The
romance
between
Texas
bankruptcy
judge David
R.
Jones and
Biglaw
partner
Elizabeth
Freeman has
birthed
some
intense
controversy
that
remains
ongoing.
See,
Jones,
the
(now
former)
federal
bankruptcy
judge,
somehow
didn’t
recuse
himself
from
cases
involving
Freeman,
the
(now
former)
partner
at
Jackson
Walker.
As
a
result,
Jones resigned and
the
Department
of
Justice
sued Freeman’s
former
firm
to
try
to
disgorge
up
to
$23
million
in
fees
it
collected
in
the
33
cases
overseen
by
Jones
while
he
was
involved
with
Freeman
and
alleging
the
firm
breached
its
ethical
duties
by
not
disclosing
the
relationship. Jackson
Walker
insists
it
acted
properly
upon
learning
of
the
relationship.
Now
it
looks
like
that
case
is
headed
to
trial.
Jackson
Walker
and
the
US
Trustee’s
office
were
in
mediation
in
an
attempt
to
resolve
the
matter.
Yesterday,
July
15th
at
5
p.m.,
was
the
deadline
Judge
Alia
Moses
imposed
on
the
mediation
attempt.
But
the
parties
were
unable
to
reach
an
agreement.
As
reported
by
Bloomberg
Law,
the
mediation
lasted
a
month,
and
was
the
first
attempt
at
a
resolution
between
the
parties.
Retired
Boston
bankruptcy
judge
Joan
N.
Feeney
oversaw
the mediation, which
began
on
June
16.
The
firm
and
the
US
Trustee
agreed
to
enter
talks
after
a
tense
hearing
in
May
in
which
Moses
said
she’d lost
patience with
last-minute
court
filings.
Perhaps
it’s
not
surprising
the
case
couldn’t
be
resolved
out
of
court.
Since
the
scandal
broke
in
2023,
it’s
been
nothing
but
messy
allegations
and
revelations.
It
would
be
too
simple
if
the
biggest
fallout
from
the
scandal
settled
quietly.
Earlier: Biglaw
Firm
Gets
Hit
With
Lawsuit
Over
Partner’s
Romance
Former
Judge
Gets
Combative
When
Pressed
On
His
Romantic
Relationship
Who
Knew
What
When?
The
Latest
In
The
Judge/Partner
Romantic
Scandal
Rocking
The
Legal
World
You
Have
To
Read
The
Texts
Uncovered
In
The
Judge/
Biglaw
Partner
Romantic
Scandal
Federal
Judge
Slams
Biglaw
Firm,
Says
Firm
‘Defiled
The
Very
Temple
Of
Justice’
Biglaw
Firm
Still
Paying
The
Price
For
Former
Partner’s
Romantic
Scandal
Scandal-Ridden
Former
Federal
Judge
Seeks
To
Squash
Lawsuit
That
Started
It
All
The
Wild
Ethical
Lapse
That
Led
To
The
Resignation
Of
A
Top
Bankruptcy
Judge
Kathryn
Rubino
is
a
Senior
Editor
at
Above
the
Law,
host
of
The
Jabot
podcast,
and
co-host
of
Thinking
Like
A
Lawyer.
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so
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