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2016-1 Compensation and Reimbursement of Professionals

(a)   Except as provided in Local Rule 3015-1(a)(14), every application for compensation or reimbursement of expenses filed by attorneys, accountants, trustees, examiners and other professionals shall be titled to indicate whether the application is the first, subsequent or final application.

(b)   Every application shall include:

(1)      the date of the order approving the applicant's employment;

(2)      any retainer the applicant received;

(3)      all fees and expenses the court previously approved, the dates of the prior orders approving fees and expenses, and whether any approved fees and expenses remain unpaid;

(4)      the amount of retainer that has been applied previously to payment of approved fees and expenses, and the balance of the original retainer;

(5)      a narrative of the services rendered and the time expended during the period covered by the fee application;

(6)      a detailed listing of all time spent by the applicant's professional and other personnel for which compensation is sought, including:

(i)       the date service was rendered;

(ii)      the tasks performed and other matters related to the service for which compensation is sought without compromising privileged information. Time entries describing services as "research," "telephone call," "court appearance," "conference with client" or "conference with attorneys," without more detail, are insufficient;

(iii)     the amount of time spent, accounted for in increments no less than tenths of an hour; and

(iv)    the title (e.g., partner, associate, paralegal) and billing rate of each person performing tasks.

(7)      a list of all expenses by category (e.g., long distance telephone, photocopy, messenger service) and a total of all expenses;

(8)      on an applicant's first application, a description of the professional education and experience of each of the individuals rendering services. The description may include identification of the professional school attended, year of graduation, year admitted to practice, and explanation of any specialized certification or expertise relating to the services the professional has been engaged to perform;

(9)      every application seeking compensation based on hourly rates shall contain a listing of the hourly rates charged by each professional for whose services the applicant is seeking payment;

(10)   the application shall contain a recapitulation of the time, by professional, for which the application seeks compensation and the total compensation sought;

(c)   Debtor's attorneys seeking compensation in chapter 13 cases that have not reached confirmation, or seeking compensation in excess of the prevailing “no look” fee, shall submit fee applications.

(1)   Detailed time records shall accompany all fee applications, whether the application is noticed for hearing or submitted ex parte. The time records shall include the date of the service rendered, a description of the service, the time spent on the service in tenths of an hour and the name of the professional and other personnel providing services.

(2)   Fee applications for services rendered after the “no look” fee period shall list the date and amount of all fees previously awarded and paid.