David Skeel
S. Samuel Arsht Professor of Corporate Law
David Skeel is the S. Samuel Arsht Professor of Corporate Law at Penn Carey Law School, where he is a three-time recipient of the Harvey Levin Award for outstanding teaching. He is one of the nation's leading bankruptcy scholars and has written extensively about corporate law, financial regulation, and the history of American bankruptcy. He served on the PROMESA oversight board for Puerto Rico's fiscal restructuring, appointed by President Obama. His book Debt's Dominion is a foundational work in the history of American bankruptcy law.
Teaching Style
Professor Skeel is a three-time winner of the Harvey Levin Award for outstanding teaching, selected by vote of the graduating class, making him one of the most beloved teachers at Penn Carey Law. He uses the Socratic method with a conversational and accessible style, making complex corporate and bankruptcy concepts understandable. He cold-calls students but creates a supportive atmosphere where students feel comfortable working through difficult problems aloud.
Cold Call Tips
- 1Know the Bankruptcy Code's key provisions, especially Chapters 7 and 11, and be ready to work through priority rules and plan confirmation requirements
- 2Understand the policy tensions in bankruptcy between creditor protection, debtor fresh start, and going-concern value preservation
- 3Be prepared to discuss real-world corporate restructurings and how they illustrate doctrinal principles
- 4Read his historical work on bankruptcy to understand how current law evolved and why certain policy choices were made
Areas of Expertise
Education
- J.D., University of Virginia School of Law
- B.A., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Notable Publications
- Debt's Dominion: A History of Bankruptcy Law in America (2001)
- The New Financial Deal: Understanding the Dodd-Frank Act and Its (Unintended) Consequences (2011)
- Icarus in the Boardroom (2005)
Research Interests
More Professors at University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School
Administrative Law, Environmental Law, Regulatory Policy
Antitrust Law, Intellectual Property, Law and Economics
Corporations, Mergers and Acquisitions, Corporate Governance, Startups and Venture Capital
Constitutional Law, Conflict of Laws, Civil Rights
Comparative Law, Legal Philosophy, International Law