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Lawyer is cautioned of possible conflict
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Posted on Feb 01 2006
Superior Court Associate Judge Juan T. Lizama has raised anew attorney Antonio M. Atalig’s potential conflict of interest in representing multiple heirship claimants to the Rita Kaipat estate that was awarded $4.7 million by the Marianas Public Lands Authority as land compensation settlement.
This arose when, during a hearing in the Kaipat estate, various lawyers noted that Atalig’s representation of several claimants to the estate may pose a conflict of interest.
In his recent order, Lizama reiterated that during the Dec. 13, 2005 hearing, he cautioned Atalig that he should be prepared to account for such apparent conflict of interest with a showing that he has met the requisites of the law.
To date, the judge noted, Atalig has filed statements signed by Juliana Romolor and Maria Indalecio, stating their consent to the lawyer’s representation of surveyors Alfred K. Pangelinan of Meridian Surveying and Juan I. Castro for Pacific Land Surveying.
Lizama said Atalig would also need to submit statements from the surveyors, and from Romolor and Indalecio to the effect that they waive any conflict of interest between their own heirship claims.
Lizama ordered the lawyer to submit consent forms from each of the clients he is representing, stating “that they are aware of the multiple representation, understand the potential for conflict, and waive any objections to the multiple representation.”
The court had granted Indalecio’s heirship claim to the Kaipat estate. There are at least six other heirship claimants to the estate.
The Saipan Tribune learned that the $4.7 million land compensation settlement was split equally among three estates. The heirs of the Rita estate are expected to share the $1.3 million.
