Tom Girardi's brother appointed conservator

The brother of Thomas V. Girardi has been named permanent conservator over the legal titan's affairs.

Robert Girardi began serving as a temporary conservator in February following claims that Tom Girardi suffered from memory loss. A doctor hired by Robert Girardi later told the court that his brother has Alzheimer's disease.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Daniel Juarez on Wednesday granted the petition for general conservatorship.

"This obviously remains a heartbreaking situation for Robert, but we obviously agree with the court's rulings today," Nicholas Van Brunt, Robert Girardi's attorney and a partner at Sheppard Mullin, said in an email.

Girardi has been accused in an Illinois court of misappropriating millions of dollars in client money, including money The Boeing Co. paid to the families of a 2018 Lion Air crash in Indonesia. Creditors have forced Girardi and his firm, Girardi Keese, into bankruptcy.

Tom Girardi has not shown up for other proceedings but made a remote appearance during Wednesday's hearing. The recording briefly cut out when Girardi addressed the court, but he can be heard saying, "I think that we should put together the reasons why the conservatorship should be dissolved, and then we'll address it, address the court. Right now, I have nothing to say to the court."

Van Brunt could not confirm whether Tom Girardi agreed or disagreed with the conservatorship due to the muffled recording. But when Juarez asked Girardi's court-appointed attorney, R.M. Anthony Cosio, if a conservatorship is in order, Cosio said yes.

Juarez told Girardi that he could return to court to air any future problems with the conservatorship.

In previous hearings, the State Bar and Edelson PC, a former co-counsel in the Lion Air litigation that sued Girardi in Illinois, have disputed claims that Tom Girardi suffers from Alzheimer's. In addition, the bar claimed that the petition had been filed under "highly unusual circumstances" and would prevent the agency from proceeding with disciplinary charges. Juarez overruled the bar's objection. Girardi v. Conservatorship, 21STPB00413, (L.A. Sup. Ct., filed Jan. 19, 2021).

Discipline charges have been filed in State Bar Court, but Judge Yvette D. Roland filed an order for abatement. Van Brunt told the bar that Tom Girardi would not participate in any disciplinary hearings.