We examine why banks resort to collateral, and whether their reasons vary according to the type of collateral. We use a unique dataset of bank loans granted to French distressed firms, which contains full information on the type and value of collaterals and the cause of firm default. Our work...

Literature on ex-ante efficiency of bankruptcy procedures investigates how these procedures influence the behavior of managers and creditors. We extend this literature by explaining how bankruptcy law can influence the design of debt contracts through the recovery process. We develop a model of...