Professor Bufford writes second edition of book on international insolvency law

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. –The Hon. Samuel L. Bufford, Distinguished Scholar in Residence at Penn State Law, has completed the second edition of his book relating to global bankruptcy and Chapter 15 of the Bankruptcy Code. United States International Insolvency Law (2 ed.) is published by Matthew Bender.

U.S. International Insolvency Law provides a comprehensive analysis of Chapter 15 of the Bankruptcy Code, the U.S. version of the UNCITRAL Model Law on Cross-Border Insolvency. Chapter 15 governs U.S. participation in insolvency cases with international aspects, whether such cases are filed in the United States, in another country, or both in the United States and abroad.

The second edition covers a decade of cases since the promulgation of Chapter 15 and substantially expands the coverage of the first edition, reflecting on the newest interpretations of the law and tracking its details and nuances. At the time the first edition was published, Chapter 15 cases had scarcely reached the appellate courts. This edition incorporates the extensive appellate case law of the last seven years, a body of law that provides stability and reliability to the international insolvency regime. This edition also contains a substantial discussion of those provisions in Chapter 15 that have not yet generated substantial case law.

The publication provides valuable guidance to a wide audience of professionals involved in international insolvency cases with U.S. connections, including lawyers, judges, accountants, turnaround specialists and other insolvency professionals. It is also useful as a text for international insolvency courses and to provide guidance to foreign judges, lawyers and other insolvency professionals.

Bufford is a former United States Bankruptcy Judge in the Central District of California, where he served for twenty-five years and presided over more than 120,000 cases. Widely regarded as one of the foremost scholars of U.S. and comparative insolvency law, his teaching interests include bankruptcy, international and comparative insolvency law, commercial transactions, and international business transactions. Bufford teaches courses in insolvency law and consistently lectures throughout the year at numerous seminars sponsored by foreign judicial departments and domestic institutes.  He has advised governments on bankruptcy law and taught seminars for judges in more than 20 countries.

He serves on the editorial advisory boards for the International Insolvency Review and the West Annual Review of International Insolvency. He is also the reporter for the ABA Task Force on Bankruptcy Structure, which is drafting proposed revisions to the U.S. bankruptcy law.  In 2010, Bufford joined the academic advising group to the ABA Standing Committee on Federal Judicial Improvements.