Bankruptcy in America, in stark contrast to its status in most other countries, typically signifies not a debtor's last gasp but an opportunity to catch one's breath and recoup. Why has the nation's legal system evolved to allow both corporate and individual debtors greater control over their fate than imaginable elsewhere? Masterfully probing the political dynamics behind this question, David Skeel here provides the first complete account of the remarkable journey American bankruptcy law has taken from its beginnings in 1800, when Congress lifted the country's first bankruptcy code right out of English law, to the present day. Skeel shows that the confluence of three forces that emerged over many years--an organized creditor lobby, pro-debtor ideological currents, and an increasingly powerful bankruptcy bar--explains the distinctive contours of American bankruptcy law. Their interplay, he argues in clear, inviting prose, has seen efforts to legislate bankruptcy become a compelling battle royale between bankers and lawyers--one in which the bankers recently seem to have gained the upper hand. Skeel demonstrates, for example, that a fiercely divided bankruptcy commission and the 1994 Republican takeover of Congress have yielded the recent, ideologically charged battles over consumer bankruptcy. The uniqueness of American bankruptcy has often been noted, but it has never been explained. As different as twenty-first century America is from the horse-and-buggy era origins of our bankruptcy laws, Skeel shows that the same political factors continue to shape our unique response to financial distress.

Bankruptcy Litigation and Practice: A Practitionerand’s Guide, Fourth Edition serves as the comprehensive reference on bankruptcy litigation topics for legal practitioners in all specialties. For the generalist and commercial law practitioner it clarifies basic Bankruptcy Code issues and practical features of bankruptcy litigation including consumer bankruptcies, business and corporate reorganizations, liquidations and personal debt restructuring. For the bankruptcy professional, it serves as a sophisticated compendium of reliable forms, recent case law, and statutory amendments relating to all major bankruptcy topics including: Automatic stay Preferences Dischargeability Executory contracts The Chapter 11 confirmation process Appellate procedures Chapter 13 individual debt restructurings The rights and obligations of secured and unsecured creditors And much more! Only Bankruptcy Litigation and Practice: A Practitionerand’s Guide delivers instant access to: An exclusive collection of key bankruptcy litigation resource materials Practical insights into the bankruptcy court system A consolidated presentation and analysis of bankruptcy provisions common to all cases Reliable, practice-based coverage of Chapter 7, 11, 12, and 13 cases Bankruptcy Litigation and Practice: A Practitionerand’s Guide delivers broad coverage that keeps you completely current with the latest law in all key areas. Updated twice annually, this one-of-a-kind reference serves as the foundation of your bankruptcy library by providing: The starting point for researching the widest range of bankruptcy litigation issues A guide throughout all stages of bankruptcy litigation A consolidated resource and practical tool that combines case law and analysis as well as a valuable CD-ROM to help you navigate familiar and unfamiliar areas of bankruptcy litigation

This collection is the first comprehensive selection of readings focusing on corporate bankruptcy. Its main purpose is to explore the nature and efficiency of corporate reorganization using interdisciplinary approaches drawn from law, economics, business, and finance. Substantive areas covered include the role of credit, creditors' implicit bargains, nonbargaining features of bankruptcy, workouts of agreements, alternatives to bankruptcy, and proceedings in countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, and Japan. The Honorable Richard A. Posner, Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, offers a foreword to the collection.

Every step in the business bankruptcy litigation process is covered in Wolters Kluwer's Bankruptcy Litigation Manual, from the drafting of the first pleadings through the appellate process. By making the Bankruptcy Litigation Manual a part of your working library, you not only get detailed coverage of virtually all the topics and issues you must consider in any bankruptcy case, you also get field-tested answers to questions you confront every day, such as: How to stay continuing litigation against a corporate debtor's non-debtor officers? What are the limits on suing a bankruptcy trustee? Is the Deprizio Doctrine still alive? Does an individual debtor have an absolute right to convert a case from Chapter 7 to Chapter 13? What prohibitions exist on cross-collateralization in financing disputes? Are option contracts "executory" for bankruptcy purposes? When, and under what circumstances, may a bankruptcy court enjoin an administrative proceeding against a Chapter 11 debtor? What are the current standards for administrative priority claims? When must a creditor assert its setoff rights? When can a remand order issued by a district court be reviewed by a court of appeals? What are the limits on challenging pre-bankruptcy real property mortgage foreclosures as fraudulent transfers? Can an unsecured lender recover contract-based legal fees incurred in post- bankruptcy litigation on issues of bankruptcy law? Is there a uniform federal limitation on perfecting security interests that primes a longer applicable state law period, thus subjecting lenders to a preference attack? Do prior bankruptcy court orders bar a plaintiff's later state court suit and warrant removal of the action in federal court? Michael L. Cook, a partner at Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP in New York and former long-time Adjunct Professor at New York University School of Law, has gathered together some of the country's top bankruptcy litigators to contribute to Bankruptcy Litigation Manual. Contributing Authors: Jay Alix, Southfield, MI Neal Batson, Alston & Bird, LLP, Atlanta, GA Kenneth K. Bezozo, Haynes and Boone, New York, NY Susan Block-Lieb, Fordham University School of Law, Newark, NJ Peter W. Clapp, Valle Makoff, LLP, San Francisco, CA Dennis J. Connolly, Alston & Bird, LLP, Atlanta, GA David N. Crapo, Gibbons P.C., Newark, NJ Karen A. Giannelli, Gibbons P.C., Newark, NJ David M. Hillman, Schulte Roth & Zabel, LLP, New York, NY Alfred S. Lurey, Kilpatrick & Stockton, Atlanta, GA Gerald Munitz, Butler Rubin, Salterelli & Boyd, LLP, Chicago, IL Robert L. Ordin, Retired Bankruptcy Court Judge Stephen M. Pezanosky, Haynes and Boone, LLP, Partner and Chair of Bankruptcy Section, Fort Worth, TX Robin E. Phelan, Haynes and Boone, LLP Dallas, TX Daniel H. Squire, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, LLP, Washington, DC Michael L. Temin, Fox Rothschild, LLP, Philadelphia, PA Sheldon S. Toll, Law Office ofSheldon S. Toll, Southfield, MI Jason H. Watson, Alston & Bird, LLP, Atlanta, GA Kit Weitnauer, Alston & Bird, LLP, Atlanta, GA Written by Mr. Cook and nineteen other experts, Bankruptcy Litigation Manual provides authoritative, up-to-date information on virtually every aspect of the bankruptcy litigation process, from discovery through appeal.

If you're unsure which bankruptcy chapter is right for you, The New Bankruptcy can help. This guide explores all debt relief options, including determining whether you can resolve financial problems without bankruptcy and the pros and cons of Chapters 7 and 13 when a bankruptcy filing makes sense. For instance, you'll learn that Chapter 7 will do the following: eliminate credit card balances, utility bills, and more protect property needed to work and live, and provide debt relief without requiring you to repay creditors. Chapter 13 bankruptcy involves a three- or five-year payment plan that will allow you to: catch up on a house or car payment pay off an overdue tax or support balance, and pay an amount you can afford on other debts, such as credit cards and student loans. Also, this guide includes an online companion page with downloadable worksheets and easy-to-use charts, as well as a sample bankruptcy filing on the latest official legal forms.

Thoroughly up to date, Basic Bankruptcy Law for Paralegals Provides Students with the Necessary Theory and Practice Needed to Represent Debtors or Creditors The Sixth Abridged Edition of Basic Bankruptcy Law for Paralegals builds on previous editions and offers a concise integration of theory and practice as a basis for improved learning. It presents readable and succinct descriptions of the bankruptcy system, with an emphasis on the paralegal’s role at every stage of a bankruptcy proceeding. Like its parent text, the Abridged Edition is written and formatted for paralegal students who need a practical introduction to the code and rules of bankruptcy law. It focuses on the nuts and bolts of a Chapter 7 consumer bankruptcy case to provide paralegals with a general understanding of the bankruptcy process.? New to the Sixth Edition: Updated Official Bankruptcy Forms Cites to recent and noteworthy case opinions The most recent statutory adjustment of dollar exemption amounts (and other provisions) in the Bankruptcy Code Professors and students will benefit from: Straightforward writing that explains basic consumer bankruptcy in ordinary English A helpful overview of the bankruptcy code and rules A comprehensive introduction to client interview skills and the client interview process An integrated narrative fact pattern allowing students to learn the topic of each chapter interactively Step-by-step guidance through the paralegal’s role at every stage of the bankruptcy proceeding Simple instructions for completing and submitting documentation in a timely manner Content focused on consumer bankruptcy, primarily from the debtor’s perspective Means testing concepts covered in a dedicated chapter A useful tutorial on means testing procedure A downloadable forms manual on the publisher’s website A wealth of helpful teaching aids within the book, including: examples procedural checklists summaries of the law discussion questions learning objectives glossary of common bankruptcy terms