Elizabeth Aboulafia of Cullen and Dykman writes: When general contractors who perform work on construction projects subject to the New York Lien Law file for bankruptcy protection, subcontractors and suppliers that take advantage of the provisions of Article 3-A of the New York Lien Law can maximize recoveries on their claims against the debtor/contractor and utilize the tools available through the bankruptcy process to obtain greater negotiating leverage and oversight over the debtor/contractor's operations.