Hale v. US Trustee, No. 06-35349

In an appeal brought by an attorney, arising after a bankruptcy court found he failed to honor his legal and ethical obligations in assisting certain debtors' with their bankruptcy application, an order denying his request for a jury trial on the reasonableness of his attorney fees, disgorging him of his fees, and sanctioning him is affirmed where: 1) the Seventh Amendment does not include a right to a jury trial on the reasonableness of attorney fees in bankruptcy proceedings; and 2) the bankruptcy court did not abuse its discretion in disgorging him of his attorney's fees nor in sanctioning him.

Date of decision: 12/10/07

Full opinion click here.