A Deloitte LLP unit allegedly promised a tax plan under which former Detroit Pistons owner Bill Davidson would “win if he lived, or win if he died.” It didn’t work out that way, his family says. Four years after the 2009 death of the Bloomfield Hills multibillionaire, his estate was hit with a $2.7 billion tax bill, according to a lawsuit filed in New York.

The estate sued Deloitte Tax LLP on Thursday to recover $500 million in taxes, fees and penalties from the adviser.

Deloitte Tax failed to disclose the risks of the tax plan that it recommended to Davidson in order to secure him as one of its “marquee clients” who could generate large fees and serve as a “showpiece” to promote its services to other wealthy people, the estate said in the lawsuit.

The Internal Revenue Service sent Davidson’s estate the $2.7 billion tax bill in May 2013 and, after negotiations, the estate is obligated to pay more than $457 million, in addition to $168 million in estate taxes and $82 million in gift taxes already paid, according to the suit.

“In its zeal to secure Mr. Davidson’s business, Deloitte Tax failed to disclose the numerous material risks associated with the plan that it advocated,” Davidson’s estate said in the lawsuit, which was filed Thursday in New York state court in Manhattan.

Deloitte said in a statement that it is confident it will prevail in the matter. “We are deeply committed to our clients and stand fully behind the services our team provided to Mr. Davidson," it said in the statement. "We regret that the estate executor has decided to pursue this path. We are prepared to defend ourselves vigorously ..."

Much of Davidson’s fortune came from his chairmanship of Auburn Hills automotive and architectural glassmaker Guardian Industries Inc.

He bought the Pistons for $8 million in 1974 and said he wanted the team to remain in the family. However, his widow, Karen Davidson, said in 2010 she didn’t want to be a team owner, so she sold her 76 percent in the Pistons and Auburn Hills-based management company Palace Sports & Entertainment in June 2011 for $325 million to private equity billionaire Tom Gores.

The remaining 24 percent was split among several people, who agreed to sell their shares when she sold the majority.

The transaction with Gores includes the Pistons and Palace Sports & Entertainment. PS&E includes 22,076-seat Palace of Auburn Hills and DTE Energy Music Theatre and holder of the contract to manage Meadow Brook Music Festival for Oakland University.

Ethan Davidson, son of William Davidson from a previous marriage, bought back a small stake in the Pistons from Gores.

Forbes most recently estimated the Davidson family to be worth $1.7 billion.

In addition to the Pistons, Davidson also owned the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning and in 2004 became the only owner in the history of professional sports whose teams won the hockey and basketball championships in the same year.

- Crain's Detroit Business contributed to this report.