Previous Story
Parties in Hillbroom lawsuit talk about settlement
|
Posted on Mar 11 2020
Junior Larry Hillbroom and the parties in his lawsuit against his two former lawyers and former trustee are now talking about settling the case.
At a status conference yesterday, Theodore Frank, counsel for defendant Barry J. Israel, informed U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona that Israel and Hillbroom will be filing a motion to dismiss the case with prejudice. That means Israel and Hillbroom can no longer re-file the case.
Rachel Dimitruk, counsel for Hillbroom, confirmed Frank’s statement about the dismissal.
Hillbroom is suing Israel, David J. Lujan, and Keith Waibel over alleged mismanagement of approximately $90 million that he inherited from his father, Larry Lee Hillblom, a co-founder and former owner of DHL Worldwide Express.
Waibel is the former trustee of Hillbroom’s assets.
In his lawsuit, Hillbroom alleged Lujan and Israel, together with Waibel, conspired in 2001 to wrongfully increase their contingency fee when the estate of Hillblom was undergoing probate.
Lujan and Israel have filed counter-claims against Waibel. Waibel in turn, also filed counterclaims against Lujan and Israel.
According to the minutes of yesterday’s status conference, Lujan informed the court that no settlement has been reached between him and Hillbroom, as confirmed by Hillbroom’s counsel. Frank also confirmed it.
Waibel said Nelson Werner, co-counsel for Hillbroom, would send a draft settlement agreement to him (Waibel). Werner confirmed it.
Lujan requested for a continuance to give the parties more time. All parties did not object.
Manglona set another status conference for April 9 at 8:30am.
Hillbroom, a Palauan, is one of the four DNA-proven children of Hillblom. His name is spelled differently from that of Hillblom. The three other children are Jellian Cuartero, a Filipino; Mercedita Feliciano, a Filipino; and Nguyen Be Lory, a Vietnamese.
Hillblom died in a seaplane crash off Anatahan waters on a flight from Pagan Island to Saipan on May 21, 1995, leaving behind an estate worth approximately $550 million. The bodies of the pilot and a business partner were found, but Hillblom’s body was never recovered.
