2012: Under Construction. (January 2013) The canvas of the legal dealmakers for this year’s list starts October 1.

2011: The Year of Rocks (January 2012). Or, the year TMX/Maple didn’t get to be on the list.

2010: The Strategic Buyer Returns (January 2011). Also, the year of scars, and the year the Magna reorganization took the cover, and some of you argued we should have a Top-7 list.

2009: A Resourceful Year (January 2010). My talented colleague Sandra Rubin did all the heavy lifting on this one.

2008: Angst, Agony and Acrimony (January 2009). Or, the year the ABCP restructuring took the cover, and the defining quote of the story was, “We don’t do deals anymore. We just talk about deals we’ve done in the past.”

2007: Making History (January 2008). The year that broke all records, or, as I still remember it, the year that certain BCE stakeholders ruined my life. The LBO that wasn’t was deal of the year. Saving grace… well, it did make history, didn’t it. Even though it wasn’t.

2006: Discord, Drama and Deal Jumping (January 2007). Or, the year of ties. And the real end of the Inco-Falconbridge thing.

2005: Globalization, the trend continues (January 2006). Or, the year Xtrata ruined my life. Yes, Inco-Falconbridge was deal of the year. Saving grace: the headline was “Inco’s play for Falconbridge.”

2004: The Year of Dissent (January 2005). The story opened with a Rolling Stones’ quote and we got Clay Horner to hold “Fido” for the cover photo. Sweet.

2003: Top Ten Corporate Deals of 2003 (January 2004). Really, we should have called it the Year of the Restructuring Lawyer. Best quote: “You can tell the state of the economy by how we change our résumés to showcase our skills.”