In the case of Delphi, GM spun off its parts business but made the new company take the old, high cost union contracts--a recipe for disaster.

FORBES: Magazine Article

"We've lost work to larger firms and like any small business, small architectural firms need a boost these days, " says Mr. Davidson, whose 15-year-old firm receives up to 70 federal contracts every year, mostly for renovations to U.S. Postal Service buildings.

WSJ: Small Business Yardsticks Expand

Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena's shares tumbled further amid fears that years-old structured-product contracts could leave the bank with larger losses than expected for 2012.

WSJ: What's News

Imagine, then, that you are charity with an interest in using peer mentors (old lags gone straight) to help ex-offenders, and you are considering bidding for one of the contracts.

BBC: A popular idea still on probation