Reorganization or Liquidation: Bankruptcy Choice and Firm Dynamics

Abstract: In this paper, we ask how bankruptcy law affects the financial decisions of corporations and its implications for firm dynamics. According to current U.S. law, firms have two bankruptcy options: Chapter 7 liquidation and Chapter 11 reorganization. Using Compustat data, we first document capital structure and investment decisions of non-bankrupt, Chapter 11, and Chapter 7 firms. Using those data moments, we then estimate parameters of a firm dynamics model with endogenous entry and exit to include both bankruptcy options in a general equilibrium environment. Finally, we evaluate a bankruptcy policy change similar to one recommended by the American Bankruptcy Institute that amounts to a ``fresh start'' for bankrupt firms. We find that changes to the law can have sizable consequences for borrowing costs and capital structure which via selection affects productivity (measured total factor productivity rises by 0.5% and the variance of firm level marginal product of capital decreases by 1.7%) while welfare rises by 0.9% bringing us closer along these dimensions to an allocation without any financial frictions.