Ranajoy Basu, partner at global law firm Reed Smith, has been named young legal innovator of the year at the FT Innovative Lawyer Awards on 1 October 2015. For the first time, the FT selected a group of young lawyers who stood out in the research for this award to encourage the next generation of lawyers to “raise their heads above the parapet.”
Now in its 10th year, the FT Innovative Lawyer Awards are widely regarded as one of the best researched and most prestigious legal awards in Europe.
Ranajoy was announced the winner for using his legal expertise to launch the firm’s Social Impact Finance Group. The judges particularly commended his work on the Educate Girls Social Impact Bond (SIB) where Ranajoy used his dual qualifications in Indian and English law with his knowledge of structured finance in a technical innovation for positive social change. The SIB, shortlisted under the social responsibility category, was the first cross-border development impact vehicle of its kind, aimed at U.S. and European investors with the aim of improving education for children in the Indian state of Rajasthan.
Tamara Box, global chair of the Reed Smith Financial Industry Group, commented:
“At Reed Smith we constantly try to push the boundaries of what’s possible in finance, utilising our global reach and broad practice. I’m delighted that Ranajoy and his outstanding work in social impact finance has been recognised by this award.”
Elsewhere in the report, Reed Smith is commended for client service following its work with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Reed Smith partnered with the CAA through two innovative learning offerings: the MA/Legal Practice Course (LPC) programme, which combines business and legal learning in the same academic year and includes a four-week placement with the client, and The City Development Forum, a quarterly board-level peer learning forum.
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About Reed Smith
Reed Smith is a global relationship law firm, with more than 1,800 lawyers in 26 offices throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the United States.
For further information, please visit www.reedsmith.com or contact Annabelle Price (senior corporate communications executive EME) on +44 (0)20 3116 3787.