tom giradi

Tom Girardi prosecutor joins Chicago law firm that spurred Girardi’s downfall

 Four years after Chicago-based law firm Edelson PC first accused prominent plaintiffs’ lawyer Tom Girardi of stealing settlement funds belonging to his clients, the firm has hired a California federal prosecutor who helped secure Girardi’s conviction on related criminal charges in August.

Ali Moghaddas has joined Edelson as a partner after a five-year stint in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Central District of California, the firm said on Tuesday. Moghaddas will work out of the firm’s Los Angeles office.

Edelson sued Girardi, his law firm and others in Chicago federal court in 2020, accusing of them of stealing more than $2 million in settlement funds that were meant for the firms’ clients in litigation over the 2018 Boeing 737 MAX Lion Air Flight 610 crash in Indonesia.

The allegations triggered the collapse of Girardi’s law firm, Girardi Keese, and Girardi and the firm were forced into bankruptcy. Girardi, once acclaimed for his national plaintiff-side practice, was disbarred by the California Supreme Court in June 2022.

Federal prosecutors in Chicago and Los Angeles charged Girardi and others with taking more than $18 million in funds belonging to his firm’s clients. Girardi pleaded not guilty to both sets of criminal charges.

Moghaddas was one of the lead prosecutors in the California case. A Los Angeles jury in August found Girardi guilty of four counts of wire fraud. His sentencing is set for Dec. 6.

Moghaddas is the “seasoned trial lawyer” Edelson needs as the firm prepares for 14 trials through the end of 2025, said J. Eli Wade-Scott, who leads the firm’s class action practice.

Federal prosecutors in Chicago and Los Angeles charged Girardi and others with taking more than $18 million in funds belonging to his firm’s clients. Girardi pleaded not guilty to both sets of criminal charges.

Moghaddas was one of the lead prosecutors in the California case. A Los Angeles jury in August found Girardi guilty of four counts of wire fraud. His sentencing is set for Dec. 6.

Moghaddas is the “seasoned trial lawyer” Edelson needs as the firm prepares for 14 trials through the end of 2025, said J. Eli Wade-Scott, who leads the firm’s class action practice.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement that Moghaddas “has been a tremendous asset.”

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