On August 28, 2022, the Membership Committee hosted AABANY’s first-ever beach day at Rockaway Beach. AABANY members gathered to enjoy one of the last days of summer amidst perfect beach weather. For most of the attendees, it was their first time at Rockaway Beach, and for some, their first time riding a New York City ferry. The day started out cloudy but by noon time, the sun started to break through the clouds. The beach was breezy and pleasantly cool. Attendees grabbed lunch, walked along the boardwalk, dipped their toes in the water, and enjoyed taking longer, more scenic routes to and from the beach – via ferry, bike, or car. A few attendees grabbed brunch at Margie’s, a restaurant connected to the Rockaway Hotel near Beach 108th Street. Our group gathered at a spot that did not have any lifeguards on duty so swimming was prohibited but not surfing, apparently. Perhaps a surfing outing awaits us next summer?
Membership Committee Vice Chair Alysha Naik thanks everyone who attended and encourages all members to join AABANY at the next event on August 31, 2022: Oyster Happy Hour. Details are available here: https://www.aabany.org/events/event_details.asp?legacy=1&id=1662205.
On July 28, 2022, Co-Vice Presidents of Programs & Operations Joseph Eng, Jr. and Beatrice Leong hosted the Second Quarterly Committee Co-Chairs Meeting at King & Spalding. The Quarterly Meetings are a chance for all Co-Chairs, whether new or well-experienced, to learn about their roles as leaders in AABANY, brainstorm on future events and CLEs, and learn best practices.
The Co-Chairs were joined by the following Board members: President Will Ng, Membership Director Christopher Bae, Treasurer Evelyn Gong, Secretary Shirley Bi, Director of Technology Francis Chin and Board Directors Gigio Ninan and William Hao as well as Executive Director Yang Chen via video.
23 committees each sent a Chair to represent their group, share their thoughts, and collaborate with different committees. Immediately following the Committee Co-Chairs meeting was AABANY’s Membership Open House. To read more about AABANY’s Membership Open House, please click here.
Thank you to King & Spalding LLP for hosting AABANY’s FY2023 Q2 Committee Chair Meeting and Open House, and for providing food and beverages throughout the night!
On July 28, 2022, AABANY hosted its first-ever Membership Open House at King & Spalding LLP. With over 50 attendees, the Membership Open House gave new and prospective members the opportunity to speak with Board Members and Committee Chairs to learn about the work AABANY does and how new and prospective members can get involved.
Membership Director Christopher Bae in his introductory remarks welcomed attendees and thanked Board Members and Committee Chairs for coming. Former AABANY President Andy Hahn (2004) then highlighted the importance of getting involved with an organization like AABANY.
This AABANY Membership Open House spotlighted the Young Lawyers Committee, the Litigation Committee, and the Prosecutors Committee. Jasmine Chean from the Young Lawyers Committee, Lois Ahn from the Litigation Committee, and David Hsin-Tai Chiang from the Prosecutors Committee each spoke on why members should get involved with their committees.
Attendees were encouraged to network, enjoy food and drinks, and meet with the chairs of 23 committees that were present at the Open House. New and recent members were given the opportunity to participate in a raffle where two winners won either a Zoom or coffee meet-and-greet with former AABANY Presidents Andy Hahn (2004) or Brian Song (2019). Congratulations to Tian Chi Ma who won the raffle to meet Andy and to Stephanie Lu who won the raffle to meet Brian.
Thank you to King & Spalding LLP for hosting AABANY’s Membership Open House, and thank you to former AABANY Presidents Andy Hahn and Brian Song for volunteering for the new member raffle! Thank you to Co-Vice Presidents of Programs & Operations Joseph Eng, Jr. and Beatrice Leong, and Membership Director Christopher Bae for putting together this successful event!
We look forward to seeing everyone at the next Open House in October. In the meantime, if you have any questions about how to get more involved in AABANY and maximize your membership experience, feel free to reach out to the Membership Committee at [email protected].
On Thursday, August 18, 2022, the Membership Committee held its latest #RestaurantSeries Dinner where AABANY members enjoyed a full course Thai meal at Fishcheeks in Noho. The dinner featured the newly formed Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee and ADR Committee Chair Chris Kwok and Vice-Chair May Li were on hand to describe the work that their committee was doing and the different events that they recently held or planned to hold. Folks enjoyed a set NYC Restaurant Week menu, which included Thai iced-teas, red snapper and chicken wing appetizers, a variety of curry, crab and fish entrees, followed by an amazing mango sticky rice dessert. Thank you to everyone who attended this #RestaurantSeries dinner and be on the lookout for upcoming dinners featuring the Military & Veteran Affairs Committee and Litigation Committee.
Thank you to all those who came out! Membership Director Christopher Bae encourages everyone to join us at the next #RestaurantSeries. Keep an eye out for future dinners on our calendar at aabany.org/events.
On August 16th, 2022, AABANY’s Litigation and ADR Committees, along with JAMS, co-sponsored a CLE panel about international arbitration. AABANY ADR Committee Chair and JAMS Neutral Chris M. Kwok gave opening remarks, and AABANY Litigation Committee Co-Chair Aakruti G. Vakharia of Haug Partners moderated the panel. The panelists were Hiro Aragaki, JAMS Neutral and Professor of Law; Margaret Ives, in-house counsel at Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, Limited; and Dr. Kabir Duggal of Arnold & Porter. The panel discussed the differences between litigation and arbitration, the benefits of international arbitration over cross-border litigation, the challenges of arbitrating internationally, the mechanics of international arbitration, and best practices for what to include and what to avoid when drafting a dispute resolution clause. The panel encompassed neutral, outside counsel, in-house counsel, and academic perspectives
Thank you to everyone who worked on and attended this CLE. We greatly appreciate Niki Borofsky, Christine Smith, Alison M., Margaret Poppe, Todd Drucker, Jazmine Smith, Corey Taylor, and Matthew P. York of JAMS collaborating with AABANY’s Litigation Committee, co-chaired by Aakruti G. Vakharia, Jennifer Wu, Lois Ahn, and ADR committee, led by Chris M. Kwok (Chair) and May Li (Vice Chair), all of whom put together this interesting and informative program.
On August 13, 2022, the Young Lawyers Committee (YLC) Co-Chairs, Jasmine Chean, Jimmy Kang, Jenny Park along with Vice Chair of Solo & Small Firm Practice Committee Yifeng Chen planned and organized AABANY’s Annual Picnic in Central Park. This was the first time in three years that AABANY held the picnic in Central Park. We could not have asked for better weather for this return: The temperature was in the low 80s with no humidity. The Spector Playground Lawn, where the picnic took place, had shade from the trees to keep the guests cool.
Over 55 guests attended, and AABANY members brought their children, siblings, spouses, and even their parents to enjoy the perfect picnic weather. YLC Co-Chairs ordered dumplings from Vanessa’s Dumplings and provided sandwiches and snacks for the guests to enjoy.
Board Members in attendance included Andy Yoo, the Board Liaison for the YLC, Vice President of Programs & Operations Beatrice Leong, and Board Director David Sohn. It was David’s 40th Birthday, and he made time to bike to the park to say ‘hi’ to members and guests!
Pro Bono and Community Service Committee Co-Chair May Wong sold kites and toys to fundraise for the Pro Bono Clinic.
We thank everyone who made it out on a beautiful Saturday to celebrate this annual event with us, and we thank the leaders from the YLC and the Solo & Small Firm Practice Committee for all their hard work to make it happen.
On August 12, 2022, AABANY members attended an all-Asian lineup comedy show presented by the Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF45). The venue at Littlefield in Brooklyn was completely packed as seven comedians of all different views and backgrounds captivated the crowd with their hilarious sets. Congratulations to former AABANY intern, Claire Yoo, for not only being the event lead and producer, but for also performing a wildly entertaining set of her own. Shoutout to the Membership Committee for organizing another successful comedy event and be sure to look out for future membership events!
Just in the month of July, we met with 50 clients!!! There were so many positive and a few negative feedbacks from the clients.
Based on the feedback, many clients were grateful for our services and noted that “this is a much needed service in the Asian community.” Many clients cannot afford to speak with an attorney, do not understand the legal system, and are limited English proficient. A few clients complained that the time was too short or that the attorney couldn’t answer their questions.
Many clients asked questions about immigration, housing, contracts and fraud, wills, trusts, and estates. We also met with pro se litigants who have questions about liens, wage garnishment, judgment proof, and the New York State Exempt Income Protection Act.
Thank you AABANY, our volunteers, the Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE), and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of New York (CCCNY). In fact, we were amazed to have dedicated law students joining us on July 30 even though they just finished their NYS Bar exam that week.
So…if anyone’s interested in the next round of mini-bar exams, please come join us at our next Pro Bono Clinics! To volunteer or to learn more about the Pro Bono & Community Services Committee, please visit probono.aabany.org.
From Flushing, Queens (7/23): Thank you, volunteers, for helping us meet with 19 clients. These cases covered various areas including immigration, housing, contract, and fraud. Of the 19 clients, 5 spoke Spanish, 11 spoke mandarin, 2 spoke Cantonese, and 1 spoke English.
Volunteer Attorneys
Interpreters & Observers
Beatrice Leong
Alexandra Lao^
Eugene Kim
Joy Fan^
Evelyn Gong*
Nicole Morikawa^
Hooney Heoh
Reni Axelrod^
Jackson Chin*
Sharmie Azurel^
Johnny Thach
Yvette Adiguzel^ (licensed out-of-state)
Kyoung Jung
Weiqiao Lin^
Shirley Luong
Duane Morikawa
Yaoyu Liu
Yvette Wang
Zhaohua (Josh) Huang
John Hwang (licensed out-of-state)
May Wong
Theresa Yuan
^ = non-attorney volunteers
* = remote
From Chinatown, Manhattan (7/30): Thank you, volunteers, for helping us meet with 31 clients. Majority of these cases were related to housing, contracts and fraud, and wills, trusts, and estates. Of the 31 clients, 16 spoke mandarin, 7 spoke Cantonese, 7 spoke English, and 1 n/a.
Volunteer Attorneys
Interpreters & Observers
Ailsa Chau
Alex Hwang^
Beatrice Leong
Alexandra Lao^
Chao-Yung (Kloe) Chiu
Joy Fan^
Eugene Kim
Kirin Moy^
Eun Hye (Grace) Lee
Meng Zhang^
Francis Chin
Nandar Win Kerr^
Jackson Chin
Reni Axelrod^
Kwok Kei Ng
Teresa Wai Yee Yeung^
Lindsay Hao
Yvette Adiguzel^ (licensed out-of-state)
Lulu Jing
May Wong
Meghan Liu
Min Jung Esther Choi
Theresa Yuan
Please feel free to join us at our upcoming Pro Bono Clinics in August –
Manhattan – August 20 – Cutoff time to register by 12pm, 8/17 to recruit volunteers
Location – 33 Bowery, Community Room at Confucius Plaza, New York, NY 10002
3 Months Until the 2022 NAPABA Convention! #NAPABA22
Are you ready to join us this November in Las Vegas for the largest annual gathering of Asian American and Pacific Islander legal professionals? This unforgettable event is the opportunity to discover meaningful insights, grow your network, and bolster your legal knowledge alongside diverse thought leaders.
Early Bird Prices End in Two Weeks
Register for the NAPABA Convention by August 23 at 11:59 pm ET for the lowest rate possible and save up to $150 off the cost of the advance registration rate.
To put you in control of your Convention experience, the Plenary Luncheons and the Gala Dinner are available for purchase a la carte–add these ticketed events to your registration cart for an additional fee.
Registration and housing are now connected: unique booking links to NAPABA’s available room blocks are provided in your confirmation email AFTER you register for the Convention.
The NAPABA Convention offers one of the best values among legal education conferences. To further support our membership, scholarships are available to defray registration, airfare, lodging, and/or ground transportation expenses. Members are urged to apply for scholarships by August 9 at 8 pm ET. Law student scholarships are also available and applications are due September 30.
On August 4, 2022, the Membership & Career Placement Committees hosted a #RestaurantSeries dinner at Pasteur Grill and Noodles. Located in the heart of Chinatown, Pasteur Grill and Noodles’ dishes are the result of family recipes passed through generations to “bring the best of Vietnamese cuisine.”
AABANY is trying to support small, Asian-owned businesses and restaurants through our Restaurant Series. “The Membership Committee’s #RestaurantSeries gives AABANY members an opportunity to meet fellow members and to get introduced to co-sponsoring AABANY committees while also supporting local businesses,” explains Membership Director Christopher Bae. “Whether the restaurants are Asian-owned mom and pop shops, established staples of the restaurant scene, or allies of the Asian-American community, join us in supporting and celebrating the resiliency of local businesses during this post-pandemic time.”
Attendees ordered classic Vietnamese dishes including Pho, fried noodles, and spring rolls. Attendees also enjoyed refreshing drinks like Thai iced teas, mint lemonade, and beer to beat the summer heat. New connections were formed among the diverse group of attendees, with conversations ranging from law school advice to international travel.
Thank you to all those who came out! Membership Director Christopher Bae encourages everyone to join us at the next #RestaurantSeries. Keep an eye out for future dinners on our calendar at aabany.org/events.
