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Announcing the latest book in Georgetown University Press's new publishing
program in Global Business, Economics, and Finance, with a 30% discount
code for AIB members: TGUF, for use exclusively on our website.
<https://press.georgetown.edu/Book/Default-1>

Gregory Makoff's *Default <https://press.georgetown.edu/Book/Default-1>:
The Landmark Court Battle over Argentina's $100 Billion Debt Restructuring*

The *Wall Street Journal *calls it a "superb account of the saga."

Unlike individuals or corporations that become insolvent, nations do not
have access to bankruptcy protection from their creditors. When a country
defaults on its debt, the international financial system is ill equipped to
manage the crisis. Decisions by key individuals—from national leaders to
those at the International Monetary Fund, from holdout creditors to
judges—determine the fate of an entire national economy. A prime example is
Argentina’s 2001 default on $100 billion in bonds, which stands out for its
messy outcomes and outsized impact on sovereign debt markets, sovereign
debt law, and IMF policy.

*Default* is the riveting story of Argentina’s sovereign debt drama, which
reveals the obscure inner workings of sovereign debt restructuring. This
detailed case study describes the intense fight over the role of the IMF in
Argentina’s 2005 debt restructuring and the ensuing bitter decade of
litigation with holdout creditors, demonstrating that outcomes for
sovereign debt are determined by a complex interplay between financial
markets, governments, the IMF, the press, and the courts.

This cautionary tale lays bare the institutional, political, and legal
pressures that come into play when a country cannot repay its debts. It
offers a deeper understanding of how global financial capitalism functions
for those who work in or study debt markets, international finance,
international relations, and international law.

*Gregory Makoff*, PhD, is a senior fellow at the Centre for International
Governance Innovation and an expert on sovereign debt management. A former
banker specializing in debt advice, liability management, and derivatives,
he has also advised the US Department of the Treasury.

*Endorsements*

"Gregory Makoff's compelling case study of what happens when law and
geopolitics collide has the complexity and richness of a great Russian
novel. By transmuting a court case about pari passu into an engrossing
page-turner, he has created a triumphant synthesis of the most venomous
topic in international finance."*—Felix Salmon, chief financial
correspondent, Axios, and author of The Phoenix Economy: Work, Life, and
Money in the New Not Normal*

"A spectacular account of sovereign debt's case of the century. Any
investor in emerging markets debt should read this story, as should any
government thinking of issuing—or restructuring—an international bond."—*Brad
Setser, senior fellow, Council on Foreign Relations*

"The battle royale between Argentina and its creditors is much more than
dry finance. Makoff brings alive the humans behind sovereign debt
standoffs—their skill, frailties, and above all, their will to win at
seemingly all costs."—*Sujeet Indap, Wall Street editor, Financial Times,
and coauthor, with Max Frumes, of The Caesars Palace Coup: How a
Billionaire Brawl Over the Famous Casino Exposed the Power and Greed of
Wall Street*

"*Default* is a fascinating and valuable examination of one of the most
consequential events in international finance in our lifetimes—the
Argentine debt default. Gregory Makoff's absorbing account of this episode
is the most comprehensive available, especially in its detailed account of
the intense human characters behind the complex litigation that
resulted."—*Randal
Quarles, former vice chair of the Federal Reserve and former under
secretary of the US Treasury*

"*Default* gives readers a rare view into the economic, legal, political,
and social challenges of resolving a sovereign default. While focused on
the holdout litigation against Argentina, Default also explains how the
country's post-2001 difficulties were exacerbated by its highly politicized
approach to debt and its creditors, as well as the lack of political
consensus for addressing interrelated issues across the center and
provinces."*—Anoop Singh, former director, Western Hemisphere Department,
International Monetary Fund*

"The fight between Argentina and its bondholders is one of the most
significant episodes in the history of sovereign debt litigation, and Greg
Makoff has written the definitive treatment."—*W. Mark C. Weidemaier, Ralph
M. Stockton Jr. Distinguished Professor, University of North Carolina
School of Law at Chapel Hill*

"An extraordinary book—it combines technical details and human interactions
to produce a thrilling narrative of the legal proceedings of a sovereign
debt default case that changed the way such cases are treated."—*Manuel
Hinds, former finance minister of El Salvador and coauthor, with Benn
Steil, of Money, Markets, and Sovereignty*

"While there is a substantial body of legal literature on Judge Thomas P.
Griesa’s 2012 decision to impose the pari passu injunction on Argentina,
Gregory Makoff’s *Default* is the first book that fully explains why he did
it. Makoff achieves this by detailing all the events that, in a dramatic
climax, led up to the decision, including Judge Griesa’s building anger at
Argentina. It’s a surprising and fascinating story that should make it a
fun read for legal scholars and general readers alike."—*Annamaria Viterbo,
professor of international law, University of Turin, Italy*

"Makoff deftly traces the dynamics of the long-running struggle between the
government of Argentina and its creditors. His meticulously researched
narrative reveals political as well as legal struggles, involving the IMF
and its member governments; retail investors in Germany, Italy, and Japan;
holdout creditors in the United States; and Argentina’s political elites.
*Default* reminds us why creating better mechanisms for addressing
sovereign debt crises is both so important and so difficult to achieve.
This book will be of interest to anyone—political scientists, economists,
historians, and finance professionals, among others—interested in gaining a
deeper understanding of sovereign debt dynamics."—*Layna Mosley, professor
of politics and international affairs, Princeton University*

Posted by:
Hilary Claggett (she/her)
Senior Acquisitions Editor, Global Business, Economics, and Finance
Georgetown University Press
2115 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Ste. 6200
Washington, DC 20007
(202) 687-5041
LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilaryclaggett/>

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