休斯顿破产法院裁定：美国受托人办公室有权追讨Jackson Walker律所费用 前法官恋情丑闻发酵
位于德州休斯顿的联邦破产法院首席法官 Eduardo Rodriguez 于10月21日发布一份57页的报告，认定美国受托人办公室（U.S. Trustee）具有宪法上的诉讼资格，可以继续追讨律所 Jackson Walker 在相关破产案件中收取的律师费用。据路透社10月21日报道，Rodriguez 法官在报告中表示，美国受托人办公室有权独立提出披露与利益冲突问题，以确保职业不当行为不会因为遗产代表选择不采取行动而逃避审查。这份报告属于建议性质，下一步将提交美国联邦地区法官 Alia Moses，由其就 Jackson Walker 与休斯顿地区美国受托人 Kevin Epstein 之间的费用争议作出决定。
这起争议源于前联邦破产法官 David Jones 的辞职。Jones 曾主理全美最繁忙的破产案件排期之一，他于2023年10月辞职，此前承认自己与一名 Jackson Walker 合伙人存在恋爱关系并共同居住，该合伙人已于2022年12月离开该律所。Jackson Walker 曾表示，该律所被误导，以为这段关系已于2020年3月结束。Rodriguez 法官今年7月曾建议 Moses 法官批准 Jackson Walker 与九名前客户之间总计478.5万美元的和解，这些客户的破产案件被指受到影响；该律所与美国受托人办公室之间另有一项1500万美元和解正在磋商，相关审理目前定于明年1月进行，任何和解都须经 Moses 法官批准。Jackson Walker 与美国受托人办公室的发言人对10月21日的报告均不予置评。
Houston Bankruptcy Court: US Trustee Cleared to Pursue Jackson Walker Fees as Former Judge Romance Scandal Widens
Chief U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Eduardo Rodriguez in Houston, Texas, issued a 57-page report on October 21 finding that the Office of the U.S. Trustee has constitutional standing to continue pursuing legal fees collected by the law firm Jackson Walker in related bankruptcy cases, Reuters reported on October 21. Rodriguez wrote that the U.S. Trustee has independent authority to raise disclosure and disinterestedness issues to help ensure professional misconduct does not escape scrutiny simply because an estate representative chooses not to act. The report is a recommendation and now goes to U.S. District Judge Alia Moses, who is overseeing the fee dispute between Jackson Walker and Kevin Epstein, the U.S. Trustee for the Houston region.
The dispute stems from the resignation of former U.S. Bankruptcy Judge David Jones, who once oversaw one of the busiest bankruptcy dockets in the country. Jones resigned in October 2023 after acknowledging he was in a romantic relationship and shared a home with a Jackson Walker partner who left the firm in December 2022. Jackson Walker has said it was deceived into thinking the relationship had ended in March 2020. In July, Rodriguez recommended that Moses approve $4.785 million in settlements between Jackson Walker and nine former clients whose cases were allegedly tainted, and the firm has also been negotiating a $15 million settlement with the U.S. Trustee, with a trial currently scheduled for January; any settlement would require approval from Moses. Spokespeople for Jackson Walker and the U.S. Trustee declined to comment on the October 21 report, according to Reuters.
发布：GSM·美国（发布链接）
图片来源：图：休斯顿市中心 Bob Casey 联邦大楼—美国法院（Bob Casey Federal Building—U.S. Courthouse，515 Rusk Avenue）实景，休斯顿联邦破产法院所在地。图片来源：Wikimedia Commons，作者 WhisperToMe。
GSM Global · 本篇英文版 English edition of this story
