U.S. Trustee: At Least 26 Bankruptcy Cases Tainted Due to Judge Jones, Ex-Jackson Walker Partner Relationship

The U.S. trustee filed noticed Friday that he believes that at least 26 corporate bankruptcy cases — and possibly as many as 30 — in the Southern District of Texas are tainted and that $13 million in legal fees awarded to Jackson Walker should be revisited or declared invalid because of the undisclosed romantic relationship between U.S. Bankruptcy Judge David Jones and former Jackson Walker law partner Elizabeth Freeman.

The U.S. trustee, Kevin Epstein, filed multiple documents in multiple cases Friday in the bankruptcy matter of San Antonio-based hand sanitizer maker 4E Brands asking that all pending fee payments to Jackson Walker and Freeman be halted and instead should be reviewed by a federal judge in a separate jurisdiction — U.S. Chief Judge Alia Moses of the Western District of Texas.