Truitt is a principal in the Santa Ana, CA-based consultancy's corporate restructuring unit. He specializes in recapitalizing financially distressed gaming and hospitality businesses. Truitt did not make himself available Monday afternoon for comment on the assignment.

US Bankruptcy Judge A. Jay Cristol in Miami in early October ordered both sides to court to show cause why he should not appoint an examiner to accelerate the sale of the 63-story, 3,800-room casino resort. The development was 70% complete when construction was halted this spring, shortly final-stage lenders decided not to provide the money they promised, an event that precipitated the developers' Ch. 11 bankruptcy filing and its related lawsuit.

Judge Cristol opted to go ahead with the appointment of an examiner after a hearing on Oct. 7 but delayed the appointment until late last week. Among other things, he said an examiner would remove any potential conflicts of interest and result in a quicker sale than the conversion of the case to a Ch. 7 liquidation, a motion for which had been filed by some lenders.