The Delaware Docket - 1st Quarter 2016

David Bird to Retire

    David Bird, the long-time Clerk of the Delaware Bankruptcy Court, has announced his retirement effective August 31, 2016.  David arrived at the Court in 2000, after a career that had seen decades of public service in the Office of the United States Trustee (covering Colorado, Wyoming and Utah) and as Clerk of the Court for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida.

    David had his hands full from the moment he arrived here: the Court was struggling to manage a Chapter 11 docket that was so overwhelming that the Court had to resort to bringing in visiting judges from around the country to help handle the load.  Predictably, David got the administrative functions of the Court under control promptly, and methodically went about building a management team that is as experienced and accomplished as any staff in the country.

    In his nearly 17 years with the Court, David has seen us through many challenges and transitions.  The Court has grown from two judges to six, and we’ve weathered everything from mega-case filings to government shutdowns and budget sequestration.  Through it all, David has provided the Clerk’s office with steady leadership, and the occasional corny joke.

    David and his wife Patricia have ambitious plans for a long-overdue retirement filled with travel and time with family and friends in Delaware, Florida and Indiana.  Predictably, that’s not enough for David, and he expects to complete and defend his dissertation in the coming year or so to earn his Ph.D. in Public Administration!

    We in the Court thank David for his many years of service, and we extend our heartfelt best wishes to David and Patricia for a long, happy and healthy retirement.

Chief Judge Brendan Linehan Shannon

                        April 15, 2016

2016 District of Delaware Bench & Bar Conference

Registration is now open for the 2016 District of Delaware Bench & Bar Conference on May 19-20, 2016 at the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington, Delaware. The conference will feature nationally recognized speakers and federal bankruptcy, district, and circuit judges from Delaware and around the country, who will discuss cutting edge issues in bankruptcy, criminal, intellectual property law. 10 hours of CLE credit are available to all participants.

To register for the conference, please visit http://defba.org/2016debbregistration. You may reserve hotel rooms at the Westin Wilmington Riverfront at a discounted rate using the following link: https://www.starwoodmeeting.com/events/start.action?id=1604043285&key=1F5E88BA.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Steve Brauerman (sbrauerman@bayardlaw.com), Kelly Farnan (farnan@rlf.com), Andrew Mayo (amayo@ashby-geddes.com), or Rocky Kravetz (Robert.kravetz@usdoj.gov).

Motions to Redact

When filing a motion to redact, please use either Local Form 123 or 124.  You must also upload the same form using the Order Upload event.  Please view the electronic learning module titled Motion to Redact on the court's website for filing instructions.

Forms Updated

Please note that all bankruptcy forms were updated December 1, 2015.  There were additional updates made to specific forms on April 1, 2016.

Outdated forms will not be accepted and returned to the filer.

Updated forms are located on the US Court's website.

Clerk of Court Vacancy

The vacancy announcement can be located on the court's website.

Click here for more information.

Government Attorney Certification

Local Form 105A was added to the court's website 2/1/2016.  A motion for admittance pro hac vice is not required for Government counsel.  This local form, filed using the certification of counsel event, is required.

Please note that an attorney must have a CM/ECF account setup with our court in order to receive electronic notices