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The Costs of Bankruptcy: Chapter 7 Liquidation versus Chapter 11 Reorganization
Author(s) -
BRIS ARTURO,
WELCH IVO,
ZHU NING
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
the journal of finance
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 18.151
H-Index - 299
eISSN - 1540-6261
pISSN - 0022-1082
DOI - 10.1111/j.1540-6261.2006.00872.x
Subject(s) - bankruptcy , creditor , sample (material) , business , economics , actuarial science , financial economics , accounting , debt , finance , chemistry , chromatography
Our paper explores a comprehensive sample of small and large corporate bankruptcies in Arizona and New York from 1995 to 2001. Bankruptcy costs are very heterogeneous and sensitive to the measurement method used. We find that Chapter 7 liquidations appear to be no faster or cheaper (in terms of direct expense) than Chapter 11 reorganizations. However, Chapter 11 seems to preserve assets better, thereby allowing creditors to recover relatively more. Our paper also provides a large number of further empirical regularities.