Jim Wilkes: Erika Jayne's ex husband Thomas Girardi's aide took care of 'RHOBH' star's legal bills
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA: A pleading in a case between Thomas Girardi's former law firm, Girardi Keese, and Erika Jayne's company, EJ Global LLC, over pending dues, revealed that James Wilkes II, also known as Jim Wilkes, sent nearly $750,000 to Erika as her ex-husband's law firm went bankrupt.
A recent Instagram post shared by thebravodocket revealed that Ronald Richards, the attorney who was representing the plaintiff, revealed some major documents of the case through his tweet, indicating that Jim has been helping the 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' star financially.
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“Erika filed a summary judgment motion to get herself out of the case, and in response, the law firm noted that Erika was receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars for her legal fees from an attorney named James Lewis Wilkes, II, via Wilkes’ law firm,” read the Instagram post. According to documents from a lawsuit filed by Richards, it seems that Girardi Keese failed to pay them millions in referral fees.
The post said that Erika did not argue or object to the aforementioned fact. The page has also shared a timeline of Erika’s ongoing legal battle with Girardi. According to the page, in September 2020, Erika was served documents regarding the Joseph Ruigomez case, in which the burn victim allegedly stiffed an $11M settlement Thomas and his law firm secured from the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). Later, Erika also opened a Wells Fargo account in Tampa, Florida, with Jim. Then, she filed for divorce after receiving $150,000 from Jim in the newly opened account.
Here is the Sheldon opposition redacted until the hearing in one week, opposing Erika Girardi's motion for summary judgment. Her reply is due today, but she was given a short extension until tomorrow as a prof. courtesy. The opposition lays out evidence.⬇️https://t.co/BYaAayOi8D
— Ronald Richards (@RonaldRichards) August 19, 2022
Wilkes was reportedly famous for his advocacy on behalf of nursing home residents who have been victims of abuse. In 2017, he represented comedian Cedric The Entertainer in a lawsuit stemming from the Aliso Canyon gas leak. He was also involved in the music industry as a performer and business manager. He launched Streamsound Records, along with long-time producer Byron Gallimore. He has represented along with Girardi for famous cases including celebrity environmental activist Erin Brockovich, accusing numerous hospitals and nursing homes of overbilling Medicare.
Speaking to Law360, Wilkes said, "I would like to rebut the comments made on social media, but I can't right now, I can assure you that at the appropriate time, which hopefully is sooner rather than later, we will respond." He further revealed that he was no longer involved with these cases which have been wrapped into complex litigation.
However, a mail sent by Erika's new attorney, Evan Borges of Greenberg Gross LLP, stated, "Also, the underlying information and truth were disclosed to the [Girardi Keese] bankruptcy trustee and her counsel months ago; they are the ones with a charge to look at Erika's finances, and they not only have raised no objection, but we have offered them assistance in going after the real bad actors in the [Girardi Keese] debacle." He added that he has found Wilkes to be "an attorney of impeccable ethics and genuine friend to Erika."