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Court-supervised Restructuring: Pre-bankruptcy Dynamics, Debt Structure and Debt Rescheduling

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  • B. LEYMAN
  • K. SCHOORS
  • P. COUSSEMENT

Abstract

We analyze the debt dynamics of corporations that reorganize under Belgian court-supervised restructuring, using a unique sample of small corporations. Small firms systematically accumulate unsecured trade credit and unpaid taxes and social contributions in the running up to bankruptcy-reorganization. First, small firms accumulate overdue taxes and social contributions, pushing the government administration in the unintended role of lender of last resort during the pre-bankruptcy period. Second, we find that the pecking order theory and specific trade credit theories predict the levels of trade credit accumulated during the pre-bankruptcy period very well. Our findings suggest that pre-bankruptcy dynamics strongly affect the debt structure at the moment of initiation of the procedure and in this way the ultimate outcome of the restructuring process.

Suggested Citation

  • B. Leyman & K. Schoors & P. Coussement, 2008. "Court-supervised Restructuring: Pre-bankruptcy Dynamics, Debt Structure and Debt Rescheduling," Working Papers of Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Belgium 08/507, Ghent University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration.
    • Handle: RePEc:rug:rugwps:08/507
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    File URL: http://wps-feb.ugent.be/Papers/wp_08_507.pdf
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    Cited by:

    1. Sofie Balcaen & Sophie Manigart & Hubert Ooghe, 2011. "From distress to exit: determinants of the time to exit," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 21(3), pages 407-446, August.
    2. B. Singh Gill, 2012. "Is accounts-receivable industry-specific or firm-specific?," Working Papers of Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Belgium 12/784, Ghent University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    court-supervised reorganization; bankruptcy; pecking order theory;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G33 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Bankruptcy; Liquidation
    • G38 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • K20 - Law and Economics - - Regulation and Business Law - - - General

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