Bankruptcy: A Feast for Lawyers

by Sol Stein

Described by the Chicago Tribune as a "latter-day version of Dickens' Bleak House," A Feast for Lawyers is a shattering indictment of bankruptcy law by a CEO who lived through the experience of Chapter 11. Author Sol Stein exposes a system that is supposed to provide an opportunity for troubled companies to reorganize, but kills more than 70% of the businesses that take refuge in it while enriching legions of lawyers. In the nightmare world of Chapter 11, the gainers are seldom the creditors or the debtor company, but rather the bankruptcy bar, impeached in this book by their own conduct and the condemnation of their ethical brethren. Besides his own experience, the author draws examples from diverse industries -- trucking, food, real estate, oil, and publishing.

341 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1989

About the author

Sol Stein was a best-selling novelist and the publisher of works by James Baldwin and Che Guevara. He also worked with David Frost, Jack Higgins, Elia Kazan, Dylan Thomas, and W.H. Auden.

Stein and Baldwin met as students at DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx, where they worked on the literary magazine.

Stein served in the Army during World War II. In 1949 he received a master’s degree in English literature from Columbia University.

In the 1950s Stein worked at Voice of America, wrote plays, and moved into publishing. He established his own publishing company, Stein & Day, in 1962 with his then-wife. Stein used other publishers for his own novels so he would not be competing with the authors that Stein & Day published.

Stein & Day closed after 27 years, and Stein wrote the nonfiction A Feast for Lawyers as a result of the bankruptcy.

Stein went on to write books about writing, and he taught in colleges. He also helped create WritePro, software to teach fiction writing to its users.