The benefits of bankruptcy: an industry has sprung up to help people extricate themselves from insolvency.(Going for Broke: The Bankruptcy Game)

An industry has sprung up to help people extricate themselves from insolvency

DOWNTOWN - For every loser there has to be a winner, and bankruptcy is no exception.

As the number of bankruptcy filings approaches record levels, there are local lawyers and companies that are doing big business handling people and companies who are in over their heads.

William Cunningham, a partner with the Downtown law firm of Burdelski & Cunningham, said his two-person firm is on pace to file about 500 Chapter 7 personal bankruptcies this year. Last year it filed about 350.

In response to a record-breaking number of filings nationwide, a push for bankruptcy reform is …