U.S. Trustee Seeks Reduction In Legal Fees In Dodgers Bankruptcy

The U.S. Trustee in the ongoing Dodgers bankruptcy case today filed an objection with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware seeking a reduction of $352,742 from the $1.66M in initial legal fees billed to the club. Two separate firms representing the Dodgers - Dewey & LeBoeuf LLC of Los Angeles and Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor of Delaware - made their initial billings based on their work in the first five weeks of the case. But the federal trustee today said some of their work on an interim financing bid from hedge fund Highbridge Principal Strategies LLC, particularly efforts to keep confidential fees to owner Frank McCourt associated with the bid, was "not necessary to the administration of these cases and not reasonably likely to benefit the [Dodgers'] estates." Judge Kevin Gross in July ruled against the Highbridge bid, and instead directed the Dodgers to negotiate with MLB on interim financing.