Freeman also worked as a contract lawyer for Jackson Walker after leaving the firm. Jones and Jackson Walker signed off on the arrangement without disclosing the relationship, court papers show. Until then he was the busiest bankruptcy judge in the United States, overseeing the dissolution or restructuring of corporate titans ranging from Neiman Marcus to J.C. Penney. Bankruptcy judges often serve as mediators in complex cases that are being run by other judges. In the GWG bankruptcy, Jackson Walker on Nov. 30 asked the judge overseeing the case to appoint Jones as mediator.

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Persons: David Jones, Jones, Jackson Walker, Elizabeth Freeman, Freeman, Neiman Marcus, J.C, Tom Kirkendall, Jackson, Debtwire, Tehum, Bruce Markell, Tom Hals, Dietrich Knauth, Alexia Garamfalvi, Amy Stevens, Grant McCool Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Staff, McDermott International, Houston, GWG Holdings, Wall Street, U.S, Circuit, Appeals, U.S . Department of, Tehum Care Services, Corizon, U.S ., Thomson Locations: Houston , Texas, U.S, WILMINGTON , Delaware, Texas, Houston, United States, Penney, GWG, Wilmington , Delaware, New York