Legal Definitions - United States trustee

A United States trustee is a federal official appointed by the Attorney General to perform administrative tasks in the bankruptcy process. They appoint bankruptcy trustees in Chapter 7 and Chapter 11 cases. In bankruptcy cases, a trustee is a person appointed to administer the bankruptcy estate during the case.

• Corporate trustee: A bank or trust company that is empowered by its charter to act as a trustee.
• Testamentary trustee: A trustee appointed by or acting under a will to carry out a trust created by a will.
• Bankruptcy trustee: A person appointed by the U.S. Trustee or elected by creditors or appointed by a judge to administer the bankruptcy estate during a bankruptcy case.

These examples illustrate the different types of trustees that exist. A corporate trustee is a bank or trust company that acts as a trustee, while a testamentary trustee is appointed under a will. In bankruptcy cases, a trustee is appointed to administer the bankruptcy estate during the case.