Executor Accuses Staff of Huguette Clark of Coercing the Heiress

Huguette Clark, heiress to a $400 million fortune, allegedly gave $44 million in gifts to most of the individuals who cared for her in her last years. Ms. Clark gave gifts to her doctors, nurses, accountant, and lawyer. She also gave the hospital where she lived at for the greater part of two decades a substantial donation. She gave the most property to her long-time nurse. In total, her nurse received $31 million in gifts. The least amount of money she gave was to her accountant. Her lawyer received less cash money than her accountant; however, he also received close to $2 million to purchase a security system for his daughter’s community, who was living within the West Bank in Israel following September 11th.

Now, the Executor of Clark’s Estate is claiming that these individuals coerced Ms. Clark into giving them gifts. The petition claimed that these gifts were the product of fraud and undue influence. The Executor is asking that the gifts made by Ms. Clark be returned to the estate. Furthermore, the Executor is expected to file a suit against her lawyer and accountant for breach of fiduciary duty and malpractice.

See Mark Hansen, Staff of Reclusive Heiress Coerced Her Out of $44 Million in Gifts, Executor Says, ABA Journal, May 23, 2012.

Special thanks to J. Barrett Shipp (The Law Office of J. Barrett Shipp, San Antonio, Texas) for bringing this article to my attention.