Publications

March 2009
Background Note

Note on the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 (BAPCPA)

By: Stuart C. Gilson

In 2005, new legislation was passed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by the President that introduced a number of major amendments to U.S. bankruptcy law, affecting both business and consumer bankruptcies. This legislation, called the Bankruptcy Abuse... View Details

Keywords: Government Legislation; Restructuring; Personal Finance; Laws and Statutes; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Corporate Finance

03 Oct 2011
News

Kodak's Patent Portfolio, Bankruptcy

March 2008
Supplement

Adelphia Communications Corp.'s Bankruptcy (CW)

By: Stuart C. Gilson and Belen Villalonga

Keywords: Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Communication; Communications Industry

03 Oct 2011
News

Kodak's Patent Portfolio, Bankruptcy

Article

Asset Allocation in Bankruptcy

By: S. Bernstein, E. Colonnelli and B. Iverson

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The use of M&A in bankruptcy has increased dramatically in recent years, leading to concerns that the Chapter 11 process has shifted toward excessive liquidation of viable firms. In this paper, we argue that the rise of M&A has blurred traditional... View Details

2024
Working Paper

The Real Effects of Bankruptcy Forum Shopping

By: Samuel Antill and Aymeric Bellon

Many non-Delaware firms strategically file for bankruptcy in Delaware. Should this "forum shopping" be allowed? This question has motivated six congressional bill proposals over decades of policy debate. Using a novel natural experiment and Census-Bureau microdata, we... View Details

Keywords: Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Government Legislation; Policy; Geographic Location; Delaware

SSRN

2023
Working Paper

Life After Death: A Field Experiment with Small Businesses on Information Frictions, Stigma, and Bankruptcy

By: Shai Benjamin Bernstein, Emanuele Colonnelli, Mitchell Hoffman and Benjamin Iverson

In a randomized control trial (RCT) with U.S. small businesses, we document that a large share of firms are not well-informed about bankruptcy. Many assume that bankruptcy necessarily entails the death of a business and do not know about Chapter 11 bankruptcy, where... View Details

Keywords: Small Business; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Knowledge Dissemination; Outcome or Result

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September 1997 (Revised June 1999)
Teaching Note

Bankruptcy and Restructuring at Marvel Entertainment Group, Teaching Note

By: Benjamin C. Esty

Teaching Note for (9-298-059). View Details

Keywords: Publishing Industry

December 2023 (Revised April 2025)
Case

Yellow Corporation: On the Verge of Bankruptcy

By: Benjamin C. Esty and Edward A. Meyer

Yellow Corporation, one of the country’s oldest and largest less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers, was nearing its 100th anniversary in 2024. Whether it would reach that milestone, however, was uncertain as the company was attempting to restructure its operations to... View Details

Keywords: Labor Unions; Labor and Management Relations; Capital Structure; Restructuring; Financial Management; Ethics; Borrowing and Debt; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Financial Strategy; Truck Transportation; Change Management; Transportation Industry; Shipping Industry; United States

December 2008 (Revised February 2010)
Teaching Note

Amazon.com: The Brink of Bankruptcy (TN)

By: Lynda M. Applegate

Teaching Note for [809014]. View Details

Keywords: Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Consumer Products Industry

March 2009 (Revised May 2009)
Teaching Note

Adelphia Communications Corp.'s Bankruptcy (TN)

By: Stuart C. Gilson and Belen Villalonga

Teaching Note for [208071]. View Details

Keywords: Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Communications Industry

July 2019
Article

Optimal Capital Structure and Bankruptcy Choice: Dynamic Bargaining vs Liquidation

By: Samuel Antill and Steven R. Grenadier

We model a firm’s optimal capital structure decision in a framework in which it may later choose to enter either Chapter 11 reorganization or Chapter 7 liquidation. Creditors anticipate equityholders’ ex-post reorganization incentives and price them into the ex-ante... View Details

Keywords: Default; Dynamic Bargaining; Capital Structure; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Mathematical Methods

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26 Jan 2012
News

The Human Cost of Kodak's Bankruptcy

March 2016 (Revised October 2023)
Case

Central European Distribution Corporation: Hostile Takeover, Bankruptcy Makeover

By: Stuart C. Gilson and Sarah L. Abbott

In early 2013, Central European Distribution Corporation (CEDC), a large publicly traded producer and distributer of vodka and spirits in Eastern and Central Europe, has suffered significant declines in its financial performance, is at risk of defaulting on its debt,... View Details

Keywords: Hostile Takeover; Accounting Restatement; Activist Shareholder; Restructuring; Mergers and Acquisitions; Financial Statements; Corporate Governance; Investment Activism; Food and Beverage Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; United States; Russia; Europe

December 2015
Supplement

Bankruptcy in the City of Detroit

By: Stuart C. Gilson and Kristin Mugford

20 Jul 2021
Research & Ideas

Bankruptcy Spells Death for Too Many Businesses

Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection is supposed to allow companies to shed debt and get a fresh start. Ideally, creditors recover most of what they’re owed as the restructured firm begins turning a profit. Yet,... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne

October 1991 (Revised January 1992)
Background Note

Note on Bankruptcy in the United States

By: Timothy A. Luehrman

An introduction to, and summary of the laws, rules, and procedures established in the United States for settling the claims of creditors on a bankrupt company. Covers both Chapter 7 liquidations and Chapter 11 reorganizations. View Details

Keywords: Insolvency and Bankruptcy; United States