Edelson Hip Hop Video “THE REBELLION” Shines Spotlight on Tom Girardi/Erika Jayne Scandal
Edelson PC, one of the leading plaintiffs’ law firms in the country, has taken a stand against corrupt practices in the legal industry with their latest music video, “The Rebellion.” Written by Ari “ARI.” Scharg, a partner at the firm and directed by Gabe Hostetler of Guerrilla Hollywood, the video focuses on the Tom Girardi/Erika Jayne scandal, celebrity culture, and the need for greater accountability and transparency in the legal industry. The video was produced by Mike Mihail of Guerrilla Hollywood. The song was produced through Edelson Creative, the firm’s platform for producing creative content outside of traditional legal work, and was released just days after celebrity lawyer Tom Girardi was indicted by federal prosecutors in both California and Illinois.
In 2018, the firm worked with Girardi to represent widows and orphans of the Lion Air plane crash in Indonesia. After the case was settled, Edelson uncovered that Girardi, who gained fame for his work on behalf of cancer victims highlighted in the movie, Erin Brockovich, had stolen millions of dollars from his Lion Air clients, resulting in the revocation of his law license, a criminal referral to federal prosecutors, and a broader investigation, which, on February 1, 2023, resulted in the first round of criminal indictments against Girardi, as well as his partner (and son-in-law) David Lira and his firm’s Chief Financial Officer, Chris Kamon. Prosecutors made clear that their investigation is ongoing and wide-ranging, and that these indictments are just the beginning.
In what is now understood to be the largest client Ponzi scheme in the history of law, it has been revealed that Girardi stole over $100m from clients, including burn victims, workers exposed to toxic chemicals, homeowners living on polluted land, co-counsel and vendors and, according to some reports, the Erin Brockovich clients themselves. Girardi also stands accused of using his money and influence to exert decades-long control over judges, arbitrators, and even the California State Bar, which has recently been under scrutiny for receiving over 200 complaints about Girardi since 1982 and not taking action to stop his crime spree until Edelson exposed it.
Girardi’s wife, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne, is facing a lawsuit accusing her of being the “frontwoman” of the scheme, with Girardi using her celebrity status and their professed riches to lure more victims into his illegal enterprise. Kamon has already been arrested in connection with the Ponzi scheme, and Girardi, Lira, Griffin, and other lawyers who worked with them are expected to face arrest in the coming weeks.
“The Rebellion” isn’t just about the Girardi scandal, it’s about the broader abuses by others in the plaintiffs’ bar and the inaction by the California State Bar. The video serves as a call to action for the legal industry to come together and hold each other accountable, to put an end to self-dealing and shady behaviors that harm clients and undermine the public’s trust in the legal system.
“We’re not afraid to speak out and call out bad actors in our industry,” said Ari ‘ARI.’ Scharg, “we want to start a conversation and bring about real change. The Rebellion is about picking sides: do plaintiffs’ lawyers want to be part of the reform movement or do they want to be left in the dustbin of history?”
The video, created with more than 25 people on the production team, features actors playing Tom Girardi and his wife Erika Jayne as well as special cameos, including YouTube commentator Emily D. Baker and University of Chicago Law School Professor M. Todd Henderson. The release, drops today, February 9, 2023, and is available on YouTube and other streaming platforms. The annotated song lyrics are available on rapgenius.com.
Edelson PC’s previous videos, released through Edelson Creative, have generated significant attention and sparked important conversations about the legal industry, including its recent song, “We don’t talk about Claims Rates (A Bruno Parody)” which focused on how class action attorneys can manipulate settlements to suppress claims by the class in order to increase their fees.
Guerilla Hollywood is a world-wide production company based in Los Angeles that has produced music videos for hip hop icons like Lil Wayne, Kendrick Lamar, JUICE WRLD, and DaBaby. Guerilla’s stable of directors are actively producing content for Apple Music, Interscope Records, Capitol Records, Sony/Columbia Records, BET Networks, Warner Records, the NFL, and the NBA.
“We have witnessed a string of high-profile attorneys, from Michael Avanetti to now Tom Girardi, use their positions to steal from the most vulnerable as the bar authorities and scores of plaintiffs’ attorneys sat on their hands,” said Jay Edelson, the firm’s leader. “Make no mistake: we are in the middle of a battle for the soul of the plaintiffs’ bar. We will continue to use all outlets, from litigation, to lobbying, to public pressure until true reform comes.”
In addition to “The Rebellion,” Edelson is also releasing a video short entitled, “Severance: Big Law Severed,” which highlights the inconsistencies many working in large defense-side firms face between their work and their self-professed individual views and values. “Severance” will be available on Edelson Creative’s YouTube channel.