Blog

January 12, 2026

Most practitioners think about contingency fees in terms of risk allocation. No recovery, no fee. Simple. But that framing misses something critical: a contingency fee structure isn’t just a risk management tool—it’s a weapon that fundamentally changes the dynamics of preference litigation.

By William M. Noall, Esq. | January 5, 2026

I want to share something we’ve learned the hard way over the years—something that’s cost estates real money until we figured it out.

Most avoidance action review happens too late.

Not because trustees are negligent. Not because anyone’s dropping the ball. It happens because the conventional wisdom says to deal with Chapter 5 claims after the estate is largely administered. Handle the urgent stuff first—liquidate assets, resolve secured creditor disputes, manage the day-to-day—then circle back to preferences and fraudulent transfers.