"Who Governs Debt's Dominion?"

BYU Law Reviews' 2024 symposium titled "Who Governs Debt's Dominion?" will celebrate Professor Skeel’s contributions to bankruptcy law and scholarship and assess their ongoing influence.  Given the breadth of Professor Skeel’s contributions, the symposium could cover any number of topics, but on this occasion, we will employ his work as a lens for considering a particular subject of renewed importance: bankruptcy professionals.  Bankruptcy practice has come a long way from the 1938 Chandler Act, which replaced equity receiverships with a reorganization process overseen by a bankruptcy trustee.  In the decades since, bankruptcy professionals – both public and private – have played an increasingly conspicuous role in bankruptcy cases.  From bankruptcy judges and bankruptcy trustees to chief restructuring officers, financial advisors and controllers, these individuals have influenced the development of law and the outcomes of cases, particularly in corporate, municipal, and even governmental reorganizations.  What is the appropriate role of specialized professionals in bankruptcy proceedings, and is the extensive cast of characters at work in bankruptcy cases justified?  This symposium explores the question.