Washington, D.C.
Office of Research and Planning
PRESS RELEASE
For
Immediate Release
May 22, 2002
U.S.
TRUSTEE SELECTS NEAL BATSON
AS EXAMINER IN ENRON CORP. BANKRUPTCY CASE
NEW
YORK, N.Y.-United States Trustee Carolyn Schwartz announced
today that she will seek court approval for the appointment
of Atlanta attorney Neal Batson as examiner in the Chapter
11 bankruptcy of Enron Corp.
The
examiner is authorized to investigate and report on transactions
involving Enron Corp. and related entities, including transactions
not reflected on Enron's balance sheets. This authority is
set out in the Bankruptcy Court's order of April 8, 2002,
which also directs the examiner to file an initial report
within 120 days after entry of the order approving his appointment.
"I
reviewed at least two dozen excellent candidates for this
post, taking particular care to select a candidate of stature,
independence, and expertise," Schwartz stated. "Mr. Batson
is recognized as one of the top bankruptcy practitioners in
the country, and is widely respected for his integrity as
well as his intellect. In addition, he and his firm have agreed
to detailed restrictions to avoid conflicting professional
relationships that sometimes arise in large and complex bankruptcy
cases."
Batson
is a partner in the national law firm Alston & Bird LLP.
In addition to serving as counsel for parties in major corporate
bankruptcy cases, Batson was the court-appointed examiner
in the Chapter 11 case of Southmark Corp., a real estate and
financial services conglomerate with stated assets of more
than $8.5 billion.
Batson
received his law degree in 1966 from Vanderbilt University
School of Law, where he was editor in chief of the law review
and a member of the honorary society Order of the Coif. He
received his Bachelor of Arts degree cum laude from Vanderbilt
University in 1963. He clerked for Judge Griffin B. Bell of
the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in 1966 and
1967.
Batson's
professional affiliations include: chairman of the American
College of Bankruptcy since 2001; member of the National Bankruptcy
Conference, a selective organization of top bankruptcy professionals;
fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers; former vice
chairman of the Business Bankruptcy Committee of the American
Bar Association's Section on Business Law; by appointment
of the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, member from
1993 to 1999 of the Advisory Committee on the Rules of Bankruptcy
Procedure of the Judicial Conference of the United States;
panel member of the American Arbitration Association; panel
member of the Register of Mediators for the U.S. Bankruptcy
Court for the Southern District of New York, and former president
of the Atlanta Bar Association.
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