Professional Compensation/Fees

Fifth Circuit Clarifies Scope of Permissible Compensation of Estate Professionals Under 11 U.S.C. § 330(a)

On January 14, 2022, a three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit in In the Matter of Sharon Sylvester (Sylvester vs Chaffe McCall LLP) held that a trustee’s attorney is entitled to compensation under Bankruptcy Code § 330(a) “only for services requiring legal expertise that a trustee would not generally be expected to perform without an attorney’s assistance.” [1]

Bankruptcy Courts Have ‘Core’ Power to Order Fee Disgorgement, Third Circuit Says

Being seen at bar events in the company of those who appear in court doesn’t show judicial bias.

Examining Venue, Ethics and Bad-Faith Issues in 2020/2021 Bankruptcy Filings

Benchnotes June 2022

June 2022

Supreme Court Hears Argument on Constitutionality of 2018 Increase in U.S. Trustee Fees

At oral argument, the justices seemed more concerned about the remedy to give if the dual fee system was unconstitutional.

Delaware District Judge Says: Don’t Use ‘Nunc Pro Tunc’ When You Mean ‘Retroactive’

Submitting a retention order with the wrong word resulted in a pivotal issue on appeal.

All Things Attorney Fees

The Concept of Bifurcated Fee Agreements Approved on Appeal in South Carolina

Reversing the bankruptcy court, the district court decided that a local rule did not bar bifurcated fee arrangements altogether.

Long Island Judge Ends ‘Loss Mitigation’ in His Courtroom

No more informal ‘no-look’ fees in the courtroom of Bankruptcy Judge Robert Grossman.