Attorneys who wish to be retained as Special Counsel to the Trustee are advised to read the following:
If you wish to be retained as Special Counsel in a case in
which Kenneth Kirschenbaum is the Trustee you should be aware of the Trustee's
position regarding Special Counsel. Administration of bankruptcy
estates is the responsibility of the Trustee and it is the Trustee who is held
strictly accountable for the effective, efficient and expedient handling of all
aspects of the case, including litigation or other legal matters that may
require the retention of Special Counsel. Your selection as
Special Counsel is an exercise, in the first instance and throughout the case,
of the Trustee's discretion. From the Trustee's perspective your
selection as Special Counsel will enable the Trustee to better meet his
fiduciary obligations in the administration of the estate. The
Trustee is answerable to many parties, but particularly is under the direct
supervision of the office of the United States Trustee and the Bankruptcy
Judges. There are a myriad of reporting requirements asked of the
Trustee which require the Trustee to provide knowledgeable status reports and
explain why a case remains under administration. Greater scrutiny and
potential criticism becomes more likely as the case remains open and under
administration. Your selection as Special Counsel should serve to aid the
Trustee in his duties and contribute to the successful administration of the
estate. Your retention should not cause the Trustee or his general counsel
additional work and concerns and should not
delay or impede the administration of the estate, which the Trustee considers
sufficient bases to terminate your retention as Special Counsel for cause or
oppose your final application for compensation. Special Counsel is
required to provide written status reports to the Trustee at least every 90 days
and keep the Trustee informed of all important developments. All
recoveries in a matter must be turned over to the Trustee for deposit into the
estate account. No matter can be compromised or settled without the
Trustee's consent. The Trustee will be required to obtain approval of all
settlements from the Bankruptcy Judge and all compensation to Special Counsel is
subject to approval by the Bankruptcy Judge upon proper application.
Special Counsel is advised to familiarize himself with the rules and procedures
of the Bankruptcy Court. Maintaining hourly billing records is
recommended for all matters. Special Counsel will be expected to prepare
and file all necessary applications and orders in matters in which Special
Counsel is retained, and if necessary appear in court at the request of the
Trustee to report the status of matters being handled by Special Counsel.
If you are not prepared to perform these services you should reconsider whether
you wish to be retained by the Trustee. The Trustee also requires all
Special Counsel to have and use e-mail to ease communication with the Trustee.