who is the real lawyer from erin brokovitch

by Hazle Windler MD Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago 10 min read

Tom Girardi

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Who is the real life lawyer in Erin Brockovich?

Thomas GirardiTwo decades ago, the movie “Erin Brockovich” helped make Thomas Girardi something of a folk hero. Already an accomplished trial lawyer who pursued personal injury cases against large corporations, he was part of the legal team when Ms. Brockovich went after Pacific Gas & Electric in 1993.

Who represents Thomas Girardi?

Girardi has handled major cases against the former Lockheed Corp (now the Lockheed Martin Corp.), Pacific Gas & Electric Co, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and Hollywood's seven major movie studios.

How much did Erin Brockovich lawyer make?

Masry & Vititoe, the law firm for which Brockovich was a legal clerk, received $133.6 million of that settlement, and Brockovich received $2.5 million as part of her fee. A study released in 2010 by the California Cancer Registry showed that cancer rates in Hinkley "remained unremarkable from 1988 to 2008".

What happened to Erin Brockovich lawyer?

Edward L. Masry, a flamboyantly pugnacious lawyer who won millions from a utility in a toxic pollution suit and was portrayed by the actor Albert Finney in the 2000 movie "Erin Brockovich," died on Monday at a hospital in Thousand Oaks, Calif. He was 73.

Where is Thomas Girardi now?

Girardi, 82, is currently residing at an assisted-living and memory care facility in Burbank, Calif., after a late-onset Alzheimer's disease and dementia diagnosis. The disbarred lawyer has also been placed in a conservatorship that is overseen by his brother Robert.

Was Erin Brockovich based on Tom Girardi?

High profile L.A. lawyer Tom Girardi, who partly inspired the film Erin Brockovich, is embroiled in some serious legal troubles.

Did the residents of Hinkley get their money?

Fifteen years after the film showed triumphant residents winning a $333-million settlement with Pacific Gas & Electric Co. for contaminating its water — and nearly 20 years after the settlement itself — Hinkley is emptying out, and those who stay still struggle to find resolution.

What is Tom Girardi salary?

Tom Girardi is an American attorney who has a net worth of $100 thousand. Tom might be best-known for being the former husband of "Real Housewives" cast member Erika Jayne. They were married from 1999 to 2020. In 2015, Tom estimated his net worth to be around $264 million.

Does anyone live in Hinkley CA?

As of the 2010 census, the ZCTA had a population of 1,692 (a decrease of 11.6% since 2000). The postal ZIP Code is 92347 and the community is inside telephone area codes 760 and 442.

Does Erin Brockovich still work for Ed Masry?

Brockovich, who still works for Masry as his research director, testified in the Van Nuys courtroom of Judge Stanley Weisberg that two key pieces of evidence offered by Cohen's lawyer did not strike her as sexual harassment.

Where is Erin Brockovich from?

She has two brothers, Frank Jr. and Thomas (1954–1992), and a sister, Jodie. She graduated from Lawrence High School, then attended Kansas State University, in Manhattan , Kansas, and graduated with an Associate in Applied Arts Degree from Wade College in Dallas, Texas.

What was Erin Brockovich's role in the movie?

Brockovich's work in bringing litigation against Pacific Gas & Electric was the focus of the 2000 feature film, Erin Brockovich, starring Julia Roberts in the title role. The film was nominated for five Academy Awards: Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Writing in a Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen. Roberts won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Erin Brockovich. Erin Brockovich herself had a cameo role as a waitress named Julia R.

How much did Brockovich get paid for the case?

The case was settled in 1996 for US$ 333 million, the largest settlement ever paid in a direct-action lawsuit in United States history. Masry & Vititoe, the law firm for which Brockovich was a legal clerk, received $133.6 million of that settlement, and Brockovich herself received a settlement of $2 million.

Where was the prime tanning lawsuit filed?

Brockovich assisted in the filing of a lawsuit against Prime Tanning Corp. of St. Joseph, Missouri in April 2009. The lawsuit claims that waste sludge from the production of leather, containing high levels of hexavalent chromium, was distributed to farmers in northwest Missouri to use as fertilizer on their fields.

Who is Tom Girardi's wife?

The Truth About Tom Girardi's Connection To Erin Brockovich. The Bravo-verse was shocked when Erika Jayne not only announced that she and her husband, lawyer Tom Girardi, were divorcing after 21 years of marriage, but that Tom was also charged with stealing or misappropriating over $13 million in settlements meant for his clients.

Who is Tom Girardi?

Tom Girardi was the actual, real-life attorney who stepped in to help Erin Brockovich get justice for the residents of Hinkley, Calif. back in 1993. However, if you're looking for him in the movie, you won't find a guy named Girardi in the Julia Roberts film "Erin Brockovich." Instead, they turned the Girardi character into a fellow named Kurt Potter, played by Peter Coyote. However, Girardi was an advisor on the film and was closely involved with turning the true story into an Oscar-winning motion picture.

Who is Erin Brockovich?

Who the Real Erin Brockovich? In the 90s, a small town in Hinkley, California made headlines after it was discovered that something sinister was going on in the city. The people there had settled into their own way of life, but things in the town were quickly changing.

Who won the direct arbitration case against Pacific Gas and Electric?

Led by Erin Brockovich, who was just a simple law clerk at the time, a group of residents eventually got together and won a huge direct-arbitration against Pacific Gas and Electric. The courts found the company was liable for dumping the dangerous chemical. The settlement from the company was at that time, the largest payout on record ...

Where does Erin Brockovich live?

Erin lives in Southern California with her husband, three children and 5 Pomeranians and admits to one guilty pleasure… shopping! When KMBC broke the story about a cluster of brain tumors in Cameron, it drew national attention. One of those taking notice was well-known environmental activist Erin Brockovich.

Why did Erin Brockovich become a household name?

Over time, Erin realized that she could use her notoriety to spread positive messages of personal empowerment and to encourage others to stand up and make a difference.

What was Erin Brockovich's first TV show?

Her first TV project was ABC’s 2001 special “Challenge America With Erin Brockovich” where she helped motivate and organize the rebuilding of a dilapidated park in downtown Manhattan. This show is best described as “Extreme Make-Over Home Edition” on steroids.

How many seasons did Erin Brockovich host Final Justice?

Then, for three seasons, Erin hosted the Lifetime series, “Final Justice With Erin Brockovich”. The show celebrated everyday women who triumphed when faced with overwhelming adversity.Erin Brockovich has conquered all forms of media….

What is the real Erin Brockovich?

The real Erin was the youngest of four children born in Lawrence, Kansas. After earning an Associate degree in Applied Arts from Wade College in Dallas, Texas, she moved to California in 1982.

How much did Brockovich get from the settlement?

Brockovich’s attorneys received 133.6 million dollars from the settlement, while Brockovich herself received two million as a bonus. However, in the real story, Brockovich’s attorneys held onto her portion of the money for six months. They finally paid her portion after she threatened several lawsuits.

Who was the actress in the 2000 movie "Against PG&E"?

Brockovich’s work against PG&E was the focus of the 2000 feature film, starring Julia Roberts. The film earned five Academy Award nominations, including Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Writing in a Screenplay. Roberts won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal ...

Who was the lawyer who played Girl Friday?

The estate of Edward L. Masry, the lawyer Erin Brockovitch clerked for and played Girl Friday to (resulting in the largest single class settlement in American history, against Pacific Gas & Electric), sued Masry's former place of employment into Chapter 11.

Who plays Masry in Pacific Gas and Electric?

She sniffs around with Masry (played by Albert Finney) some more, finds out PG&E are poisoning people.

Overview

Erin Brockovich (born Pattee; June 22, 1960) is an American legal clerk, consumer advocate, and environmental activist who, despite her lack of education in the law, was instrumental in building a case against Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) involving groundwater contamination in a town in California with the help of attorney Ed Masry in 1993. Their successful lawsuit w…

Early life

Brockovich was born Erin Pattee in Lawrence, Kansas, the daughter of Betty Jo (born O'Neal; c. 1923–2008), a journalist, and Frank Pattee (1924–2011), an industrial engineer and football player. She has two brothers, Frank Jr. and Thomas (1954–1992), and a sister, Jodie. She graduated from Lawrence High School, then attended Kansas State University, in Manhattan, Kansas, and graduated with an Associate in Applied Arts Degree from Wade College in Dallas, Texas.

Pacific Gas & Electric litigation

The case (Anderson, et al. v. Pacific Gas & Electric, file BCV 00300) alleged contamination of drinking water with hexavalent chromium (also written as "chromium VI", "Cr-VI" or "Cr-6") in the town of Hinkley, near Barstow in southern California. At the center of the case was a facility, the Hinkley compressor station, built in 1952 as a part of a natural-gas pipeline connecting to the San Francisco Bay Area. Between 1952 and 1966, PG&E used hexavalent chromium in a cooling tow…

Other litigation

Working with Edward L. Masry, a lawyer based in Thousand Oaks, California, Brockovich went on to participate in other anti-pollution lawsuits. One suit accused the Whitman Corporation of chromium contamination in Willits, California. Another, which listed 1,200 plaintiffs, alleged contamination near PG&E's Kettleman Hills compressor station in Kings County, California, along t…

Awards

• Honorary Doctor of Laws and commencement speaker at Lewis & Clark Law School, Portland, Oregon, in May 2005
• Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters and commencement speaker at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, California, on May 5, 2007
• Honorary Master of Arts, Business Communication, from Jones International University, Centennial, Colorado

Movies and television

Books and articles

Brockovich's first book, Take It from Me: Life's a Struggle But You Can Win (ISBN 978-0071383790), was published in 2001. A second book, Superman's Not Coming, was released on August 25, 2020.
In 2021, Brockovich wrote about hormone-disrupting chemicals (such as PFAS) decimating human fertility at an alarming rate.

Personal life

Brockovich has three children: a son Matthew and a daughter Katie from her first marriage to Shawn Brown, and a daughter Elizabeth "Beth" from her second marriage to Steven Brockovich. Her third husband was an actor and country music DJ, Eric L. Ellis. As of 2016, Brockovich resides in Agoura Hills, California, in a house she purchased in 1996 with her US$2.5 million bonus after the Hinkley settlement.