who was the lawyer in erin brockovich

by Prof. Maeve Kautzer II 6 min read

Tom Girardi

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Feb 15, 2020 · 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. Find out everything you need to know about it here.

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Who was the real life lawyer in Erin Brockovich?

Thomas Vincent GirardiAccording to online records, attorney Thomas Vincent Girardi of the Los Angeles firm Girardi & Keese was ordered to assume inactive status as of March 9th. He was admitted to practice law in California on January 13, 1965.Mar 11, 2021

Who played Tom Girardi in the Erin Brockovich movie?

In 1999, he married singer-dancer Erika Jayne and has made occasional appearances in her TV reality show 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills'. In 'Erin Brockovich', he was portrayed as a character named Kurt Potter (played by actor Peter Coyote).

Is Erika Jayne's husband the lawyer from Erin Brockovich?

Tom Girardi Claims Erika Jayne Knew About Legal Woes, Despite Her Defense Of Him. High profile L.A. lawyer Tom Girardi, who partly inspired the film Erin Brockovich, is embroiled in some serious legal troubles.Sep 24, 2021

What happened to the lawyer in Erin Brockovich?

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.Dec 8, 2005

Who did Thomas Girardi represent?

Among them was Tom Girardi. Girardi was about as famous as a lawyer can get in post-O. J. America. He was one of the lawyers brought in by Ed Masry and Erin Brockovich to help sue Pacific Gas & Electric on behalf of the residents of Hinkley, California.Nov 29, 2021

Did Erin Brockovich work for Tom Girardi?

And that's just the beginning. Two 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.Jan 14, 2021

Who is Erika Girardi son?

Tommy ZizzoErika Jayne / Son

What age is Erika Jayne?

50 years (July 10, 1971)Erika Jayne / Age

What happened to Girardi?

So, it was a shock to fans (and her co-stars) when the couple announced they were divorcing in November 2020. "After much consideration, I have decided to end my marriage to Tom Girardi," the reality TV personality said in a statement to Us Weekly. "This is not a step taken lightly or easily.Jan 31, 2022

Who is Erin Brockovich?

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 the Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) of California in 1993.

Who played Erin Brockovich in Pacific Gas and Electric?

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.

What is the tort of private nuisance?

In legal terms, people are protected under what’s known as the tort of private nuisance, which defends a person’s right to use and enjoy their own property. In the event that someone else interferes with this right, a person can take legal action against the other party.

What is personal injury?

Personal injury (e.g., a person has extensive medical bills as a result of the negligent actions of the company ) Property damage (e.g., lake or river now unusable, ditch through backyard widened into a huge gully, or smell is so bad the homeowner can’t sit out on their porch)

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Overview

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…

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…

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

• 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

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 Actressfor her portrayal of Erin Brockovich. Erin Brockovich herself ha…

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.