AABANY Goes to Yankee Stadium

On Friday, August 16, the Membership Committee together with the Prosecutors’ Committee hosted an outing to Yankee Stadium to watch the first-place Yankees take on the Cleveland Indians. Thanks to our sponsor, Esquire Deposition Solutions, 40 AABANY members and their guests were able to buy tickets at just $5 per person. Early arrivers got a free Yankees beach towel. Half of the tickets were standing room and the other half were seated. Membership Director Beatrice Leong designated the Toyota Terrace on the field level as the meeting point for people to gather and enjoy watching the game from center field or on the numerous screens by the bar at Toyota Terrace. AABANY members and their friends congregated at Toyota Terrace throughout the evening to watch the Yanks hold on to their early lead over the Indians. During the 7th inning, the Yanks loaded the bases and threatened to increase their lead significantly, but the Indians changed pitchers and managed to stave off a rout by the Yanks.

Friday night proved to be a great summer evening to enjoy America’s favorite pastime, in good company, complete with a free drink and hot dog for those who got the standing room tickets.

Thanks to everyone who came, and thanks again to Esquire Deposition Solutions for sponsoring. See you at the next AABANY outing!

Thank you to our August Pro Bono Clinic Volunteers!

August’s Monthly Pro Bono Clinic, held on Wednesday, August 14 at 33 Bowery Street in Confucius Plaza, brought out 35 volunteers who volunteered their time to help 27 clients.

We are asking every member to actively support AABANY’s Monthly Pro Bono Clinic by making donations that are vital to its continuing operation. In a few short years, with the tireless and generous assistance of our volunteers, we have helped hundreds of low-income clients with free legal advice and referrals to high-quality, culturally sensitive, and linguistically competent legal services. Together we have helped expand access to justice for underserved Asian American New Yorkers.

If you know family members, friends, or businesses, such as your firm, who would like to support the Clinic, please help us connect with them by contacting Karen Yau at karen.yau@aabany.org.

Or please urge them to make a donation directly. They can visit the website of Asian American Law Fund of New York (AALFNY), AABANY’s 501(c)(3) affiliate: https://www.asianamericanlawfund.org/donate/

AALFNY is accepting charitable donations on the Clinic’s behalf and can issue any donor a tax receipt. Any contribution, large or small, would help. Please be sure to indicate in the memo field that the donation is intended for the Pro Bono Clinic.

Thank you to all of the August Pro Bono Clinic Volunteers!

Lawyers: 
Yvetta Scott
Kelly Diep
Mayumi Cindy Iijima
Beatrice Leong
Kevin Hsi
Kevin Yim
Samantha Sumilang
Bart Wu
Satoshi Kurita
Shengyang (John) Wu
Mirin E. Park
Francis Chin
Chris M. Kwok

Interpreters: 
Vivian Chen
Teresa Wai Yee Yeung
Alicia Chan
Ya Peng
Jessica Wang
Tianlin Liu
Laura Tsang
Weixi He
Candice Tian Gan
Xiaoxiao Pan
Ruth Poon
Xin Zhou
Meng Zhang

Special thanks to Coordinator Johnny Thach, Coordinator Jenny Lam, Technology Coordinator Roger Chen, Vice Chair Kwok Kei Ng, and Vice Chair Zhixian Liu for coordinating the clinic, and the Pro Bono and Community Service Committee Co-Chairs Pauline Yeung-Ha, Karen Kithan Yau, Asako Aiba, and Ming Chu Lee for their leadership. AABANY’s Monthly Pro Bono Clinic occurs every second Wednesday from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. The next clinic will take place on September 11, 2019. If you are interested in volunteering at future Pro Bono Clinics, please contact Asako Aiba at asako.aiba@aabany.org.

NAPABA Applauds the Nomination of Judge Anuraag “Raag” Singhal to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida

For Immediate Release
August 15, 2019
For More Information, Contact:
Navdeep Singh, Policy Director
202-775-9555; nsingh@napaba.org

The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) applauds the nomination of Judge Anuraag “Raag” Singhal to U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida by President Trump. If confirmed, Judge Singhal will be the first Asian Pacific American and Indian American to serve as an Article III federal judge in the Eleventh Circuit (Alabama, Georgia, and Florida).

Judge Singhal is a Circuit Court Judge for the 17th Judicial Circuit in Broward County, Florida. Prior to his appointment, he practiced criminal defense law and was a prosecutor in the Office of the State Attorney. He is a graduate of Rice University and Wake Forest University School of Law.

He has demonstrated a commitment to service and diversity through his involvement in the legal community. Judge Singhal has supported numerous bar associations in South Florida, including the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of South Florida, the South Asian Bar Association of South Florida, the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. Bar Association, the Broward County Hispanic Bar Association, and the Broward County Bar Association. He is the recipient of the 2018 Stephen R. Booher Award, presented by the Broward County Bar Association, which recognizes jurists who display humanity, integrity, and dedication to the Bench, Bar, and Community.

“Judge Raag Singhal is an experienced jurist and will be a strong addition to the bench in the Southern District of Florida,” said NAPABA President Daniel Sakaguchi. “An active supporter of our local affiliate bar association, the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of South Florida, Judge Singhal has deep connections to the community. NAPABA applauds his historic nomination and urges the Senate to quickly confirm him to the court.”

NAPABA commends President Trump for nominating Judge Singhal. NAPABA extends its gratitude to Senators Rubio and Scott for recommending Judge Singhal to the White House.

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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is the national association of Asian Pacific American (APA) attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students. NAPABA represents the interests of over 50,000 attorneys and over 80 national, state, and local bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal services and non-profit attorneys, and lawyers serving at all levels of government. NAPABA engages in legislative and policy advocacy, promotes APA political leadership and political appointments, and builds coalitions within the legal profession and the community at large. NAPABA also serves as a resource for government agencies, members of Congress, and public service organizations about APAs in the legal profession, civil rights, and diversity in the courts.

To learn more about NAPABA, visit www.napaba.org, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter (@NAPABA).

AABANY Tax Club Quarterly Dinner

AABANY Members enjoying the food at Tang Pavilion

On Tuesday, August 6, 2019, the Tax Committee held its quarterly Tax Club dinner at Tang Pavilion.  Daniel Ng, Senior Manager at KPMG, presented on issues related to Controlled Foreign Corporations prior to and as a result of recent tax reform as well as Global Intangible Low Tax Income.  The next Tax Club dinner will take place in the fall, and it is anticipated that the discussion will focus on estate planning and transfer tax issues.

The Tax Committee would like to thank everyone for coming out to this successful event. To learn more about the Tax Committee and how to contact the Co-Chairs, go to https://www.aabany.org/page/453.

Asia Practice Committee Hosts Dinner at Fogo de Chao

On August 6, some two dozen members of the Asia Practice Committee enjoyed various high quality cuts of steak, lamb, and pork as well as a market table salad bar filled with a colorful palate of fresh and flavorful ingredients at the legendary Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse in Midtown West. Taking advantage of the great deals being offered during New York City Restaurant Week, the Committee gathered to dine and chat about its mission and upcoming events, including a joint event with Supchina on December 4, 2019. We connected with old and new friends and enjoyed an amazing and very filling dinner.

Thank you to everyone who attended this event. Thanks also to our Committee Chairs for their leadership: Conlyn Chan, Alex Yong Hao, Chris Kwok, and Jian Wu . To learn more about the Asia Practice Committee and to contact the Co-Chairs, click here.

In-House Counsel Application Extended until Aug. 12 at 5 p.m. ET

The in-house counsel (IHC) application for the NAPABA Connects Program has been extended until Monday, Aug. 12! NAPABA Connects will take place in Austin, TX at the 2019 NAPABA Convention from Nov. 7-10.  

Overview
NAPABA Connects is an opportunity for law firm Convention sponsors at silver ($10,000) or higher level and solo and small firm ($3,000) level to foster relationships with IHC. All participants are invited to exclusive touch points intended to provide Connects participants with exclusive networking opportunities in an informal social setting during the Convention. Solo and small firm sponsors and gold or higher level sponsors may participate in formal one-on-one meetings to discuss potential work opportunities. All program participants must be registered and attending the NAPABA Convention.    

Not a sponsor? Click here to learn more about partnering with NAPABA!

In-House Counsel Application and Participation
NAPABA will offer participating IHC a registration reimbursement in the amount of $720. Only one IHC from each company may receive a registration reimbursement for conducting two one-on-one meetings and attending one touch point. Reimbursements will be disbursed after the Convention as concluded.

Participants must have outside counsel hiring authority and will be invited to participate in the program only if they are selected by law firm participants for one-on-one meetings. 

Touch Points

  • Friday VIP Sponsor Breakfast | 8-9 am
  • Saturday NAPABA Connects Reception | 5-6 pm

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

Congratulations to Kenneth Chin on his Election as a Member of The American Law Institute

AABANY is proud to announce that as of July 2019, Kenneth Chin, Partner at Kramer Levin and AABANY member, has been elected to be a member of The American Law Institute (ALI). ALI is an academic and intellectual group that clarifies the law through Restatements, Principles, and Model Codes. The Institute’s mission is “to promote the clarification and simplification of the law and its better adaptation to social needs, to secure the better administration of justice, and to encourage and carry on scholarly and scientific legal work.”

Congratulations to Kenneth Chin on this impressive accomplishment.

To read the full press release, please see the following link: https://www.ali.org/news/articles/ali-elects-62-new-members/

To view Kenneth’s full member profile on the ALI website, please see the following link:
https://www.ali.org/members/member/140670/

SheLovesTech New York Semi-Final Pitch Competition

SheLovesTech, partnered with SupChina, houses the world’s largest pitch competition for early-stage female-led/female-related tech startups. Thousands of eligible startups from around the world have applied at 20+ local rounds internationally.

SheLovesTech 2019 Global Pitch Competition — New York Semi-Final Round

Agenda:

2:30 – 3:30: Check-in, Networking & Guest Speakers

3:30 – 5:30: Pitch Competition

5:30 – 6:00: Workshop with SheLovesTech Leadership Coach

6:00 – 7:30: Winner Announcement & Networking

Listen to semi-finalists pitch in front of our curated judge panel and an audience interested in female entrepreneurship or female-related businesses, network with investors and entrepreneurs who believe in the power of female entrepreneurs, and participate in our workshop on unconscious gender biases.

Visit shelovestech.org for more information.

About She Loves Tech: Founded in 2015, SheLovesTech is a nonprofit and a global platform committed to building an ecosystem for technology, entrepreneurship and innovation that creates opportunities for women. The organization houses the world’s largest tech startup competition focused on women-led or women-related businesses.

By special arrangement with our friends at Supchina, we are able to offer AABANY members a code for free tickets to the event. If you are interested, please email main@aabany.org to get the code.

Deadline for the NAPABA Prospective Partners Program (PPP), August 15

The deadline to submit an application for the NAPABA Prospective Partners Program (PPP) is two weeks from today! PPP aims to increase the number of Asian Pacific American partners at major law firms through introduction, mentorship, and relationship building. Between 2010 and 2018, 72 percent of PPP participants have been promoted to partner or moved to senior in-house positions—84 percent of them within two years of participation! 
Click here to read our success report

In anticipation of the program’s tenth year, the PPP is inviting candidate applications and nominations for participation in the PPP sessions taking place at the 2019 NAPABA Convention in Austin, TX from Nov. 7-10. The application will close on Aug. 15, 2019

Learn More and Apply Here

NAPABA Sidebar Summer 2019 Issue

In this issue…

President Daniel Sakaguchi provides his summer message on the legacy of Fred Korematsu, the inspiration behind “infinite hope, but not for us,” and the spirit of NAPABA,

Attorneys from around the country gather to participate in NAPABA’s Lobby Day 2019,

Our committees and networks connect with each other and host events, ensuring AAPI voices are heard,

Our affiliates nationwide are honoring those whose legacies have made their marks and fostering new members who will go on to make their own legacies…

…and more.

Congress may go on recess during the summer, but NAPABA stays active all year. Read about what we’ve been up to in the summer issue of Sidebar.

To read the NAPABA Sidebar, go to: https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.napaba.org/resource/resmgr/sidebar/summer_2019_sidebar__1_.pdf