Naim D. Bulbulia

Department Chair
Trusts & Estates

Naim D. Bulbulia is the Chair of HDRB&B’s Trust & Estates Department and focuses his practice on drafting all types of wills, trusts and other estate planning documents, including family limited liability company agreements, prenuptial agreements, cross purchase agreements, documents to complete sales to intentionally defective grantor trusts, and private foundation formation documents. Naim advises clients on various types of planning, including, but not limited to, federal estate and gift tax, asset protection, federal income tax, business succession, philanthropic, and premarital. Naim also advises clients on choosing financial advisors, including investment professionals, accountants and insurance agents.

Naim administers estates, serves as a fiduciary for estates and trusts, and advises executors and trustees in the discharge of their fiduciary duties. Naim also provides representation of individuals in will contests and other trusts and estates related litigation matters and assists matrimonial attorneys in evaluating and resolving (and where necessary, litigating) the treatment of clients’ interests in existing trusts in divorce actions. In addition, Naim counsels business owners regarding the sale of their businesses and formulating overall business strategies.

Prior to joining HDRB&B, Naim chaired the Trusts & Estates Department at Skoloff & Wolfe, P.C. He also was an associate at Dewey Ballantine, LLP and Kirkland & Ellis, LLP.

Naim has published articles on a variety of issues, including, the importance of interim wills for divorcing clients, the importance of insurance trusts in matrimonial agreements and protecting a business from a divorce. Naim was selected to the list of Top Young Attorneys in New Jersey by peer recognition and New Jersey Monthly in 2009-2013, and to the list of Super Lawyers in Trusts & Estates in 2015-2021. New Jersey Law Journal selected Naim as one of 50 New Leaders of the Bar in 2012.

Naim formerly served as a Trustee for the Harvard Law School Association of New Jersey, as a member of the Board of Trustees for the Association for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ), as a member of the Board of Trustees for the Northern New Jersey Squash and Racquets Association (NNJSRA), as a member of the Board of Trustees for the Millburn Soccer Club and as a member of the Board of Trustees for Millburn-Short Hills Youth Baseball.

Honors & Awards

  • New Jersey Super Lawyers ®, Estate & Probate, 2015 – 2023
  • New Jersey Super Lawyers® Rising Star, Estate & Probate, 2009 – 2011
  • Bergen Magazine, “Top Lawyers Wills, Trusts, Estates and Probates”, 2017 – 2022
  • New Jersey Law Journal, “Top 50 New Leaders of the Bar”, 2012
  • New Jersey Monthly, “Top Young Attorneys”, 2009 – 2013

Awards Methodology

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Publications

Representative Matters

  • Represented high net worth family in a complex estate planning matter involving multiple generations, family owned businesses and partnership entities.
  • Assisted heirs of a deceased patriarch who, unbeknownst to them, had built a real estate portfolio and large securities portfolio, in navigating the sale of the real estate, payment of estate taxes and carrying out the complicated provisions of his estate plan.
  • Helped unwind a complex life insurance premium finance sale transaction, and replace it with a more appropriate plan.
  • Assisted family with special needs daughter in formulating an estate plan that preserved any state or federal aid the daughter might receive, while also safeguarding the assets from the daughter, her creditors and predators.

Prior Experience

  • Chair, Trusts & Estates Department, Skoloff & Wolfe, P.C., Livingston, NJ, 2005 – 2008
  • Associate, Trusts & Estates Department, Bingham McCutchen, LLP, Boston, NJ, 2001 – 2005
  • Associate, Kirkland & Ellis, LLP, New York, NY, 1999 – 2001
  • Associate, Dewey Ballantine, LLP, New York, NY, 1998 – 1999

Civic & Charitable Activities

  • Association for the Children of New Jersey (ACNJ), Member – Board of Trustees, 2007 – 2010
  • Millburn Short Hills Youth Baseball, Member – Board of Trustees, 2011 – 2017
  • Northern New Jersey Squash and Racquets Association (NNJSRA), Member – Board of Trustees, 2008 – 2011
  • Millburn Soccer Club, Member – Board of Trustees, 2010 – 2015

Education

  • Harvard Law School, J.D., 1998
  • Amherst College, B.A., 1995

Admissions

  • New Jersey, 1998
  • New York, 1999