Edward J. Estrada *
Following the economic meltdown that began in the spring of 2008, immediate and longer term ramifications began to ripple through all aspects of the economy. Clearly, these tremors have not yet subsided, and continued fallout will be felt in the coming years. Importantly, even those companies and industries that have seemingly passed through the most immediate wave of impacts will be susceptible to the ongoing struggle to achieve sustainable growth. Many such companies may experience future defaults, largely dependent upon the strength and vitality of economic growth in the coming year and their industry performance in that time frame.
* Partner in the Commercial Restructuring and Bankruptcy Group of the New York office of Reed Smith LLP. The author would like to thank Aaron Bourke, an associate in the Commercial Restructuring and Bankruptcy Group of the New York office of Reed Smith LLP, for his contributions to the article.