Dr. Ben S. Branch has been a professor of Finance at the University of Massachusetts since 1975. He has had a major role in three large bankruptcy/liquidations: First Republic Bank (Chairman of the Senior Creditors Committee and Chairman of the Board of the Liquidating Corporation); Bank of New England Corporation (Chapter 7 Trustee); VFBLLC (Manager of the liquidations corporation for Vlasic Funds). He has also written extensively on the area of bankruptcy and financial distress. Hugh M. Ray has practiced restructuring, bankruptcy, and insolvency law for nearly four decades and has helped draft and shape bankruptcy legislation on a number of occasions during those years. He has co-written two prior books on creditors' rights and bankruptcy liquidations and is a frequent lecturer at the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges, as well as former chair or the American Bar Association's Business Bankruptcy Committee. Robin Russell has practiced law at Andrews Kurth LLP since 1987. As a partner in their bankruptcy section she combines a depth of experience in both bankruptcy litigation and bankruptcy transactional work. She has represented corporate debtors, liquidating trustees, bondholders, unsecured creditors' committees, bank groups, landlords, trade creditors, and bidders for estate assets in Chapter 7 and 11 bankruptcy proceedings. She has authored numerous publications on creditors' rights and financial transactions and frequently lectures on these topics.