Tom Girardi, a disbarred attorney and former prominent figure in toxic tort litigation, was convicted by a Los Angeles federal jury on August 27 of four counts of wire fraud. Prosecutors accused Girardi of running a decade-long Ponzi scheme in which he misappropriated over $15 million from settlement funds owed to his clients, including those with severe physical injuries and families of deceased individuals. The jury's decision followed closing arguments that highlighted Girardi's repeated deception of clients, with prosecutors emphasizing his accountability as the principal of his law firm. Girardi's defense argued he was merely 'asleep at the wheel' and sought to dismiss the charges based on a 1960 U.S. Supreme Court case regarding wire transfers. Girardi is scheduled for sentencing on December 6, where he faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud.