Lex Machina is proud to release its 2022 Bankruptcy Report, which examines Chapter 11 bankruptcy trends in the United States Bankruptcy Courts. This report focuses on the five-year period from 2017 to 2021 and surveys emerging trends in case filings (including Chapter 11 bankruptcy case filings filtered by business debtors, individual debtors, involuntary petitions, and total liabilities), most active courts, judges, law firms, parties, and timing metrics.

Key Trends and Highlights:

  • After a brief spike in 2020, the number of Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings filed in 2021 (4,526 cases) was the lowest number of any year in the past decade.
  • The most active bankruptcy court for Chapter 11 proceedings over the last five years was the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.
  • The court with the most Chapter 11 confirmed plans in the last five years was the Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California.
  • Judge David R. Jones from the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas presided over the highest number of total Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings over the five-year period from 2017 to 2021.
  • Jackson Walker represented debtors in the highest number of Chapter 11 proceedings over the past five years, while Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones represented creditor committees in the highest number of cases during the same period.
  • The median time to plan confirmation was 393 days for Chapter 11 proceedings terminated from 2017 to 2021.

View our infographic.

Legal Analytics is used for planning, budgeting, and litigation strategy. The metrics in this report may help readers examine who to pursue as clients, how long a matter may take, or what level of counsel experience you are facing. This research supplements traditional legal research and anecdotal data in order to gain a competitive edge in litigation.

Lex Machina hosted a webcast to discuss the report on November 17, 2022 with Guy Fustine (Shareholder at Knox Law Firm), Laura Hopkins (Lex Machina’s Legal Data Expert in Bankruptcy), and Aria Nejad (Lex Machina’s in-house counsel). View a recording of the webcast.

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