Bruce Grohsgal

Bruce Grohsgal serves as the Helen S. Balick Professor in Business Bankruptcy Law at Widener University Delaware Law School, where he joined the faculty in July 2014 after over 30 years of legal practice. His primary academic affiliation is with Widener University's Law School, where he teaches Bankruptcy, Contracts I and II, Secured Transactions, International Bankruptcy, and Financial Regulation. Prior to academia, he practiced at Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones, LLP in Wilmington, Delaware, representing major entities in high-profile bankruptcy cases including Solyndra, Global Home Products, and Trans World Airlines.

Professor Grohsgal's research focuses on bankruptcy law with particular expertise in business restructuring, student loan dischargeability, and financial institution insolvency. His work critically examines the absolute priority rule, structured dismissals, and the legislative history behind student loan nondischargeability. He has extensively analyzed how bankruptcy courts handle debtor-creditor agreements, lease rejections, and the recharacterization of debt claims as equity. His scholarship consistently bridges theoretical legal analysis with practical restructuring challenges faced by practitioners.

As Editor-in-Chief of the Norton Journal of Bankruptcy Law and Practice and the Norton Annual Survey of Bankruptcy Law, Grohsgal significantly influences bankruptcy scholarship. His recent publications (2020-2023) demonstrate a concentrated focus on student loan bankruptcy discharge mechanisms, evolving interpretations of the absolute priority rule, and procedural innovations in Chapter 11 cases. The articles reveal growing scholarly attention to consumer bankruptcy issues within traditionally corporate-focused bankruptcy scholarship.

Professor Grohsgal actively engages with policy development through congressional testimony, including written submissions for H.R. 1667 (Financial Institution Bankruptcy Act of 2017). He directs the Institute of Delaware Corporate and Business Law and previously chaired the Delaware State Bar Association's Bankruptcy Section. His practical experience informs his academic work, particularly regarding first-day motions, asset sales in bankruptcy, and derivatives treatment in insolvency proceedings.