Liquidation risk in the presence of Chapters 7 and 11 of the US bankruptcy code

Abstract

We aim at quantitatively measuring the liquidation risk of a firm subject to both Chapters 7 and 11 of the US bankruptcy code. The firm value is modeled by a general time-homogeneous diffusion process in which the drift and volatility are level dependent and can be easily adjusted to reflect the state changes of the firm. An explicit formula for the probability of liquidation is established, based on which we gain a quantitative understanding of how the capital structures before and during bankruptcy affect the probability of liquidation.