BRADFORD DISNEY LUND ASKS CALIFORNIA APPEALS COURT TO ORDER HIS "HOSTILE" TRUSTEES - L. ANDREW GIFFORD, ROBERT L. WILSON, DOUGLAS M. STRODE, AND THE FIRST REPUBLIC TRUST COMPANY ("FRTC") - TO FOLLOW STATE AND FEDERAL LAW AND PROTECT HIS CONFIDENTIAL MEDICAL/FINANCIAL INFORMATION FROM THE PUBLIC RECORD, ACCORDING TO LANNY J. DAVIS

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Walt Disney's grandson, Bradford D. Lund, today called on the California Court of Appeals to defend his legal right under California and federal laws to keep his confidential medical information private and out of the public record. 

Lund called out what he feels are his "hostile" Trustees for advocating in favor of disclosure when "you are supposed to be fiduciaries 100% concerned about protecting my interests, and I feel you are violating those duties by advocating to the Court of Appeals for the release of my private medical records."

In particular, Lund cited the conduct of the bank trustee, the First Republic Trust Company, which is regulated by the federal government. "The word 'Trust' in the title of that bank seems to me inconsistent with advocating for release of my private medical information," Lund said.  "I hope that the federal bank regulators, the U.S. Comptroller of the Currency, and the FDIC, seriously consider initiating a full investigation of FRTC."

Lund continued, directing his comments publicly to each of the four trustees:

"I feel that you seem to care too much about your own continued receipt of substantial fees paid from my estate, derived from my grandfather Walt's funds – without transparency or judicial review. I certainly don't know whose interests you are defending when you advocate in favor of public release of my private medical information."

Mr. Lund's personal legal advisor, attorney Lanny J. Davis, also called for "a public accounting of all the fees, including fees and commissions, collected by the four trustees, who have been paid millions of dollars over more 12 years or more. The same public accounting should include fees paid to the Trustees' law firm, Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp, who apparently actively participated in advising them."

"An independent audit is long overdue for all these payments," Davis added.

Lund's lead counsel Sandra Slaton stated that "my client should not have to spend substantial funds from his inheritance from his grandfather Walt Disney, which he still has not received, to protect his legal and constitutional rights to privacy of his medical records."

"Confidentiality of my client's medical records should be protected by HIPAA (the federal "Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act") and comparable California state laws," Slaton continued.  "Yet the apparent failure of the California Probate Court to honor these laws and Brad Lund's right to privacy is only one of many injustices and violations of Brad Lund's rights that he has suffered for many years." 

Last Thursday, one of Mr. Lund's lawyers argued that these statutory and constitutional rights must be upheld, and that Mr. Lund's privacy rights are superior to any public "right to know."

Mr. Lund is also concerned that his lead attorney, Sandra Slaton, was denied the right to make the argument "pro hac vice"– meaning allowing her to appear in the California appellate court for the limited purpose of making the argument on health records privacy on behalf of Brad Lund, even though she is licensed to practice law in Arizona, not California. 

"I respectfully suggest that I see no sufficient reason to deny me my constitutional, due process right to choose my own counsel to appear before this court," Mr. Lund said.

Contact: [email protected]
(202) 480-4309

SOURCE Lanny Davis