*** NOTICE: All hearings before Judge Grossman in January, February and March 2025 will be telephonic. Judge Grossman will not conduct any in person hearings during that time. The same procedures for telephonic hearings, set forth below, will apply except that permission to appear telephonically will not be required during that time period. All notices of motion should reflect that the hearing will be conducted telephonically. In- person hearings will resume in April 2025. ***

EFFECTIVE JULY 10, 2023: Judge Grossman is adopting the following procedures in all matters. [AMENDED May 23, 2023]

1. Unopposed motions. Unopposed motions, including motions to dismiss filed by the chapter 13 trustee, may be granted by the Court without the need for an appearance provided that the moving party files with the Court a Certificate of No Objection and proposed order. Following receipt of the Certificate of No Objection, the Court may enter an order granting the motion without further notice or hearing. In the event the Court determines a hearing is necessary, the Court will schedule a hearing which will be in person unless otherwise stated. A form of Certificate of No Objection can be found on the Court’s website under Judge Grossman’s tab, “Form Orders.”

If, by 12pm on the business day prior to the scheduled hearing date, the Court has neither granted an adjournment request, nor received a Certificate of No Objection, the Court will hold an in-person hearing as scheduled.

2. In-person hearings:

Commencing July 10, 2023, Judge Grossman will be conducting all hearings in person with the exception of the chapter 13 confirmation calendar which will be conducted telephonically.

For all in-person hearings a party, other than the moving party, may appear by phone if they request permission from the courtroom deputy by email at reg_hearings@nyeb.uscourts.gov at least 48 hours prior to the hearing. If you do not obtain permission to appear telephonically at least 48 hours prior to the hearing, you will be required to appear in person.

The moving party may not appear by phone.

All attorneys and unrepresented parties are required to register for in-person appearances and telephonic appearances at least two (2) business days in advance of the scheduled hearing using the Court’s eCourt Appearances platform described in paragraph 4, below. Parties appearing in person shall follow the separate procedures in the “In person hearings and trials” section.

3. Chapter 13 confirmation calendars:

Chapter 13 confirmation calendars, which include hearings and objections to Chapter 13 plans, motions to approve modifications to Chapter 13 plans and motions to dismiss Chapter 13 cases, will be conducted telephonically. All attorneys and unrepresented parties are required to register for hearing(s) at least two (2) business days in advance of the scheduled hearing by using the Court’s eCourt Appearances platform described in paragraph 4 below.

4. eCourt Appearances:

All attorneys and unrepresented parties appearing both in person and telephonically must register with eCourt Appearances at least two (2) business days in advance of the scheduled hearing at: https://ecf.nyeb.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/nyebAppearances.pl. For more information on eCourt Appearances, including a tutorial on how to use the program, please click here.

If for some reason you are not able to use the eCourt Appearances platform you must email the Courtroom Deputy at: reg_hearings@nyeb.uscourts.gov at least two (2) business days prior to the hearing and state that a reasonable effort to use the platform has been made. You must include your name, the case number(s), who you represent if you are an attorney, and the date of the hearing. Your email must include in the Re: line “I am not able to register using eCourt Appearances.” You will then be provided with the dial in/log in information. If you do not have internet access you may call the courtroom deputy with this information.

5. Conduct when appearing by telephone:

• Announce your name each time before speaking.
• Speak up and enunciate so that you can be heard and understood.
• Avoid the use of a speaker phone.
• Use a landline, if possible.
• If you are not speaking keep your phone muted.

6. Failure to appear:

If a party does not timely call and connect for a telephonic appearance, or appear in time for an in-person hearing, the hearing may proceed in their absence.  If the movant does not appear, the matter may be denied for failure to appear.

7. Applications by chapter 7 trustees to retain counsel:

In all chapter 7 cases assigned to Judge Grossman, motions shall be required for all applications by chapter 7 trustees to retain counsel, except for retention of personal injury counsel. The chapter 7 trustee shall serve the application on the office of the United States Trustee and the debtor, provide for 14 days’ notice, and obtain a hearing date via the Court’s website.

*Additional procedures for Judge Grossman may be found by clicking the Judges' Procedures tab.

* Please review Judges' Procedures before contacting chambers.

Mailing address:

Hon. Robert E. Grossman
United States Bankruptcy Court
Eastern District of New York
Alfonse M. D'Amato Federal Courthouse
290 Federal Plaza
Central Islip, New York 11722