This page contains articles on a wide variety of bankruptcy-related topics by employees of the United States Trustee Program.
If you have questions concerning these documents, please contact us by E-mail: USTWeb
Visit the Archive section of the Department of Justice site for Articles issued by the U.S. Trustee Program between 1998 and 2008
Please see Legal Policies & Disclaimers and Note below.
Articles published or written in: | |||
2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |2014 |2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | |||
Year | Date | Subject | Other Formats |
2023 | |||
Winter 2023 |
An Overview of the Changes to the Handbook for Chapter 7 Trustees and Updates to the Uniform Transaction Codes |
[PDF - 1.27 MB] | |
2022 | |||
November 2022 |
The USTP’s Positions on Select SBRA Legal Issues |
[PDF - 288 KB] | |
September 2022 |
Ensuring “Access” and “Justice:” USTP’s Enforcement Guidelines for Bifurcated Fee Agreements |
[PDF - 317 KB] | |
January/February/March 2022 | Q&A with Mary Ida Townson An interview with Mary Ida Townson, United States Trustee, Region 21. Reprinted with permission from NACTT Quarterly (Vol. 34, No. 2, January/February/March 2022). This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 147 KB] | |
Winter 2022 |
The Important Role of the Chapter 7 Trustee in Helping the USTP Protect and Preserve the Integrity of the Bankruptcy System |
[PDF - 927 KB] | |
2021 | |||
August 2021 |
Disclosures and Conflicts: The USTP’s Perspective on Professional Employment |
[PDF - 350 KB] | |
Spring 2021 |
Protecting Against the Risks of Cyber Fraud: What Case Trustees Should Know |
[PDF - 625 KB] | |
Winter 2021 |
Planning for the Unexpected: Proactive Measures for the Trustee to Consider |
[PDF - 589 KB] | |
February 2021 |
Introducing the USTP’s New Chapter 11 Periodic Reports |
[PDF - 355 KB] | |
January/February/March 2021 |
Planning for the Unexpected |
[PDF - 319 KB] | |
January 2021 |
Small Business Reorganization Act: Implementation and Trends |
[PDF - 238 KB] | |
2020 | |||
Spring 2020 |
Meet Bob Gebhard |
[PDF - 75 KB] | |
April/May/June 2020 |
Q&A with Bob Gebhard |
[PDF - 53 KB] | |
2019 | |||
Spring 2019 |
Investigating the Financial Affairs of a Debtor Who Has Cryptocurrency |
[PDF - 139 KB] | |
October 2019 |
New Laws, New Duties: The United States Trustee Program’s Implementation of the HAVEN Act and the Small Business Reorganization Act |
[PDF - 153 KB] | |
2018 | |||
Winter 2018 | Meet Tiffany Carroll By Doreen Solomon, former Assistant Director, and Tiffany Carroll, Acting Assistant Director, Office of Oversight, EOUST. Reprinted with permission from American Bankruptcy Trustee Journal (Winter 2018). This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 153 KB] | |
Spring 2018 | Sam Crocker Unplugged By Sam Crocker, United States Trustee, Regions 8 and 20. Reprinted with permission from American Bankruptcy Trustee Journal (Spring 2018). This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 153 KB] | |
Summer 2018 | Partners in Combatting Crime: The Vital Roles of Chapter 7 Trustees and the United States Trustee Program By Alison Goldenberg, Trial Attorney, Denver, CO; Serene Nakano, Trial Attorney, New York, NY; and Andy Velez-Rivera, Trial Attorney, New York, NY. Reprinted with permission from American Bankruptcy Trustee Journal (Summer 2018). This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 153 KB] | |
October 2018 |
Problematic Consumer Debtor Attorney’s Fee Arrangements and the Illusion of “Access to Justice” |
[PDF - 144 KB] | |
September 2018 |
The Future of the USTP’s CRO “Protocol” |
[PDF - 160 KB] | |
March 2018 | |||
2017 | |||
December 2017 |
Why Marijuana Assets May Not Be Administered in Bankruptcy |
[PDF - 44 KB] | |
Summer 2017 |
Chapter 7 Trustees Play Important Role in Enforcement Against Bankruptcy Crimes |
[PDF - 42 KB] | |
July 2017 |
USTP’s Agenda on Chapter 11 Corporate Reorganization Issues |
[PDF - 31 KB] | |
Spring 2017 |
Guidance Will Help Trustees Plan Ahead for Business Interruptions and Transitions |
[PDF - 25 KB] | |
2016 | |||
July/August/September 2016 |
‘Taking the Fifth’ in Bankruptcy |
[PDF - 98 KB] | |
June 2016 |
USTP's Consumer Protection Efforts Curb Abuses by Creditors, Poorly Performing Attorneys |
[PDF - 39 KB] | |
May 2016 |
USTP Focuses on Professional Fees, Corporate Governance, and Predictability and Transparency in Chapter 11 |
[PDF - 164 KB] | |
April/May/June 2016 |
Standing Trustee Training is High Priority for USTP |
[PDF - 40 KB] | |
Spring 2016 |
USTP Works with Judges, Trustees, Federal Partners to Address Security Concerns at Section 341 Meetings |
[PDF - 41 KB] | |
2015 | |||
July/August/September 2015 |
The Standing Trustee’s Critical Role in Section 341 Meetings of Creditors |
[PDF - 49 KB] | |
Summer 2015 |
New Perspective, Same View |
[PDF - 43 KB] | |
April/May/June 2015 |
Chapter 13 Case Filings Show National and State Trends |
[PDF - 49 KB] | |
Spring 2015 |
Rule Changes, Supreme Court Cases and USTP Enforcement Efforts |
[PDF - 255 KB] | |
January/February/March 2015 |
Successful Projects in 2014 Include Training, Percentage Fee Policy and Unsecured Claims Review |
[PDF - 177 KB] | |
Back To Top | |||
2014 | |||
Fall 2014 |
‘Top 15’ Audit and Field Exam Findings, Computer Security Procedures |
[PDF - 42 KB] | |
July 2014 |
Lehman: Plans Can’t Bypass the Bankruptcy Code (Even with Consent) |
[PDF - 223 KB] | |
July/August/September 2014 |
Chapter 13 Disbursement Statistics and the Impact of Case Filing Trends |
[PDF - 49 KB] | |
Summer 2014 |
Chapter 7 Asset Cases Closed: Distribution Statistics and the Impact of Case Filing Trends |
[PDF - 77 KB] | |
May 2014 |
Taking the Mystery Out of the Chapter 11 Trustee Appointment Process |
[PDF - 32 KB] | |
April/May/June 2014 |
EOUST Issues Updates to Handbook for Chapter 13 Standing Trustees |
[PDF - 26 KB] | |
Spring 2014 |
Consolidation of Chapter 7 Oversight Functions Creates Greater Uniformity and Efficiency for Trustees |
[PDF - 24 KB] | |
January/February/March 2014 |
Seven Years of Standing Trustee Audit Findings Reflect Changes in Business Environment |
[PDF - 50 KB] | |
Back To Top | |||
2013 | |||
October 2013 |
The U.S. Trustee Program Commemorates Its Silver Anniversary |
[PDF - 40 KB] | |
August 2013 |
New Fee Guidelines for Attorneys in Larger Chapter 11 Cases Enhance Transparency and Promote Market Forces in Billing |
[PDF - 48 KB] | |
Summer 2013 |
Handbook for Chapter 7 Trustees – Your Questions Answered |
[PDF - 36 KB] | |
June 2013 |
Credit Counseling and Debtor Education: New Rules, New Responsibilities |
[PDF - 62 KB] | |
April/May/June 2013 |
25 Years of Standing Trustee Oversight |
[PDF - 26 KB] | |
Spring 2013 |
Chapter 7 Trustee Audit Process Turns 25! |
[PDF - 37 KB] | |
March 2013 |
Why U.S. Trustee Enforcement Should Not Yield to Debtor and Creditor Preferences |
[PDF - 35 KB] | |
January/February/March 2013 |
New Handbook for Chapter 13 Standing Trustees Provides Updated Guidance |
[PDF - 24 KB] | |
Back To Top | |||
2012 | |||
Fall 2012 |
New Handbook for Chapter 7 Trustees Provides Updated Guidance |
[PDF - 105 KB] | |
September 2012 |
Annual Audits, Reports on Prescribed Procedures, are Useful Management Tools for Trustees |
[PDF - 109 KB] | |
June 2012 |
The U.S. Trustee Program’s Appellate Practice: Clarifying the Law and Enforcing the Bankruptcy Code |
[PDF - 215 KB] | |
May 2012 |
You Support My Plan, I’ll Pay Your Attorneys: Adelphia’s Troubling Precedent |
[PDF - 334 KB] | |
March 2012 |
$25 Billion Mortgage Servicer Settlement: Implications for the U.S. Trustee Program and the Bankruptcy System By Clifford J. White III, Director, EOUST, and Ramona D. Elliott, Deputy Director/General Counsel, EOUST. Reprinted with permission from ABI Journal (Vol. XXXI, No. 2, March 2012). This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 47 KB] | |
Spring 2012 |
Control, Preservation, and Sale of Estate Assets for the Benefit of Creditors By Suzanne Hazard, Deputy Assistant Director, Chapter 7 Oversight, Office of Oversight, EOUST. Reprinted with permission from NABTalk (Vol. 28, Issue 1, Spring 2012). This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 26 KB] | |
January/February/March 2012 |
The Year in Review: Accomplishments in 2011 By Doreen Solomon, Assistant Director, Office of Oversight, EOUST, and Martha Hallowell, Deputy Assistant Director, Standing Trustee Oversight, Office of Oversight, EOUST. Reprinted with permission from NACTT Quarterly (January/February/March 2012). This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 21 KB] | |
Back To Top | |||
2011 | |||
November 2011 |
Assessing the Data: Filing Trends in Bankruptcy, 2007-2011 By Ed Flynn, Operations Research Analyst, and Thomas Kearns, Assistant Director for Planning and Evaluation, EOUST. Reprinted with permission from ABI Journal (Vol. XXX, No. 9, November 2011). This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 426 KB] | |
October 2011 |
Committee Formation and Reformation: Considerations and Best Practices By Roberta DeAngelis, United States Trustee, Region 3, and Nan R. Eitel, Associate General Counsel for Chapter 11 Practice, Office of the General Counsel, EOUST. Reprinted with permission from ABI Journal (Vol. XXX, No. 8, October 2011). This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 390 KB] | |
Summer 2011 |
Strong Internal Controls are Essential to Protection of Bankruptcy Estate Assets By Suzanne Hazard, Deputy Assistant Director, Chapter 7 Oversight, Office of Oversight, EOUST. Reprinted with permission from NABTalk (Vol. 27, Issue 2, Summer 2011). This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 67 KB] | |
June 2011 |
USTP Language Assistance Program Data is Available on New ‘Interactive Dashboard’ By Tanta Caraman, Statistician, EOUST, and Thomas Kearns, Assistant Director for Planning and Evaluation, EOUST. Reprinted with permission from ABI Journal (Vol. XXX, No. 5, June 2011). This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 728 KB] | |
April/May/June 2011 |
The Making Home Affordable Program Offers Options for Homeowners in Bankruptcy By Doreen Solomon, Assistant Director, Office of Oversight, EOUST, and Erin Sagransky, Policy Analyst, Department of the Treasury, Office of Financial Stability, Homeownership Preservation Office. Reprinted with permission from NACTT Quarterly (April/May/June 2011). This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 78 KB] | |
April 2011 |
The Supreme Court Interprets the Means Test By Mark A. Redmiles, Deputy Director for Field Operations, EOUST. Reprinted with permission from ABI Journal (Vol. XXX, No. 3, April 2011). This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 51 KB] | |
Spring 2011 |
The Making Home Affordable Program Offers Options for Homeowners in Bankruptcy By Doreen Solomon, Assistant Director, Office of Oversight, EOUST, and Erin Sagransky, Policy Analyst, Department of the Treasury, Office of Financial Stability, Homeownership Preservation Office. Reprinted with permission from NABTalk (Vol. 27, Issue 1, Spring 2011). This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 28 KB] | |
March 2011 |
Structured Dismissals, or Cases Dismissed Outside the Code’s Structure? By Nan Roberts Eitel, Associate General Counsel for Chapter 11 Practice, EOUST; T. Patrick Tinker, Acting Assistant U.S. Trustee, Wilmington; and Lisa L. Lambert, Trial Attorney, Dallas. Reprinted with permission from ABI Journal (Vol. XXX, No. 2, March 2011). This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 60 KB] | |
February 2011 |
USTP Participates in Nationwide Sweep Targeting Investment Fraud Schemes By Sandra R. Klein, Acting Assistant Director, Office of Criminal Enforcement, EOUST, and Sandra Taliani Rasnak, Assistant U.S. Trustee, Chicago. Reprinted with permission from ABI Journal (Vol XXX, No. 1, February 2011). This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 38 KB] | |
January/February/March 2011 |
Supreme Court to Decide Meaning of ‘Applicable’ Transportation Expenses–Ransom v. FIA Card Services, N.A., f/k/a MBNA America Bank, N.A. By Doreen Solomon, Assistant Director, Office of Oversight, EOUST, and Carrie Weinfeld, Trial Attorney, EOUST. Reprinted with permission from NACTT Quarterly (January/February/March 2011). This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 28 KB] | |
December/January 2011 |
Professional Fees under the Code: Where Have We Been, and Where Are We Going? By Clifford J. White III, Director, EOUST, and Walter W. Theus, Jr., Trial Attorney, Office of General Counsel, EOUST. Reprinted with permission from ABI Journal (Vol. XXIX, No. 10, December/January 2011). This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 53 KB] | |
Back To Top | |||
2010 | |||
Fall 2010 |
Creditor Abuse and Mortgage Fraud Targeted in Nationwide Settlements and Inter-Agency ‘Sweep’ by Clifford J. White III, Director, EOUST. Reprinted with permission from NABTalk (Vol. 26, Issue 3, Fall 2010). This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 24 KB] | |
July/August/September 2010 |
Monthly Management Reports: the Most Effective Oversight Tool for Standing Trustees by Doreen Solomon, Assistant Director, Review and Oversight, EOUST, and Martha Hallowell, Deputy Assistant Director, Standing Trustee Oversight, EOUST. Reprinted with permission from NACTT Quarterly (July/August/September 2010). This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 17 KB] | |
July/August 2010 |
USTP Actions Against Mortgage Fraud, Abuse, are Part of Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force Sweep By Gail Geiger, Acting Associate General Counsel for Consumer Practice, EOUST, and Sandra Taliani Rasnak, Assistant U.S. Trustee, Chicago. Reprinted with permission from the ABI Journal, Vol. XXIX, No. 6, July/August 2010. This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 36 KB] | |
June 2010 |
U.S. Trustee Program Posts Bankruptcy Data on Data.gov Web Site By Chris Haverstock, Statistician, and Phil Crewson, Assistant Director, Research and Planning, EOUST. Reprinted with permission from the ABI Journal, Vol. XXIX, No. 5, June 2010. This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 36 KB] | |
Summer 2010 |
Mortgage Fraud and Mortgage Rescue Schemes: How Panel Trustees Can Help Uncover These Schemes By Doreen Solomon, Assistant Director, Review and Oversight, EOUST. Reprinted with permission from the Journal of the National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees (NABTalk), Vol. 26, Issue 2 (Summer 2010). This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 30 KB] | |
May 2010 |
USTP’s Efforts to Protect Against Creditors’ Disclosure of Individuals’ Personally Identifiable Information By Wendy Tien, Deputy Assistant Director, Office for Review and Oversight, EOUST. Reprinted with permission from the ABI Journal, Vol. XXIX, No. 4, May 2010. This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 34 KB] | |
April/May/June 2010 |
Will Lanning Bring Resolution to the Debate Over the Meaning of Projected Disposable Income? By Doreen Solomon, Assistant Director, Review and Oversight, EOUST. Reprinted with permission from the National Association of Chapter 13 Trustees (NACTT) Quarterly, April/May/June 2010. This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 64 KB] | |
March 2010 |
USTP’s Civil Enforcement Activity Targets Mortgage Fraud and Mortgage Rescue Schemes By Sandra Taliani Rasnak, Assistant U.S. Trustee, Chicago. Reprinted with permission from the ABI Journal, Vol. XXIX, No. 2, March 2010. This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 29 KB] | |
Spring 2010 |
Make the Most of Your Next Trustee Audit By Suzanne Hazard, Deputy Assistant Director, Review and Oversight, EOUST. Reprinted with permission from the Journal of the National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees (NABTalk), Vol. 26, Issue 1 (Spring 2010). This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 29 KB] | |
February 2010 |
Individual Chapter 11s: Case Closing Reconsidered By Walter W. Theus, Jr., Trial Attorney, EOUST. Reprinted with permission from the ABI Journal, Vol. XXIX, No. 1, February 2010. This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 44 KB] | |
January/February/March 2010 |
Strong Partnership with NACTT Produces Many Successes in 2009 By Doreen Solomon, Assistant Director, Review and Oversight, EOUST. Reprinted with permission from the National Association of Chapter 13 Trustees (NACTT) Quarterly, January/February/March 2010. This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 44 KB] | |
Back To Top | |||
2009 | |||
November 2009 |
USTP’s Report on Criminal Referrals Highlights Criminal Enforcement Activity By Sandra R. Klein, Acting Chief, Criminal Enforcement Unit, EOUST, and Philip Crewson, Assistant Director, Research and Planning, EOUST. Reprinted with permission from the ABI Journal, Vol. XXVIII, No. 9, November 2009. This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 50 KB] | |
October 2009 |
U.S. Trustee Program Announces Free Telephonic Interpreter Services for Meetings of Creditors By Clifford J. White III, Director, EOUST, and Lisa A. Tracy, Deputy General Counsel, EOUST. Reprinted with permission from the ABI Journal, Vol. XXVIII, No. 8, October 2009. This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 40 KB] | |
Fall 2009 |
Uniform Trustee Final Reports are Revised to Accommodate Local Variations, Allow Flexibility By Doreen Solomon, Assistant Director, Review and Oversight, EOUST. Reprinted with permission from the Journal of the National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees (NABTalk), Vol. 25, Issue 3 (Fall 2009). This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 44 KB] | |
July/August 2009 |
USTP Initiative Combats Bankruptcy-Related Mortgage and Real Estate Fraud By Sandra R. Klein, Acting Chief, Criminal Enforcement Unit, EOUST. Reprinted with permission from the ABI Journal, Vol. XXVIII, No. 6, July/August 2009. This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 56 KB] | |
July/August/September 2009 |
Section 1308 and Tax Returns-the Standing Trustee’s Conduct of the Meeting of Creditors Takes on New Significance by Doreen Solomon, Assistant Director, Review and Oversight, EOUST, and Carrie Weinfeld, Trial Attorney, EOUST. Reprinted with permission from the National Association of Chapter 13 Trustees (NACTT) Quarterly, July/August/September 2009. This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 69 KB] | |
Summer 2009 |
Exemption Elasticity? The Ongoing Debate Over Unlimited or In-Kind Exemptions by Mark A. Redmiles, Principal Deputy Director, EOUST, and Carrie Weinfeld, Trial Attorney, Review and Oversight, EOUST. Reprinted with permission from the Journal of the National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees (NABTalk), Vol. 25, Issue 2 (Summer 2009). This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 35 KB] | |
June 2009 |
Does ‘Improvident’ Mean ‘Immutable’?The Standard of Review for Advisors’ Professional Fees By Diana G. Adams, U.S. Trustee for Region 2, and Roberta A. DeAngelis, Acting U.S. Trustee for Region 3. Reprinted with permission from the ABI Journal, Vol. XXVIII, No. 5, June 2009. This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 80 KB] | |
May 2009 |
Chapter 11 Filing Trends in History and Today By Ed Flynn, Operations Research Analyst, and Phil Crewson, Assistant Director, Research and Planning, EOUST. Reprinted with permission from the ABI Journal, Vol. XXVIII, No. 4, May 2009. This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 286 KB] | |
Spring 2009 |
Protecting Personally Identifiable Information: Your Responsibility as a Chapter 7 Trustee By Doreen Solomon, Assistant Director, Review and Oversight, EOUST. Reprinted with permission from the Journal of the National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees (NABTalk), Vol. 25, Issue 1 (Spring 2009). This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 50 KB] | |
April/May/June 2009 |
Chapter 13 Trustees Weigh Advantages and Disadvantages of Paying Debtors’ Ongoing Mortgages by Doreen Solomon, Assistant Director, and Martha Hallowell, Deputy Assistant Director, Review and Oversight, EOUST. Reprinted with permission from the National Association of Chapter 13 Trustees (NACTT) Quarterly. This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 53 KB] | |
February 2009 |
Implementation of the National Guard and Reservists Debt Relief Act of 2008 By Lisa A. Tracy, Deputy General Counsel, and David I. Gold, Trial Attorney, EOUST. Reprinted with permission from the ABI Journal, Vol. XXVIII, No. 1. This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 25 KB] | |
December/January 2009 |
The Top Five Myths About Debtor Audits By Lisa A. Tracy, Deputy General Counsel, and Thomas C. Kearns, Trial Attorney, EOUST. Reprinted with permission from the ABI Journal, Vol. XXVII, No. 10. This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 45 KB] | |
January/February/March 2009 |
Protecting Personally Identifiable Information: Your Responsibility as a Trustee by Doreen Solomon, Assistant Director, EOUST. Reprinted with permission from the National Association of Chapter 13 Trustees (NACTT) Quarterly. This Web-posted version may appear slightly different from the published article. |
[PDF - 51 KB] |