Civil complaint against David Lujan dismissed
by Mindy Aguon
Guam - A California District Court judge has dismissed a civil complaint filed against local Attorney David Lujan, who was being sued by DHL heir Junior Larry Hillbroom. Hillbroom alleged the three were involved in a "pattern of racketeering activity" from mail fraud to wire fraud to act out their scheme to share approximately $78 million of his estate, leaving Hillbroom with only $12 million.
Hillbroom argued he was unaware that their retainer agreement had been increased from 22% to 56%.
While the suit was filed against Lujan and Keith Waibel and Barry Israel, Judge Otis Wright II granted Lujan's motion to dismiss. Lujan's attorney, William Hebert, says the judge determined that the court lacked personal jurisdiction over Lujan, telling KUAM News, "We thought from the beginning that it wasn't fair that he should be sued in California when he's a Guam lawyer, he practices in Guam and Saipan and all of the relevant facts happened in Guam. So again, it would just not have been fair for him to defend himself in California."
Hillbroom's civil suit meanwhile will proceed against Waibel and Israel as he alleges the two received millions more in retainer fees than he claimed he knew about. Attorney Lujan still faces two civil suits in the state of Hawaii and has a pending defamation lawsuit he filed against Hillbroom's attorneys here on Guam.