Seadrill Partners Seeks Approval of Jackson Walker Bankruptcy Settlement

Seadrill Partners and Seadrill Limited — the offshore drilling rig operators whose bankruptcy proceedings are among the 33 cases where the U.S. Trustee’s Office is trying to claw back millions in fees awarded to Jackson Walker — asked the court on Friday to approve its $485,000 settlement with the Dallas-based law firm. 

The U.S. Trustee, referred to as the watchdog of the bankruptcy system, is targeting cases where David Jones, a former bankruptcy judge, served as judge or mediator. Jones resigned the bench after a secret relationship with a former Jackson Walker bankruptcy partner, Elizabeth Freeman, was publicly reported. Freeman, who practiced at Jackson Walker while many of the 33 cases were being decided, left the firm before news of the relationship broke.