The continental European financial system distinghuishes itself from its American counterpart by the dominance of banks in the financing of nonfinancial companies. Only a fraction of the external capital need of the private sector is fulfilled directly, on the public capital market. Non-bank...

In this study I empirically examine U.S. publicly traded firms to determine the impact of banking relationships on the future of financially distressed firms. Results demonstrate that obtaining a relationship-backed loan in the six months prior to distress identification significantly increases...

The capital structure of firms that face restrictions on liquidity (i.e. that cannot hedge continuously) is affected by the agency costs and moral-hazard implicit in the contracts they establish with stockholders and customers. It is demonstrated in this paper that then an optimal level of...

Although each of the 25 countries in Central and Eastern Europe has undergone a specific transition process during the last decade, the overall progress bears many shared experiences. The paper is based on the 1998 EBRD Transition Report, with its special focus on the region?s financial sector...

Insurance Industry is going through a very important stage of its transformation - the transition from the classical system of management into a risk-based management. These changes were launched in Europe by international organizations which deal with the development of the necessary...

Hedge funds and other private equity funds are aggressive monitors of corporate America. Their investment strategies are designed to squeeze agency costs and other inefficiencies out of under performing companies. Mutual funds and public pension funds, by contrast, have remained relentlessly...

In this article, I address a serious problem with the approach to damages embodied in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act (PSLRA) that artificially increases awards in securities fraud actions in down markets. Congress enacted PSLRA to limit frivolous lawsuits under the federal...

This short essay considers the findings and recommendations of the Paulson Report relating to securities fraud class actions under the 1934 Act and Rule 10b-5. While the report exposes numerous problems with securities litigation in the United States, it understates the problems inherent in...

Very few matters of social importance are more complex than the one before you today. This particular issue is not only about uncovering obscure dollars unscrupulously extracted from the account balances of America's workforce, but it is also about correcting the culture that has permitted the...

This comment letter was submitted to the U.S. Treasury Department in connection with that Department's review of proposals for changes in the regulatory structure for financial institutions. The comment letter presents the following policy recommendations: (1) the thrift charter should be...