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Bankruptcy Spillovers

Author

Listed:
  • Bernstein, Shai

    (Stanford University)

  • Colonnelli, Emanuele

    (Stanford University)

  • Giroud, Xavier

    (MIT)

  • Iverson, Benjamin

    (Northwestern University)

Abstract

How do different bankruptcy approaches affect the local economy? Using U.S. Census microdata, we explore the spillover effects of reorganization and liquidation on geographically proximate firms. We exploit the random assignment of bankruptcy judges as a source of exogenous variation in the probability of liquidation. We find that employment declines substantially in the immediate neighborhood of the liquidated establishments, relative to reorganized establishments. The spillover effects are highly localized and concentrate in non-tradable and service sectors, consistent with a reduction in local consumer traffic and a decline in knowledge spillovers between firms. The evidence highlights the externalities that bankruptcy design can impose on non-bankrupt firms.

Suggested Citation

  • Bernstein, Shai & Colonnelli, Emanuele & Giroud, Xavier & Iverson, Benjamin, 2017. "Bankruptcy Spillovers," Research Papers 3564, Stanford University, Graduate School of Business.
    • Handle: RePEc:ecl:stabus:3564
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    Cited by:

    1. Utpal Bhattacharya & Daisy Huang & Kasper Meisner Nielsen, 2021. "Spillovers in Prices: The Curious Case of Haunted Houses [Fire sales and house prices: evidence from estate sales due to sudden death]," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 25(3), pages 903-935.
    2. Kleiner, Kristoph & Stoffman, Noah & Yonker, Scott E., 2021. "Friends with bankruptcy protection benefits," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 139(2), pages 578-605.
    3. Stephanie F. Cheng & Dushyantkumar Vyas & Regina Wittenberg-Moerman & Wuyang Zhao, 2025. "Exposure to superstar firms and financial distress," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 30(2), pages 1355-1396, June.
    4. Berg, Tobias & Reisinger, Markus & Streitz, Daniel, 2021. "Spillover effects in empirical corporate finance," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 142(3), pages 1109-1127.
    5. Epaulard, Anne & Zapha, Chloé, 2022. "Bankruptcy costs and the design of preventive restructuring procedures," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 196(C), pages 229-250.
    6. repec:fip:a00001:89433 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Meghana Ayyagari & Yuxi Cheng & Ariel Weinberger, 2022. "Surviving Pandemics: The Role of Spillovers," CESifo Working Paper Series 9891, CESifo.
    8. Antonio De Vito & Martin Jacob & Dirk Schindler & Guosong Xu, 2025. "How do corporate tax hikes affect investment allocation within multinationals?," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 29(2), pages 531-565.
    9. Miao, Miao & Yang, Yuxuan & Li, Xueyao & He, Wenjian, 2025. "Bankruptcy judicial reform and corporate fraud: Evidence from China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    10. Utpal Bhattacharya & Daisy Huang & Kasper Meisner Nielsen, 2019. "Spillovers in Asset Prices: The Curious Case of Haunted Houses," HKUST IEMS Working Paper Series 2019-63, HKUST Institute for Emerging Market Studies, revised May 2019.
    11. Morten Grindaker & Andreas R. Kostøl & Kasper Roszbach, 2021. "Executive Labor Market Frictions, Corporate Bankruptcy and CEO Careers," Working Paper 2021/15, Norges Bank.
    12. Antill, Samuel, 2022. "Do the right firms survive bankruptcy?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 144(2), pages 523-546.
    13. Siddharth Sharma & Wilbur Chung, 2022. "Demand agglomeration economies, neighbor heterogeneity, and firm survival: The effect of HHGregg's bankruptcy," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(2), pages 370-401, February.
    14. Bellon, Aymeric & Harpedanne de Belleville, Louis-Marie & Pinardon-Touati, Noémie, 2021. "Mediating Financial Intermediation," MPRA Paper 108339, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. Srhoj, Stjepan & Kovač, Dejan & Shapiro, Jacob N. & Filer, Randall K., 2023. "The impact of delay: Evidence from formal out-of-court restructuring," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    16. Philip Barrett & Sonali Das & Giacomo Magistretti & Evgenia Pugacheva & Philippe Wingender, 2023. "Long COVID? Prospects for economic scarring from the pandemic," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 41(2), pages 227-242, April.
    17. Merton, Robert C. & Thakor, Richard T., 2022. "No-fault default, chapter 11 bankruptcy, and financial institutions," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    18. Abhishek Bhardwaj & Abhinav Gupta & Sabrina T. Howell, 2025. "Leveraged Payouts: How Using New Debt to Pay Returns in Private Equity Affects Firms, Employees, Creditors, and Investors," Working Papers 25-12, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    19. Whited, Toni M, 2019. "JFE special issue on labor and finance," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 133(3), pages 539-540.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G33 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Bankruptcy; Liquidation
    • R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)

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