegations that they may have mishandled the firm's clients as it was imploding.

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