The World’s first ever Legal Awards – Asia Law & Practice IFLR Deals of the Year, established in 1998:

It is not often can one claim a ‘World First’! ‘The Asia Law & Practice IFLR Deals of the Year Awards’ were first launched at the Mandarin Oriental in 1998, at the nadir of the Asia Financial Crisis. The main architects were editor and journalist Chris Wright who formulated the Deals process and selected the winners, and me. We didn’t have a budget so no pictures now exist!  The research and results were to Haymarket Publishing Industy standards – nobody but Chris knew the winners in advance (including me). There is a lot of cynicism surrounding awards among the generally misanthropric legal community – but not so the legal publishing folk captured in these pictures! As an industry we need to celebrate our ‘wins’ (because nobody else will)!
Special thanks to: Chris Wright, James Burden, Nick Ferguson, Huw Harries, Tina Tucker, Caroline Trender (nee Middleton), Nury Vittachi and the late Christopher Hunter.

In memory of Christopher Ross Brown (1954 – 2009), Founder Editor of IFLR

“My dear friend, similarly, you orchestrated so much of the success of our White & Case Global Alternative Investment Funds Practice in Hong Kong.  I will always be grateful.” David Goldstein, CEO of Stoke Inventory Partners and former Partner and Head of White & Case’ Global Alternative Investment Fund Practice.

“Congratulations, Patrick. This was a great step forward in your illustrious and creative career as thinker, originator, writer and doer.”  Philip Wood, CBE

“The world’s first legal awards is just one example of your innovative and positive contribution to the field of international legal practice.  And you go from strength to strength.” Stefan Gannon, Barrister, former Special Advisor to the CEO of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA).

The content on Clearway Communications is primarily related to the international legal industry and the site comprises a repository of articles, interviews, on-line discussions, business development training and executive coaching designed to generate lateral thinking, client engagement, revenue growth and constructive discussion, curated by Patrick Dransfield.   As a consequence of Patrick’s engagement with many thousands of in-house counsel and also private practice lawyers and professionals, Clearway Communications provides a unique if perhaps somewhat eclectic resource to those of curious minds wishing to engage constructively in the international business of law. 

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