Chapter 11 filings are on the rise as both households and businesses grapple with the state of the economy.

Christopher DiPompeo joined Willkie Farr & Gallagher as a partner and co-chair of the bankruptcy litigation practice in Washington, DC, the firm announced Tuesday.

A six-year-old federal program designed to help the smallest American businesses cut debt and get a fresh start has set a record for the number of cases filed, court data show.