The Real Reason Tom Girardi Lost His Law License
In November 2020, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' Erika Jayne announced she was divorcing husband Tom Girardi after being married for 21 years. As divorce news escalated, people later found out that Tom was broke. "At one point, I had about 80 million or 50 million in cash. That's all gone," Tom testified, according to the New York Post. "I don't have any money."
Then things became even more surprising (and complicated) when Erika herself was sued along with her husband, according to Page Six, on the grounds that their divorce was a sham and it was announced only to protect their money.
But their money was the biggest topic of contention. In December 2020, his firm, Girardi Keese, went under after "emerging evidence" revealed that Tom had "misappropriated more than $13 million" of settlement money that was meant for family and survivors of Lion Air Flight 610, according to the Los Angeles Times. With this mounting scandal, news broke about Tom's status as a lawyer in California. Here's the story.
Tom Girardi cannot practice law due to a recent health diagnosis
Following the folding of Tom Girardi's firm, Girardi Keese, after he was accused of embezzling settlement money meant for the families and survivors of the Indonesian plane crash, it was announced that Tom was diagnosed with dementia and late-onset Alzheimer's.
The Wrap reported on March 10, 2021 that a psychiatric assessment has found Tom unable to understand court hearings. Superior Court consulting psychiatrist Dr. Nathan Lavid wrote of Tom, "Dementia impairs his ability to understand the hearing. His emotional distress is directly related to his dementia and exacerbated by his confusion." Lavid added the diagnosis of Tom's late-onset Alzheimer's as a contributing factor, according to The Wrap.
In light of this, Tom lost his law license. According to The State Bar of California, he is now listed as: "Not Eligible to Practice Law." This diagnosis affects Tom's memory, concentration, recall, and recognition, among other abilities, according to TMZ. The Wrap adds that Tom's younger brother "took over a conservatorship" for the once-famed lawyer in February 2021.