Girardi Keese Attorney David Lira Pleads Guilty to Contempt Over Undistributed Lion Air Settlements

Published Nov. 6, 2026. Case status is current as of that date.

Court orders requiring lawyers to pay settlement money to clients are not optional. On June 6, 2025, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois announced that California attorney David R. Lira, 65, of Pasadena, had pleaded guilty to a contempt of court charge for willfully disobeying an order to distribute Lion Air Flight 610 settlement funds [1].

Status: Lira pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Mary M. Rowland. Sentencing was set for Oct. 8, 2025. Confirm the judgment for the final sentence [1].

What he admitted

According to the plea agreement as summarized by prosecutors [1]:

1. Lira worked at Girardi Keese representing relatives of Lion Air Flight 610 victims. Judge Thomas M. Durkin ordered that settlement funds—including $7.5 million for four clients—be sent to each client as soon as practicable after Boeing wired the money into the firm's trust account.
2. For months Lira knew the firm had not paid the clients; he confronted Tom Girardi (his father-in-law) and knew Girardi had misappropriated the money, yet willfully violated the orders.
3. Victims were later paid after another firm's insurer covered the misappropriated amount following a hearing.

The person who pleaded guilty

David R. Lira, 65, Pasadena, Calif. Attorney (Girardi Keese). Pleaded guilty to contempt; sentencing was set for Oct. 8, 2025 [1].

Case status (as of Nov. 6, 2026)

Defendant	Court	Status	Source
David R. Lira, 65, Pasadena	U.S. District Court, N.D. Ill. (Judge Mary M. Rowland)	Pleaded guilty to contempt (announced June 6, 2025); sentencing was set for Oct. 8, 2025	[1]

Confirm the judgment for the final sentence.

Sources

1. U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois, "California Attorney Guilty of Federal Contempt Charge for Failing To Ensure Distribution of Settlement Funds," June 6, 2025. https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/pr/california-attorney-guilty-federal-contempt-charge-failing-ensure-distribution