Monday, September 13, 2010

Huguette Clark's Attorney Defends Himself

The attorney for 104-year-old heiress Huguette Clark has responded to an effort by her relatives to oust him as her attorney, ridiculing them as Johnny-come-latelies.

The detailed statement from Wallace "Wally" Bock provides his first account of the health, history and well-being of the reclusive Clark, whose fortune is estimated at $500 million.

The Queens, N.Y., attorney also said he has carried out Clark's wishes to the letter, and acknowledged that he solicited a gift of $1.5 million from his client for a community where his family lives. He also maintained it wasn't his place to fire Clark's accountant after the man pleaded guilty to a felony.

One item Bock declined to address, however, is whether or not he is named in his client's will.

Three of Clark's distant relatives, Ian C. Devine, Carla Hall Friedman and Karine Albert McCall, went to court Friday in New York City, asking that a guardian and a financial institution be appointed to protect her from potential financial abuse by Bock as well as her accountant, who is a registered sex offender.

He ridiculed the family who filed the petition as "very distant relations" "who have only recently appeared on the scene" and "do not claim to have any personal relationship with her." [Note, the family's petition was denied. See article above.]

Full Article and Source:
Attorney for 104-Year-Old Heiress Defends His Handling of Her Finances

See Also:
Huguette Clark's Lawyer Fires Back!

5 comments:

Holly said...

Regarding the petitioning family members, Bock claimed "very distant relations" well I would like to ask him what the hell is his? Families are precious... they are related by blood. Just because these family members are living their lives independently doesn't mean Bock should waltz in and steal their rightful inheritance. If these family members were right there I suspect Bock or some unethical guardian/thief would be in court claiming the family was taking advantage of her.
Either way with current laws these perpetrators steal family rights with the courts permission.
Stay strong and fight! Public awareness is a must!!

Lou said...

I'm positive that Huguette Clarks family could have paid for "top notch" care with the amount of money this lawyer, Wally has taken from her.
Come on Wally... a 1.5 million dollar gift, had any family member solicited a gift like that it would be called exploitation!!!

Anonymous said...

Unethical lawyers always malign the family.

This story is really weird - 22 years "residing" in hospital -
and DEMANDS close investigation and should be open to public scrutiny in order to determine her capacity - and yes, whether the lawyer is in her will, and etc.

Barbara said...

He defends himself by smearing the family - what a piece of work.

Anonymous said...

Having personally known one of these "distant relatives" for well over 30 years, she is not doing this for money. She herself has been a victim of this sort of abuse by unscrupulous people all of her life. Knowing the total isolation that can come with great wealth only too well, she is simply trying to protect her great aunt. May I point out, the relatives are not the ones seeking money - only that their elderly relative is being cared for as she should be, with dignity and the privacy she so obviously prizes.