Hillblom’s son wants all claims settled

Lawyers for Junior Larry Hillbroom have reiterated their client’s position to settle all claims to the multi-million estate left by business tycoon Larry Hillblom, including allocation of contingent fee deduction.

According to court documents, Junior has led other heir claimants in resolving problems arising during the probate proceedings on the estate, noting instances in the past where he took the initiatives to settle the claims.

Attorneys David Lujan and Joe Hill filed the papers with the Superior Court in response to an order by Judge Alex Castro stemming from the case on the distribution of contingent fee deduction among the heir claimants.

This is still one of the unresolved issues on the late businessman’s estate following complaints on the alleged excessive fees and service payments sought by lawyers from heir claimants, including Junior’s.

According to his attorneys, Junior has been the most instrumental among Mr. Hillblom’s children in the settlement of all outstanding claims against and on behalf of the estate.

These included those filed by Bassam Jabr Prince Saud, who has claimed shares in Hillblom’s businesses; Po Chung; the Charitable Trust; Morrison and Foerster; Deloitte & Touche; Pricewaterhouse; Heller Ehrman, among others.

The court papers pointed out all these settlements have greatly benefited all the heir claimants and the estate that helped lead to early closure of the probate. Despite this, only Junior moved the court to have all service providers referred to a special master for resolution.

“Setting aside humility, Junior is convinced that the estate has benefited the most from Junior’s efforts. He has been the most instrumental in determining who the heirs are, … in assets marshaling,… in ensuring that the estate is administered properly,… in bringing additional wealth to all [heir claimants],” the papers read.

“Junior has been the chief protagonist for an early closure and the heart and soul of the case from July 17, 1995… a position that no other [heir claimants] can make,” it added.

Last October, the Superior Court approved the distribution of $200 million of the estate cash among four of Mr. Hillblom’s children and the Trust. The children will inherit $23 million each, while the Trust will get $108 million from the estate cash.

Mr. Hillblom, co-founder of DHL Worldwide Express, died in a plane crash in May 1995.

Garrick L. Gallagher, counsel for the businessman’s Vietnamese daughter Nguyen Be Lory, earlier had asked the Superior Court to review the reasonableness of the professional fees and expenses of the Executor and lawyers.

According to Bank of Saipan, executor of the Hillblom estate, over $12 million in fees have been paid to heir claimants’ counsels and the Trust, and more than $8 million alone represent payment for the children’s lawyers.

Mr. Gallagher cited the case of Mr. Lujan and Barry Israel, who also represents Junior, whose fees reflect the highest contingent fees at 38 percent on top of the $4 million they have negotiated for themselves.