Jean‐François Prat! It was in March 2011 that our friend, our pilot, suddenly left us. He went just as he had come, and just as he had lived, so discreetly, not wanting ever to embarrass anyone, and each of us has, collectively and alone, around his son, our dear Sébastien, tried to mourn our loss.
He was a brilliant lawyer, a lawyer who from a very early age unders‐ tood the world of business and business law, who quickly grasped the challenges of a changing world. He was also an outstanding negotia‐ tor, a discerning and rigorous adviser and a lawyer whose expertise, which evolved in rhythm with progress, custom, legislation and case law, was soon renowned; and he was also a lawyer who pleaded ad‐ mirably, simply and without bravado, mastering, as few lawyers know how, the art of persuasion.
He was the one who, over the years, nurtured our firm, with rigour and firmness, and led it ardently, without ever compromising simply to please. It was Marie‐Aline and he who introduced us to contemporary art. Personally, I only knew of the grand masters. In Jean‐Françoisʼ office, and then on the walls of our firm, we discovered fine works‐of‐art. Jean‐François would describe the artist and the secrets of their work. At Marie‐Aline and Jean‐Françoisʼ home, I was privileged to disco‐ ver others, and they both spoke, with passion and talent, about the artworks in their collection.
It was this shared passion which led us, Didier Martin (who kindly accepted to take over from Jean‐François the mantle of our firm), all of us, his partners, to create this Prize. In associating his name with creators of an art that he knew so well and loved so much, we believe that we will serve his memory as he would no doubt have wished.
Jean-Denis Bredin is one of the founding partners of Bredin Prat lawfirm. He is also a widely published writer, scholar and a member of the Académie française. Former professor of private international law at the University of Paris Law School. He has graduated at the University of Paris, Sorbonne (Licence, 1949) and the University of Paris Law School (doctorat en droit, 1950; agrégé des facultés de droit, 1957). Mr. Bredin is a member of the Paris Bar (1953) & of the French committee of Intl Law.
