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‘Lujan is father-figure to Hillbroom’
Junior Larry Hillbroom wants his former counsel, Guam lawyer David J. Lujan, to be disqualified from his legal malpractice action against the attorney for alleged conflict of interest. Lujan, however, decided to represent himself as his counsel and withdrew from the case.
Hillbroom, through counsel David Bigelow, asked the U.S. District Court for the NMI to disqualify Lujan from representing himself and/or his other former counsel, Barry Israel in this lawsuit.
Last week, Lujan and his counsel, Torres Brothers and Parker Mills law firms, notified the court about their agreement for the two law firms to withdraw as his counsel effective immediately. Lujan has agreed to represent himself effective immediately.
The two law firms’ withdrawal from the case was not indicated.
Hillbroom is suing Lujan and Israel for allegedly conspiring with a former trustee to inflate the attorney’s contingency fee when the late business tycoon Larry Hillblom’s fortune was still undergoing probate proceedings in Superior Court.
Bigelow asked the court to disqualify Lujan from representing himself and Israel on the grounds that Lujan will be called as a witness in this action, creating a conflict of interest.
Bigelow said Lujan is not just an attorney; he is a “father figure” to Hillbroom, someone who wields a lot of power and influence over Hillbroom.
Bigelow said it is this very power and influence that Lujan used to commit fraud upon Hillbroom.
Bigelow said that Lujan’s presence at Hillbroom’s deposition or at trial would place an unreasonable emotional burden on Hillbroom.
“Their history and the volatile emotions that come with that would distract from the actual issues presented in this case,” the lawyer said.
Guam lawyer Lujan and Vietnam-based Israel used to serve as counsels for Hillbroom in the late Hillblom’s probate matter in Superior Court.
Hillbroom was one of Hillblom’s four heirs.
Hillblom, founder of DHL Express, died in a plane crash off the waters of Anatahan in 1995. His body was never recovered.
Approximately $100 million in assets were distributed to Hillbroom in the settlement of the probate case for the Hillblom estate.
