Tom Girardi’s Legacy of Deception
Once celebrated for the $333 million Pacific Gas & Electric settlement that inspired Erin Brockovich, Tom Girardi’s name has since become synonymous with scandal. The former powerhouse attorney was convicted of four counts of wire fraud in August after prosecutors said he stole millions from clients — many of them vulnerable victims of catastrophic injury or loss — to fund a life of extravagance that included private jets, lavish parties, and the career of his reality-TV-star wife, Erika Jayne.
Now, trustees say one of those victims, Joseph Ruigomez, who suffered burns over 90% of his body in a 2010 PG&E explosion, was among those deceived.
The Ruigomez Settlement: A $53M Deal Cloaked in Lies
Court documents allege Girardi lied to Ruigomez, telling him his settlement totaled roughly $7.25 million when it was actually $53 million. Girardi allegedly diverted the hidden millions into personal and firm-related expenses, including payments to other clients to mask prior thefts.
In February 2013, Girardi issued a $5.8 million check to the DiNardo Law Firm, labeled “assoc counsel fees.” However, Ruigomez and his family never retained DiNardo, nor did they authorize any fee-sharing agreement between DiNardo and Girardi Keese.
“The Ruigomez fee-sharing agreement was a disguised financing arrangement,” the trustees said, arguing the deal was a front to divert settlement funds.
