Theoretical foundation for a debtor friendly bankruptcy law in favour of creditors

Although many works support creditor friendly bankruptcy laws, an evolution towards debtor friendly systems is at work. This paper proposes a theoretical ground to meet this paradox. It reconsiders the economic role of bankruptcy law by stressing on the courts’ production of information. It reveals that the transmission of a lenient signal by judges makes it possible to reduce the hazard that bad risks seek to avoid going on trial. Thus, it shows that debtor friendly bankruptcy laws are not systematically opposed to creditors’ interests. They reduce the risk of the economy and contribute to the improvement of the global efficiency.      

Costs and recovery rates in the Dutch liquidation-based bankruptcy system

We present evidence on the efficiency of the resolution of financial distress in bankruptcy in The Netherlands. Direct costs average 16%, firm recovery 37% and bank debt recovery 80%. The direct costs are lower in larger firms and in firms with more bank debt. Costs increase with the time it takes to sell assets. Firm recovery is influenced by asset structure, capital structure and to a lesser extent Dutch legal variables. However, the opportunity to continue operations in bankruptcy is chosen by about half the firms and this has a positive effect on recoveries.

对新破产法实施状态下的职工权益保护

新破产法否定了既往我国破产实践中广泛存在的，将破产国有企业劳动债权优先于担保债权清偿的政策性做法，而规定劳动债权作为一般债权受偿。此一规定的改变，理顺了一般劳动债权与担保债权的关系，符合一般法治理念，但也给政府的破产企业职工劳动者权益保护政策带来挑战。政府应未雨绸缪，采取多种措施保护企业劳动者权益。     

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.     

Ex post efficiency of bankruptcy procedures: A general normative framework

In this paper, we consider the case of a distressed firm whose financial commitments have to be renegotiated with stakeholders (banks, trade creditors …). At default time, rival projects (continuation, piecemeal liquidation, liquidation as a going concern …) may be undertaken. In such a case, the most frequent way of making collective choices is to vote. Our attention focuses on the risk of not choosing the best project because of free riders: personal interests may block the issue in favor of the project associated to the highest value of the firm.At first, we consider a law-enforced procedure under which financial deviations from the absolute priority order (APO) are possible: each individual gain is slightly modified in order to obtain a non-strict majority in favor of the best project. This legal intervention can be implemented and considered as “optimal” if it respects four criteria: economic efficiency, financial neutrality, legal tolerability and democratic desirability. Under these conditions, any law-driven renegotiation process must defines financial transfers that underweight (respectively overweight) the sub-optimal gains (respectively losses) of the most influent voter. Moreover, the proportion of financial transfers granted to each stakeholder exactly reflects their relative influence power: in other words, financial deviations from APO can be interpreted as the price that any stakeholder has to pay (respectively receive) because of his marginal negative (respectively positive) impact on the collective decision. Then, these results serve as a guide to comment ex post efficiency of various bankruptcy procedures (US, French, English and German). Our approach may be interpreted as a first step in the design of an economically efficient procedure that should deal with both ex ante and ex post efficiencies.     

破产法的程序结构与利益平衡机制

我国2006年破产法因在程序设计中采取了“一个大门,三个小门”的设计思路,因而,破产法必然含有破产清算程序、和解程序与重整程序共同适用的部分,也含有各自的特别规定。“三种程序”的共用部分,包括:申请程序;公告与通知程序;管理人及其职责;破产债权;破产债权的申报;债务人的财产;破产费用与共益债务;取回权、抵销权、撤销权;法律责任等。而特别部分包括各种程序的启动主体、启动后的效力、程序之间的转换等。除此以外,因破产法是对债务人财产的一次性概括处理,因此,各种利害关系人的利益冲突在破产法上尤为突出,主要表现在:债权人与债务人之间的利益冲突、债权人与出资人之间的利益冲突、债权人与债权人之间的利益冲突、有担保债权人与无担保债权人之间的利益冲突、申报债权的债权人与未申报债权的债权人利益冲突、共益债权人与一般债权人之间的利益冲突、管理人与债权人之间的利益冲突、职工利益与其他利害关系人利益的冲突等,破产法对于这些利益冲突进行了平衡性制度安排。但在对这些冲突进行了平衡性制度安排的背后,却存在着有争议的价值判断。     

When it pays to be honest: How a variable period of good conduct can improve incentives in personal bankruptcy proceedings

Consumer bankruptcy regulation in the United States as well as in many other countries allow consumers to petition for a partial debt discharge. Usually, a debt release is possible when the debtor behaves in the creditors’ best interest and after filing for bankruptcy signs over her entire disposable income for a fixed period. Depending on the country the period lasts between three and six years. We show that a fixed period distorts the consumer’s ex-post incentives to work hard. Instead, we suggest to adequately reduce the outstanding claim and to make debt release contingent on payment. When the consumer manages to pay back the reduced amount, the rest of the initial debt should be discharged immediately. In effect, the consumer becomes the residual claimant of her endeavors. The period of good conduct is effectively variable. JEL classification D18. D91. K29     

破产法立法若干重大问题的国际比较

中国新破产法的起草正处于一个关键的时期。在破产法起草中存在一些关键的、重大的、有争议的问题,这些问题主要可以归纳为以下九方面:为什么要制定破产法、破产法的立法结构、适用范围、破产原因、破产管理人制度、企业重整制度、破产财产清偿顺序、金融机构等特殊主体破产以及跨境破产等。就这些内容对美国、英国、澳大利亚、德国、法国、日本、俄罗斯等国的破产法律制度以及中国目前的新破产法草案进行比较研究,可以对中国新破产法的制定提供借鉴。     

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.     

我国企业再生程序的制度分析和适用

我国企业破产法实现了对破产程序制度的重大改革,将现行的企业清算主导型破产程序转变为企业再生主导型破产程序,规定了重整程序、和解程序和清算程序。其中有关重整程序与和解程序的规定,即为企业再生程序之规定。企业再生程序的制度设计在我国企业破产法上不仅涉及破产程序理念的提升,而且涉及制度基础的完善。     

中外合营有限责任公司控制股东地位之形成及非控制股东权利之保护

中外合营有限公司的股东一般清楚地分为两派 :中方和外方 ,这和一般的公司股东各自代表自己的利益而有所不同 ,在中方和外方两派股东的权利冲突中 ,控制股东就可以利用自己的优势地位来获取特别的利益 ,通过法律制度建设和公司自治来保障非控制股东之权利应属必要。     

中国股份公司法定代表人制度的存废

中国股份公司法定代表人制度在世界范围内很独特。从起源和定型过程上考察,可以发现它和中国传统的国有经济制度有密切的联系。依据对其中几个具体理论问题的分析以及对该制度目前运行实际效果的判断,笔者认为它已经不适应中国股份公司当前的发展和对现代化公司治理的要求,应予废除。基于以上结论,并借鉴德国对股份公司代表人制度的规定,笔者提出了对中国《公司法》相应内容的修改建议。     

浅析劳动合同中的竞业禁止条款

在当今知识经济时代,拥有特殊知识、技能的雇员与拥有物质资本的雇主已成为企业运营的核心,缺一不可,雇主为保护其具有现在与未来潜在利益的商业秘密被泄漏或离职雇员的恶意竞争,要求与雇员签订竞业禁止条款的做法无可厚非,由于竞业禁止条款的签订会影响雇员的自主择业权,因此必须仔细斟酌其内容。为了保障竞业禁止条款的实现,应该双管齐下,通过积极提升雇员自我实现的理想与消极实行违约赔偿机制来达到雇主与雇员双赢的目的。     

网络时代的资本市场及监管法制之重塑

互联网技术正日益渗透于资本市场各个环节,并深刻影响着资本市场的结构和运行模式。网络技术与资本市场的高度融合预示着一个资本市场网络时代的到来,这需要我们重新审视已有的监管理念和监管规则,以更加从容的心态加以应对,改变以简单控制为主的监管思路和监管策略,采取积极引导、强化监管的指导思想,在发挥技术革新优势和有效监管之间积极地寻求平衡,以推动我国资本市场的成功转型。     

The Use of Religion in Death Penalty Sentencing Trials

Both prosecutors and defense attorneys have presented religious appeals and testimony about a defendant's religious activities in order to influence capital jurors' sentencing. Courts that have objected to this use of religion fear that religion will improperly influence jurors' decisions and interfere with their ability to weigh aggravators and mitigators. This study investigated the effects of both prosecution and defense appeals. Prosecution appeals did not affect verdict decisions; however, use of religion by the defense affected both verdicts and the weighing of aggravators and mitigators. These results could be due to differences in perceived sincerity and remorse that are conveyed in the various appeals.     

No derivative shareholder suits in Europe: A model of percentage limits and collusion

We address one of the cardinal puzzles of European corporate law: the lack of derivate shareholder suits. We explain this phenomenon on the basis of percentage limits which require shareholders to hold a minimum amount of shares in order to bring a lawsuit. We show that, under this legal regime, managers will collude with large shareholders by means of settlements or bribes that impose a negative externality on small shareholders. Contrary to conventional agency models, we find that large shareholders do not monitor the management; as a consequence, there is no free riding opportunity for small shareholders.     

国有破产企业财产的租赁与职工权利的法律保障--从一则破产案件涉及的有关问题进行分析

随着我国市场经济的深入发展和国有企业改革向纵深发展 ,国有企业破产案件日益增多 ,切实加强国有企业的改革 ,规范国有企业破产行为 ,保护国有资产和职工利益以及债权人权益显得十分重要。从一则国有企业宣告破产案件出发 ,探讨了破产财产的租赁、职工权益保护问题 ,提出了完善相关法律法规的建议。     

Innovation-related data in bureau of economic analysis international economic surveys

This paper describes innovation-related data available from international economic surveys conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. These data are collected in conjunction with the international transactions accounts of the United States and in surveys of the operations of multinational companies (MNCs). The paper focuses on five innovation-related series: receipts and payments of royalties and license fees; exports and imports of research, development, and testing services; sales of services by foreign affiliates classified in the research and development services industry; MNC R&D spending; and MNC R&D employment.

中国传统商会纠纷解决机制之功能分析——以调解为视角

清末民初的商会调处、商会公断的纠纷解决机制不仅承继中国传统儒家文化的底蕴,亦不乏凸显现代化纠纷解决之功效。鉴于此,通过历史追溯手法,来探讨分析中国传统商会纠纷解决机制的功能演变以及时势因缘,立足于富有传统特色的调解机制,并结合现代替代性纠纷解决的基本理念以及关系紧密群体之理论分析,在区分调解与仲裁的界定以及调解类型分化研究的基础上,对中国传统商会的调解功能予以深入的解构与剖析,以期对我国传统的多元化解纷机制的理论及史料研究有所贡献。     

Constructing Kinds of Persons in 1886: Corporate and Criminal

This essay is about the United States Supreme Court's discursive creation of two kinds of persons, one corporate the other criminal, during its 1886 term. The aim is to contrast the Supreme Court's construction of corporate personhood in County of Santa Clara v. Southern Pacific Railroad with its view of the criminal's body in Ex parte Royall, a habeas corpus case. The Court's purpose in deciding these two cases was to design a way to disperse newly emergent and conflicting interests in particular directions within the judicial apparatus. The result is that both criminal and corporate bodies come to be understood through discourse, not outside of it. So the body which is being introduced can be described as a discursive body, not as an anatomical given. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.