A
$400 million lawsuit filed by Albert Bushala against his family members and business entities has been met with a formal response in court, seeking to dismiss the case on multiple grounds. The defendants, including Tony Bushala, George Bushala Jr., Salma Bushala-Hamud, and their parents, argue that Albert's claims of a decades-long family partnership are unprovable and legally unenforceable.

    According to the defendants' filings, there is no written evidence of an oral "Family Partnership Agreement" as described by Albert. They claim that any such agreement would be invalid under California law due to the statute of frauds, which requires contracts involving real estate or post-death transfers to be in writing and signed. The defendants also argue that the properties in question were transferred through estate planning mechanisms and trusts, not partnership structures.

    The lawsuit is seen as an attempt by Albert to prematurely contest his parents' estate plan while they are still alive, circumventing California probate law and forcing early redistribution of assets over which he has no legal claim. The defendants also argue that Albert waited too long to bring his claims, with some relevant statutes of limitation having expired.

    The defendants have filed a motion to quash the subpoena of Leon Alexander, a longtime family attorney who served as a mediator in a 2018 attempt to resolve the family dispute out of court. They claim that Alexander's deposition would violate attorney-client privilege and California's mediation confidentiality laws. The defendants are also seeking over $9,000 in sanctions against Albert's legal team for alleged misuse of the discovery process.

    A hearing on the motion to quash is scheduled for November 17, 2025, while a ruling on the demurrers, currently set for September 15, 2025, will determine whether the case proceeds into discovery or is dismissed in whole or in part. The outcome could have significant implications for the Bushala family's $400 million portfolio and their influence in Fullerton politics.