David B. Bussolotta

David B. Bussolotta is a member of the Trusts and Estates practice at Pullman & Comley. He serves clients throughout Greater Fairfield and New Haven Counties in the areas of estate planning, wills, trusts, probate and trust administration, probate and trust litigation, and eldercare needs.  David sets out to provide superior legal services for each client through thoughtful consideration of each client's matter and by earnest advocacy.  David’s practice areas, include but are not limited to, drawing client estate plans by way of preparation of wills, trusts, and business succession plans.  

David takes the time to fully develop each client’s estate plan and/or business succession plan by carefully understanding the concerns that matter most to clients through thought-provoking interviews, and answering each client’s questions that pertain to their families and legacies.  In addition, David takes the time to advise clients, while planning their estates, the outcomes and potential consequences of each decision when clients plan their legacies.  David’s breadth of knowledge and experience in, estate and tax planning, corporate law, probate/trust administration, probate litigation, charitable organizations, commercial and residential real estate transactions, and wrongful death actions all serve to advance client goals in each client matter.  David’s representative experience consists of handling estate planning for a number of small to medium size business owners and business executives, college administrators, faculty, and athletic coaches, retirees, and parents of disabled children.

In addition to aiding clients in planning their estates, David helps clients administer their loved ones’ estates and trusts when they pass away.  David represents individuals and business entities in their fiduciary capacities as administrators, executors, and/or trustees in order to bring about an efficient result in administration and distribution of their respective estates and/or trusts.  In past matters, David has represented both fiduciaries and beneficiaries of the like in estates and trusts that required forensic analysis, investigations of malfeasance by former fiduciaries, location and representation of missing beneficiaries and heirs-at-law, estates and trusts involving complicated ownership business interests, estates whose assets and business interests were insolvent, will contests, and contested trusts proceedings. 

Additionally, David helps his clients and their families navigate through delicate and sensitive eldercare proceedings both privately and by use of the probate courts in Connecticut via conservatorships.  As clients and their family age, often times, a thoughtful and compassionate approach is necessary in handling such matters for a client and their family.  David’s approach to handling these matters is collaborative and he encourages families to build a consensus in seeing to it that the elderly member of the family is cared for in the best and most efficient manner possible.  When necessary, David will help clients litigate such matters. 

Before joining Pullman & Comley, David was in private practice in Fairfield, Connecticut, where in addition to trusts and estates matters, he also handled business succession planning; contract law; business start-ups; mergers, acquisitions and sales; and commercial and residential real estate.

Office

Professional Affiliations

American Bar Association

Connecticut Bar Association

Business Network International

Westport Entrepreneurs

Community Involvement

Town of Easton - Agricultural Commission

Town of Easton - Pension Board

Boy Scouts of America - former assistant Cub Master

American Youth Soccer Organization - past coach

Easton Little League - former assistant coach

Redding Community Center - former youth basketball coach

Honors & Recognitions

Named a Moffly Media Top Lawyer in Fairfield County, 2021 and 2023 - Wills

Estate planning

• Crafted an estate plan for a client whose wealth consisted of diverse business holdings. The estate plan, pursuant to client’s direction, was to provide for her child with dependency and addiction issues.  Due to client’s wealth and business holdings, creating the plan entailed drawing operational agreements for her companies with a focus on securing her partners’ agreement on many operational matters.  As client’s needs and asset levels have grown over the years, continued monitoring of her familial and business situations are necessary to ensure that the plan remains effective.
• Represented client with substantial real estate holdings in order to provide for his wife, suffering from dementia, and his special needs daughter along with preserving some of his estate for two of his daughters who have cultivated traditional families and lives.
• Provided estate planning for a client who owned an interest in a company that managed funds who desired advanced estate planning in the form of a dynasty trust in order to provide for his wife and children in the event of his death or disability with a focus on minimizing the effects of estate and gift taxes. Worked closely with trust company who aided in carrying out the client wishes.  Set up additional life insurance trusts for client and his wife to benefit client and his family.
• Representation of numerous clients, traditional and non-traditional families, in their estate plans, utilizing proper and appropriate trust forms. Various client matters, all presenting a variety of challenges in asset types and from family dynamics to far-ranging wealth levels, are carefully reviewed to ensure client wishes are properly carried out via their written estate planning documents.

 Probate and trust administration

• Represented a long-time client’s estate both while alive and post death, in managing his lifetime assets for his benefit and for the benefit of his named beneficiaries after his death. Maximized return of lifetime assets allowing the client to maintain his personal residence while receiving long-term care at home. Management of the client assets included but was not limited to holding and then disposing of a potential Brownfield property after the client’s demise utilizing exemptions under the Connecticut Transfer Act.  Oversaw the management and sale of all real property and assets thereby preserving a legacy for the beneficiaries of his estate and trust.
• Representation of multiple estates and trusts where pro-forma Federal 706 tax forms were prepared in conjunction with State of Connecticut CT-706 forms were filed with the taxing authority so as to obtain tax clearance in order to administer estates and trusts to conclusion.
• Representation and aiding fiduciaries and various institutional fiduciaries in administration of a various estates ranging in size from nominal to taxable. Representation of fiduciaries both individually and as institutions when so named in the testamentary documents.  

Beneficiary representation and probate litigation

• Represented sibling brothers in a hotly disputed estate where another sibling removed a substantial amount of valuable personal property the home of the deceased. After pressing matters at both the Probate Court and Superior Court levels, the personal property, in large part, was returned to the estate.  Aided the fiduciary of the estate in the investigation and eventual return of the tangible property.  Successfully assisted the fiduciary of the estate in pursuing the insurance claim for payment of the remaining missing items in the estate resulting in restoration of estate assets.
• In representation of an estate executrix, successfully investigated and prosecuted the preceding fiduciary and conservator for a then recently-deceased individual who transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars to himself during his conservatorship. Settlement of the full estate then proceeded after the assets were restored to the estate.
• Represented a beneficiary son of a deceased parent whose closely held business was at the center of a dispute in the estate that was then controlled by the deceased parent’s second spouse. Successfully negotiated distribution of a controlling interest in the closely held company by way of carefully crafting a mutual distribution agreement allowing my client to step in and manage the business in an unfettered manner.  Aided client in growing the business and continued management by guiding him with every legal perspective kept in mind in his day to day decision making.  After the death of the client’s step-parent, aided the client in purchasing a majority share of the  business from his sibling.
• Represented a number of clients in disputing appointment of fiduciaries, seeking out information in stalled estates and trusts, and challenging testamentary plans. Represented a number of fiduciaries where testamentary estate plans were challenged and successfully defended or negotiated to conclusion of the challenge.

 Business organizations and transactions

• Representation of a technology startup company in formation, partnership, and in a recent merger with a major national marketing company firm. Business succession planning handled by way of buy/sell agreement.  Efficiently and thoughtfully handled drafting and editing of partnership agreement, operating agreement and merger.  Drew consultancy agreements for independent contractors.
• Representation of a former estate beneficiary client in his management and operation of his parent’s company. Drew and amended by-laws for the corporation.  Represented client in his buyout of a portion of a family member’s share of the closely-held corporation to make him the majority shareholder of the company.  Handled closing of financing for the company’s purchase and the closing of title of a major parcel so as to expand operation in the state.
• Representation of client and his manufacturing company who moved from out of state to Connecticut, so as to obtain government contracts to supply the United States military branches. Aided client by redrawing organizational documents and overseeing conversion to a Connecticut limited liability company.  Oversaw the application and process to help client receive “minority” contractor status as recognized by the Federal government in obtaining contracts giving client a distinct preference in securing government contracts for manufacturing.
• Representation of multiple companies and small businesses serves to create estate planning opportunities for my practice where the owners are in need of the personal planning of their estates after creating a corporate plan and vice versa. Created numerous start-up companies where clients have sought my advice and services for incorporating and operating their companies.

Speaking Engagements

Publications

Press Releases