In a helpful reminder for professionals regarding the nuances of 11 U.S.C. § 327 and its intersection with preference law, the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Columbia recently overruled a creditor’s objection to a debtor’s application (the “Application”) to retain special counsel under section 327(e). The objection, filed in In re Core Communications, Inc., Case No. 17-00258, was based in part upon the fact that the debtor and proposed counsel (the “Professional”) had not provided a “Pillowtex Analysis” in support of the Application – i.e., an analysis disclosing any debtor payments made to the Professional in the 90 days prior to the Petition Date (the “Preference Period”). The creditor maintained this assertion, notwithstanding the fact that the Professional had waived any claims it had against the estate.
The Court rejected the creditor’s argument. Judge S. Martin Teel began with a recitation of professional retention guidelines and jurisprudence, noting that “[a] court authorizing the retention of professionals under 11 U.S.C. § 327(a) must determine whether the professional is disinterested, including whether the professional is the recipient of a preferential transfer.” In re Core Commc’ns, Inc., 2017 WL 5151674, at *3 (Bankr. D.D.C. Nov. 5, 2017) (citing In re Pillowtex, Inc., 304 F.3d 246 (3d Cir. 2002)). While the Application did not disclose whether the debtor made any payments to the Professional during the Preference Period, the Court found the Application was made pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 327(e), and as such, “adverse interests that would disqualify an attorney from being retained under § 327(a) are distinguishable from adverse interests that would disqualify an attorney from being retained under § 327(e).” Id. (quoting Giuliano v. Young (In re RIH Acquisitions NJ, LLC), 551 B.R. 563, 569 (Bankr. D. N.J. 2016). Under section 327(e), “the attorney being retained only needs to be disinterested with respect to the matter on which such attorney is to be employed.” Id. (internal quotations omitted). As a result, there was no need to “disclose the existence of any preferences incident to the Application.” Id.
A copy of the Opinion can be found here.
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