Burden of Proof Issues when Appointing a Chapter 11 Trustee

The Chapter 11 Commission Report recommended that the burden of proof for appointing a Chapter 11 Trustee under 1104(a) be changed from clear and convincing evidence to a preponderance of the evidence. The Commissioners determined that the existing more stringent standard has a chilling effect on parties-in-interest seeking the appointment of a Trustee, that the benefits of having a Trustee in appropriate cases outweigh the risks of abuse and unnecessary distractions that a lower standard could bring, and that adopting a preponderance of the evidence standard would resolve a split among the courts on this issue.