Opinion of the Court
award to a prevailing party other than the United States fees and other expenses … incurred by that party in any civil action (other than cases sounding in tort) … brought by or against the United States” under certain conditions. Ibid. As our decision in Commissioner v. Jean, 496 U. S. 154 (1990), reveals, there could be little dispute that this provision—which mentions “fees,” a “prevailing party,” and a “civil action”—is a “fee-shifting statut[e]” that trumps the American Rule, id., at 161.
B
Congress did not expressly depart from the American Rule to permit compensation for fee-defense litigation by professionals hired to assist trustees in bankruptcy proceedings. Section 327(a) authorizes the employment of such professionals, providing that a “trustee, with the court’s approval, may employ one or more attorneys, accountants, appraisers, auctioneers, or other professional persons, that do not hold or represent an interest adverse to the estate, and that are disinterested persons, to represent or assist [him] in carrying out [his] duties.” In other words, §327(a) professionals are hired to serve the administrator of the estate for the benefit of the estate.
Section 330(a)(1) in turn authorizes compensation for these professionals as follows:
“After notice to the parties in interest and the United States Trustee and a hearing, and subject to sections 326, 328, and 329, the court may award to a trustee, a consumer privacy ombudsman appointed under section 332, an examiner, an ombudsman appointed under section 333, or a professional person employed under section 327 or 1103—
“(A) reasonable compensation for actual, necessary services rendered by the trustee, examiner, ombudsman, professional person, or attorney and by any paraprofessional person employed by any such person; and
