National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
1612 K Street NW, Suite 1400
Washington, DC 20006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 13, 2013
Contact: Azizah Ahmad
(202) 775-9555
NAPABA CELEBRATES 25 YEARS OF LEADERSHIP IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION
WASHINGTON — Over 1,200 Asian Pacific American (APA) judges, attorneys, law professors, and law students attended the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) 25th Annual Convention in Kansas City, MO, from November 7-10, 2013. The Annual Convention’s MOmentum theme highlighted and celebrated the monumental achievements of APA attorneys over the past 25 years at the highest levels of the legal profession while also encouraging attendees to collaborate for future progress and successes.
The four-day convention included an annual International Law Symposium, Pro Bono & Public Interest Summit, and over 50 panels and plenaries with some of the brightest minds in the legal profession. Special events included a lunch plenary with special guests Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Representative Colleen Hanabusa (D-HI), who talked about their experiences as APA women in Congress. The Convention’s sold-out annual basketball tournament tested the talents of attorneys and law students against the Benchwarmers—an all-star line-up of APA judicial luminaries, including Judge Denny Chin of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and Justice Goodwin Liu of the California Supreme Court.
The Honorable Sri Srinivasan of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit gave the keynote address during the 25th Anniversary Gala and Installation Dinner on Saturday, November 9, 2013. During the Gala, Judge Alok Ahuja of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District swore in the following members of the 2013-2014 NAPABA Board of Governors:
Executive Committee
President: William J. Simonitsch, Partner, K&L Gates LLP
President-Elect: George C. Chen, Partner, Bryan Cave LLP
Vice President for Communications: Cyndie M. Chang, Partner, Duane Morris LLP
Vice President for Finance & Development: Alexander M. Lee, Principal, Law Offices of Alexander M. Lee
Vice President for Membership: Brad Yamauchi, Partner, Minami Tamaki LLP
Vice President for Programs and Operations: Jin Y. Hwang, Assistant General Counsel, Verizon Enterprise Solutions
Secretary: Tacie Yoon, Associate, Crowell & Moring LLP
Treasurer: Pankit J. Doshi, Associate, Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP
Immediate Past President: Wendy C. Shiba, retired (former Executive VP, General Counsel & Secretary, KB Home)
Regional Governors
Central Region: David S. Kim, Attorney, Armstrong Teasdale LLP
Northeast Region: Judy H. Kim, Associate Counsel, New York Liquidation Bureau
Northeast Region: Sophia Lee, Chief Counsel – Litigation, Sunoco, Inc.
Northwest Region: Trung D. Tu, Partner, McEwen Gisvold LLP
Southeast Region: John Truong, Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Columbia
Southwest Region: Eileen Sullivan, Principal, Sullivan Law Firm, PC
Northern California Region: Quyen Ta, Partner, Keker & Van Nest LLP
Eastern California/Nevada Region: Marlo Nisperos, Deputy District Attorney, Solano County District Attorney Office
Central California Region: Audra Mori, Partner, Perkins Coie
Southern California Region: Lloyd S. Costales, Partner, Page, Lobo, Costales & Preston, A.P.C.
At-Large Members
Curtis Hom, Principal, Innova Legal Group, PLLC
Steven Y. Reeves, Partner, Faegre Baker Daniels LLP
Janet Shih Hajek, Of Counsel, Holland & Hart LLP
Marla Tun Reschly, Of Counsel, Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Please join us next year in Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ, from November 6-9, 2014, for the 26th Annual NAPABA Convention, Convergence.
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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is the national association of Asian Pacific American attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students. NAPABA represents the interests of over 40,000 attorneys and 67 national, state, and local Asian Pacific American bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal service and non-profit attorneys, and lawyers serving at all levels of government. NAPABA continues to be a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian Pacific American communities. Through its national network of committees and affiliates, NAPABA provides a strong voice for increased diversity of the federal and state judiciaries, advocates for equal opportunity in the workplace, works to eliminate hate crimes and anti-immigrant sentiment, and promotes the professional development of people of color in the legal profession.