Litigation Notes

The untimely death of George S. Halas, Jr. in 1979, who was considered by many to be the logical successor to his father as the principal manager of the Chicago Bears, led to numerous legal disputes regarding the administration of the estate. The numerous and complex issues in this litigation involv...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inTrusts & estates Vol. 126; no. 6; p. 57
Main Author McCue, Howard M
Format Magazine Article
LanguageEnglish
Published New York Informa 01.06.1987
Subjects
Court decisions
Estate administration
Estate planning
Executors
Fiduciary responsibility
Professional football
State court decisions
Stock
Wills
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:The untimely death of George S. Halas, Jr. in 1979, who was considered by many to be the logical successor to his father as the principal manager of the Chicago Bears, led to numerous legal disputes regarding the administration of the estate. The numerous and complex issues in this litigation involved: 1. claims by Halas' ex-wife against the estate, 2. a reorganization of the Bears, and 3. disputes between the wife and children of Halas, Jr. and the rest of the Halas family. In June of 1985, these issues led to a probate court decision requiring Kirkland & Ellis, a prominent Chicago law firm, to return a significant sum in fees to the estate of Halas, Jr. with interest. The decision, now being appealed, was based on the court's findings that: 1. Kirkland improperly represented multiple parties, 2. the firm's attorneys sought fees for research in areas that are considered to be within the general knowledge of experienced practitioners, and 3. Kirkland demonstrated a lack of good faith in its manner of dealing with other parties and counsel.
ISSN:0041-3682