Serving as a professional in a Chapter 11 bankruptcy case can be a fulfilling and rewarding experience. But there are some specific rules and procedures a practitioner must follow to be retained in a bankruptcy case and, ultimately, to receive full compensation from the debtor’s estate.
To represent a debtor in a bankruptcy case, a lawyer must obtain court approval of the retention. Under 11 U.S.C.§327(a), the U.S. Bankruptcy Code provides that only “disinterested persons” who do not “hold or represent an interest adverse to the estate” may represent the debtor generally in conducting the bankruptcy case. That general representation is for all matters relating to the bankruptcy case, as opposed to serving as special counsel for a specific matter, which is governed by §327(e).
