based on the work of partner Lee Buchheit, who has led restructuring negotiations for 20 countries." Buchheit’s "academic papers, books and legal briefs over the past three decades fill much of the void where no formal law exists." For example, in 2002, "Buchheit developed a collective action clause, which says that if a supermajority of bondholders votes in favor of a restructuring, it becomes legally binding for everyone, even for those who voted against it." Buchheit was a lead author of a 2013 Brookings committee report that proposed changes in the approach to sovereign debt, including the collective action clause. Awards and recognition Law360 recognized Cleary in its "Global 20" List of Preeminent Global Law Firms, 2014 Cleary was selected as the Americas Law Firm of the Year for 2015 and the Russian Law Firm of the Year from in 2013, 2014, and 2015 by the International Financial Law Review. Legal Business ranked Cleary as its Law Firm of the Year in 2013. Vault ranked Cleary Gottlieb as the #8 Best Law Firm in 2016, based on prestige to work for from branche-internal surveys. This was a decline from its position of #7 in 2015. The Chambers USA Guide gave Cleary Gottlieb the Chambers & Partners' inaugural International Law Firm of the Year award in 2016. * In 2016, the website Vault.com ranked Cleary Gottlieb #3 for International Practice and #9 overall in its "Vault Law 100" list. Television producer Doug Liman has cited the firm as an inspiration for the T.V. series Suits. Controversies In August 2007, Manhattan federal judge Loretta Preska sanctioned Cleary Gottlieb for improperly trying to dissuade a witness, French-Congolese businessman Medard Mbemba, from testifying in Kensington International Ltd. v. Republic of Congo, in which Kensington, which was trying to collect on a nearly $57 million judgment against Congo and Cleary Gottlieb was representing Congo. The firm, Preska wrote, "has shown a willingness to operate in the murky area between zealous advocacy and improper conduct, and here it crossed the line." She imposed monetary sanctions on the firm and ordered that a formal reprimand be circulated to all of Cleary's 950 lawyers, and officially reminded Clearly "that it has obligations beyond representing its client." In addition, Cleary attorneys have at various times taken controversial positions in front of U.S. courts. During an October 2013 hearing, Cleary partner, Johnathan Blackman, stated that if the court came to