Ex-Girardi Keese lawyers demand jury trial in fraud case

Former Girardi Keese attorneys who are being sued in Chicago along with Thomas V. Girardi over settlement money that was not paid to relatives of an airline crash in Indonesia have demanded a jury trial in responses filed in federal court.

An attorney representing one of the former Girardi Keese attorneys, Keith D. Griffin, argued in court papers filed Monday that he "should not be made a scapegoat for the conduct of his former employer," which is now in involuntary bankruptcy.

The case is one of two cases in Illinois against Griffin and David R. Lira stemming from the failure of Girardi Keese, and Girardi, to pay the settlement money.

Lira and Griffin have distanced themselves from Girardi, although both worked on the Lion Air case with the famous plaintiffs' attorney before they left the firm last year. David Lira is Girardi's son-in-law.

While Edelson PC, which acted as local counsel in the plane crash lawsuit, has also named Girardi, his defunct firm and his wife, Erika Girardi, in the complaint, all of those defendants are tied up in bankruptcy court in Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, the cases against Lira and Griffin are moving forward, with a contempt hearing scheduled Sept. 13 in Chicago and the Edelson lawsuit due for a trial, though probably not until next year.

Griffin was not an equity partner or shareholder with Girardi Keese "and should not be forced to personally satisfy" the firm's debts in the Lion Air case, wrote his attorney, Ryan D. Saba of Rosen Saba LLP.

Edith R. Matthai, a partner with Robie & Matthai who represents Lira, filed a similar answer Monday, seeking a jury trial and responding, paragraph by paragraph, to the complaint. Edelson PC v. Girardi et al., 20-CV07115 (N.D. Ill., filed Dec. 2, 2020).

The lawsuit seeks about $2 million in damages from Lira and Griffin. Edelson also filed claims against Girardi and his firm in the bankruptcy cases. But the contempt hearing against the two former Girardi Keese lawyers will come first. In re: Lion Air Flight JT 610 Crash, 18-CV07686 (N.D. Ill., filed Nov. 19, 2018).

"We are looking forward to presenting our evidence at the contempt hearing," Edelson PC partner Jay Edelson wrote in an email Tuesday. "And we are eager to hear what Mr. Griffin and Mr. Lira have to say in their defense."

Saba declined to comment Tuesday. Matthai could not be reached.