Bankruptcy Delay and Firms' Dynamics

The present paper explores the link between bankruptcy law and firms' dynamics, focusing on Italy as a case study. Relying on a previous literature dealing with the concept of entrepreneurship “friendly” bankruptcy law, we stress the idea that bankruptcy institutions, although connected to a painful event for firms, might still yield beneficial consequences on a societal level. In particular we find evidence that quicker judicial resolutions of liquidation bankruptcies have an impact on firms' entry and exit rates in Italy, by reducing the indirect costs that a bankrupt firm must undergo and allowing a quicker reallocation of assets towards more efficient destinations. Such effect is related with firms' organizational structure and size