Amendments to procedures for certain determinations and decisions. Final rules

We are revising the procedures for how claimants who receive fully favorable revised determinations based on prehearing case reviews or fully favorable attorney advisor decisions may seek further review. We are also revising our procedure to provide that we will notify claimants who receive partially favorable determinations based on prehearing case reviews that an administrative law judge (ALJ) will still hold a hearing unless all parties to the hearing tell us in writing that we should dismiss the hearing request. These changes will simplify our administrative review process and free up scarce administrative resources that we can better use to reduce the hearings-level case backlog.     

Employment preservation vs. creditors’ repayment under bankruptcy law: The French dilemma?

The paper investigates the French dilemma associated with court administered resolution of corporate financial distress. In such a legal system, the courts seek a double objective: maintaining job positions through continuation, and determining the best outcome for the claimants. We discuss this dilemma empirically, using a unique sample of bankruptcy files on French SMEs. We address successively three critical questions. First, we highlight the determinants of the final bankruptcy outcome (continuation through reorganization or sale, or piecemeal liquidation): does continuation (the most employment-friendly outcome) depend on the firm's characteristics, and/or on the way the procedure is managed? Second, we study the determinants of the creditors’ recovery rates: do the courts play an active role in increasing recoveries? Third, we address the dilemma directly by focusing on sales as a going concern. We model the court administered selection process between rival buyout offers: do the courts balance the social content against the financial content of each offer? Is there an explicit arbitrage between employment preservation and creditor recoveries? Our main results are: (1) the French courts actively work to facilitate continuation against liquidation, and thus play a role in employment preservation. Besides, we find continuation is more likely to prevail when default is an outcome of specific difficulties (outlets, finance, and production). (2) We confirm the Radulovic (2008) findings: the global recovery rate mainly depends on the firm's ex ante characteristics at the time of triggering, while the way the procedure is managed by the court has little impact. Similarly to LoPucki and Doherty (2007), continuation via reorganization does not generate lower recovery rates on average than the other outcomes. (3) Last, the courts’ choice between rival buyout offers confirms that social considerations prevail in the arbitration. Yet, the courts still consider financial issues as well (a higher sale price increases the chances that an offer is selected), but without clear connection with the amount of due claims (one direct consequence is a moderate recovery rate on sales).     

破产实体要件的审理程序研究

我国现行《破产法》并未明确将破产原因等破产实体要件作为当事人争议和法院审理的对象为其设定正式的审理程序。司法实践中,不少法院是把实体要件和形式要件都放在破产受理这一程序中进行审查的,这样做虽可在一定程度上消除人们对程序启动及案件受理效力等方面有关程序正当性的怀疑,但毕竟受理程序并非正式的审理程序,其程序空间较为狭小,难以承受审理破产实体要件的沉重任务。从增加整个破产程序运行的正当性和保障当事人的程序权利出发,新《破产法》有必要为破产实体要件设立较为正式的审理程序。     

Revisions to rules of conduct and standards of responsibility for representatives. Final rules

We are revising our rules of conduct and standards of responsibility for representatives. These revisions further clarify our expectations regarding representatives' obligations to competently represent their clients and constitute official notice concerning our requirements and procedures. We are also updating other rules about the representation of parties. These changes are necessary because our current regulations are insufficient to address some representative conduct that is inappropriate, but has technically fallen outside the scope of our regulations. These changes will allow us to better protect the integrity of our administrative process, ensure that claimants receive competent and effective representation, and further clarify representatives' responsibilities in their dealings with us and with claimants.     

Limiting Liability for Automobile Accidents: Are No-Fault Tort Thresholds Effective?

"No-fault" automobile insurance plans are designed to supplant the tort system by requiring motorists to purchase no-fault insurance and allowing victims to file liability insurance claims and tort suits only if their injuries exceed a legislated "tort threshold." While thresholds vary among states, many are satisfied if the victim incurs medical expenses as low as a few hundred dollars. Using insurance claims data, we estimate the effectiveness of several states' thresholds. We find that tort thresholds are surprisingly effective: modest tort thresholds reduce the number of successful tort claimants by half, and the strictest thresholds may exclude nine-tenths of potential claimants. Moreover, we find little evidence of claimants "padding" their claims to exceed the dollar thresholds.     

商合伙破产程序与实体问题研究

正在修订中的我国新《破产法》将赋予商合伙破产能力,其原因在于对破产性质的正确认识,对商合伙民事主体资格、民事诉讼资格的肯认;商合伙破产原因应引入"停止支付"概念,并严格区分合伙与合伙人、合伙财产与合伙人财产;为落实合伙人对合伙债务的无限责任,合伙破产可能导致合伙人连带破产,但应允许合伙人在提供财产以清偿合伙债务后免除连带破产,并应尊重合伙人是否继续保持合伙的意愿;在合伙破产案件受理后应对合伙人财产采取一定破产保全措施,并应确立破产程序中平等保护合伙人债权人的制度与原则。     

试析应收账款受让人与破产管理人的权利冲突

保理中的应收账款转让属于一般债权让与。在供应商破产的情况下,保理商对应收账款的权利与破产管理人的权利发生冲突。美国破产法和《统一商法典》对应收账款转让的调整值得我国破产法借鉴。根据我国破产法的规定,应收账款一般不应作为破产财团,破产管理人不应享有对保理合同的撤销权,保理合同应当继续履行。对该等权利清偿顺序的确定需要建立应收账款转让的适当公示程序,并应当进一步完善破产法中的相关规定,建立一般与例外以及对例外进行限定的完整制度。     

Protecting the public and our employees in our hearing process. Final rule

We are clarifying our regulations to ensure the safety of the public and our employees in our hearing process. Due to increasing reports of threats to our hearing office employees, we are taking steps to explicitly increase the level of protection we provide to our staff and to the public during the hearing process. We expect these changes to result in a safer work environment for our employees, while at the same time ensuring that our claimants continue to receive a full and fair hearing on their claims for benefits.     

略论新破产法起草的几个目标

新破产法是我国市场经济立法的一个重要组成部分 ,在进一步完善新破产法草案时 ,应当着重考虑破产法在推动国有企业改革、加强金融保障、维护社会稳定等方面的重要作用     

The influence of bankruptcy law on equity value of financially distressed firms: A European comparative analysis

The reaction of stock prices to bankruptcy filing has been frequently analysed in the financial literature. In this paper we adopt a different approach to that of traditional study, and endeavour to determine whether the reaction of markets is conditioned by the orientation of bankruptcy law. Our results lead us to conclude that it is actually the type of bankruptcy law that conditions the valuation of firm's stocks. We have also found that the drop in share value is greater in creditor-oriented systems, while the negative returns are lower in debtor-oriented systems.     

论我国个人破产法律制度的构建

我国目前正在着手修改的《合伙企业法》,拟增加关于“有限合伙”的内容。在有限合伙相应的破产环节上各国一般均通过个人破产制度予以调整和化解。加之我国家庭整体负债率高,居民个人消费和社会的整体经济形式存在失衡,个人破产立法势在必行。目前我国消费信用体系正在建设之中且已初具规模,中国实施个人破产已初步具备条件。但是个人破产是一把双刃剑,应当设置较高的申请破产的门槛和合理的财产扣押范围,建立符合中国实际的债务清偿计划制度和破产免责制度,并实行人格破产和限制消费制度,同时应避免金融机构为获取贷款利润滥发信用卡,鼓动消费者过分超前消费。     

AN ANALYSIS OF CHANGES IN THE USE OF CHAPTER 13 SINCE THE ENACTMENT OF THE BANKRUPTCY REFORM ACT OF 1978

The premises of the bill with respect to consumer bankruptcy are that use of the bankruptcy law should be a last resort; that if it is used, debtors should attempt repayment under Chapter 13, Adjustments of Debts of an Individual with Regular Income, and finally, whether the debtor used Chapter 7, Liquidation, or Chapter 13 … bankruptcy should be effective, and should provide the debtor with a fresh start.¹     

破产别除权理论与实务研究

别除权是破产程序中一项重要的优先受偿权利,其优先权的行使不受破产清算与和解程序的限制。根据新破产法的规定,别除权之债权属于破产债权,其担保物属于破产财产。别除权的基础权利是担保物权及特别优先权,定金担保债权和一般优先权不享有别除权。同一担保物上存在两个以上的担保性质相同或不同的别除权时,应依据相关法律规定确定各项别除权间的清偿顺序,以保证破产程序的公平、顺利进行。别除权人享有破产申请权,也应当申报债权,未依法申报债权者不得依照破产法规定的程序行使权利。别除权人是债权人会议的成员,未放弃优先受偿权者也有表决权,但对债权人会议与其无利害关系的特定决议事项无表决权。新破产法对债权人会议表决标准的规定仍有需完善之处。     

Does a Reorganization Law Improve the Efficiency of the Insolvency Law? The Finnish Experience

This paper provides empirical evidence on issues related to the role of reorganizations. The results show that creditors receive a better payoff in a reorganization than in a going concern sale in liquidation bankruptcy. The study finds support for one explanation, namely that the direct costs of a reorganization are lower than the costs of liquidation bankruptcy. However, direct costs can explain only a part of the reorganization surplus, since the reorganization surplus is much higher than the difference in direct costs.     

论我国商业银行的破产及其法律对策

商业银行是市场主体,和其他市场主体一样在激烈的市场竞争中,风险和收益并存,经营管理不善导致破产将不可避免。然而我国商业银行破产的法律制度的不完善,使我国商业银行破产缺乏可操作性,所以应从建立破产预防、存款保险、信息披露制度和完善域外破产制度的效力及健全破产责任等方面构建我国的商业银行破产法律制度。     

论破产优先权

破产优先权有其存在的现实基础和立法价值,各国破产立法均予以规定。在我国破产法上,要解决好破产优先权与担保物权的立法协调,把当前最需要保护的工资债权限制性地上升到有担保物权之前受偿。要依法保护优先权并进行合理的限制,建议将人身伤害债权上升到优先权的地位,同时应取消税收优先权。     

Voting rules in insolvency law: a simple-game theoretic approach

A chief characteristic of modern insolvency law in Canada, Germany, the UK, and the US is the provision for ‘workouts’ or ‘schemes of arrangement’ by which insolvent companies can attempt to rehabilitate the business. If reorganization is chosen, the debtor has to devise a plan of action which will be voted upon by claimants. The voting rules, however, differ in each jurisdiction to a greater or lesser extent and as yet have not been analyzed in any rigorous manner. This paper provides an approach based upon the theory of simple games to analyze the rules in terms of the ease which each of these regimes can pass (or hinder) plans and how these rules distribute value among claimants. We pay particular attention to the role of classification and the effect of coalition formation.     

雾里看花:自然人破产之争

是否规定自然人破产,是破产立法过程中争论的一个焦点问题.支持论的各种观点缺乏社会性关注,带有很大程度的臆断性;批判论的分析思路值得肯定但缺乏充分性.自然人具有破产能力属于一个自然法则,但这并不意味着我国现阶段有必要选择自然人制度.是否引进,是一个社会政策性的而不是一个法律技术性的问题.就目前社会经济文化法制条件看,我国还不适宜规定自然人破产特别是消费者破产制度.     

人身侵权之债债权人在破产清偿中的优先权分析

在破产案件,特别是由大规模侵权引发的破产案件之中,人身侵权之债的债权人是否享有优先权是一个非常重要又颇具争议的问题。从优先权的价值取向、人身侵权之债的特殊性以及社会现实的需求等方面综合分析,人身侵权之债在破产中理应具有一定的优先性。从各国的司法实践来看,许多国家都对破产中的人身侵权之债给予了特殊保护,而且有越来越多的国家开始重视人身侵权之债的优先保护问题。     

Protection for Whom? Creditor Conflict and Bankruptcy

In the absence of a bankruptcy law, private debt collectionremedies generally result in an ad hoc disposal of the debtor'sassets, which reduces the aggregate value of creditors' claims.We show that creditors will often choose not to write privatecontracts that would prevent this inefficient behavior, eventhough these contracts would be to the mutual benefit of allcreditors. Our analysis therefore provides an economic rationalefor the existence of a bankruptcy law that makes a collectiveresolution compulsory for all creditors. We argue that sucha mandate is a requisite part of any effective bankruptcy system,including proposals for market-based resolutions of insolvency.