On Wednesday, November 20, 2019, AABANY’s Membership Committee held its Monthly Membership Mixer at Stout NYC – Grand Central. Over thirty attendees filled a section of the second floor that was reserved for our group, including our President, Brian Song, and many of our board members, as well as recent New York transplant, Michael Wu, chief legal officer and corporate secretary of Madewell, Inc. Our membership programs provide opportunities to network and to learn more about AABANY so keep an eye out for our future events including a lantern festival at Citi Field and a Lunar New Year celebration at a New York Knicks game. To learn more about the Membership Committee, go to https://www.aabany.org/page/130 Thanks to Membership Committee Co-Chair Christopher Bae for the write-up and photos.
AABANY is proud to announce that last week James R. Cho, Immediate Past President and Assistant U.S. Attorney at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of NY, and Linda S. Lin, Past President 2011 and Vice President and Assistant General Counsel at QBE North America, were presented with the 2019 CUP Law Catalysts award at the Council of Urban Professionals (CUP) 10th Annual Lawyers Forum and Law Catalyst Recognition Ceremony. The ceremony was held at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP on November 12, 2019.
The CUP Law Catalyst award honors and celebrates the accomplishments of diverse legal professionals who are achieving extraordinary professional success while making significant and impactful contributions to their community.
James and Linda’s dedication to promoting diversity in the legal profession, their leadership as Past Presidents at AABANY, and service to the overall Asian American community make them highly deserving and outstanding recipients of this recognition.
This is not the first time that AABANY members have been honored with the CUP Law Catalysts award. Below is a list of ABBANY members previously recognized by the Council of Urban Professionals:
November 2018 Alice Hsu, AABANY Member
November 2016 Steve Chung, Past AABANY Board Member Sonia Low, Past AABANY Board Member
October 2015 Austin So, Past In-House Counsel Committee Co-Chair
October 2014 Jean Lee, Past AABANY President 2012
October 2013 Dwight Yoo, Past AABANY President 2017
October 2012 Vincent Chang, Past AABANY President 2007
Please join us in congratulating James, Linda, and all the
other AABANY members that have received this tremendous honor.
Also, please join us in congratulating the other 2019 CUP Catalysts in Law:
Adam Banks, Partner, Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP Tia Breakley, Managing Director & Chief Administrative Officer, General Counsel and Compliance Officer – The Infrastructure Group, The Blackstone Group Sarah Dodds-Brown, EVP & Managing Counsel, American Express Stuart Downing, Partner, Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP Chinyere Ezie, Staff Attorney, Center for Constitutional Rights George Fatheree III, Partner, Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP Karen Hsu Kelley, Partner, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP Jessica Lee, Partner, Loeb & Loeb LLP Clarence A. Nesbitt, General Counsel, National Basketball Players Association Marianela Peralta, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, Allegis Global Solutions, Inc. Pamela Rosado, Senior VP and Chief Counsel-Litigation, MetLife Kimberly Spoerri, Partner, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP Camelia Valdes, Prosecutor, Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office
On Nov. 14, the Membership Committee together with the Asia Practice, Intellectual Property, and Real Estate Committees hosted a Night at the Opera, gathering about 30 AABANY members with friends and family to see a performance of “La Bohème” at the Met in Lincoln Center.
Before the performance a group of attendees mingled and enjoyed drinks and quick bites at the bar outside the Family Circle. Then, at 7:30, everyone went inside to take their seats. The AABANY contingent took up nearly three rows of seats.
For some it was a first-time experience that was greatly enhanced upon the discovery of subtitles that appeared on a thin bar that stretched across the row. Each person could see the subtitles displayed directly in front of them.
The sets were breathtaking and the score by Puccini was classic and timeless. The performances were excellent, and the main cast included two Asian Americans, with Hei-Kyung Hong playing the tragic character Mimi.
By all accounts, this event was a hit among those who attended. Talk is already brewing about another Night at the Opera. Stay tuned!
Thanks to everyone who came, and thanks especially to Membership Director Beatrice Leong for organizing the event.
On Tuesday, November 19, 2019, AABANY’s Career Placement Committee presented its inaugural Dress for Success event. The event took place at J.Crew Fifth Avenue. Over 20 people attended the event. The event provided attendees with personal styling advice, an opportunity to shop, and wardrobe demonstrations that would allow each attendee to put their best foot forward in dressing. Special thanks to the Government Service & Public Interest Committee, Litigation Committee, Solo & Small Firm Practice Committee, Student Outreach Committee, and Women’s Committee for co-sponsoring the event. Special thanks to Flavor Fuzion Catering and Ashvini Persaud, Sr. Business Banker at Capital One, for her generous donation.
If you have been taken to housing court by your landlord and need assistance, contact the Manhattan Legal Services’ Housing Unit. Manhattan Legal Services’ Housing Unit conducts monthly intake in Chinatown for Chinese-speaking clients.
They provide free legal services to eligible clients every Wednesday of the month at either the Chinese-American Planning Council or the Visiting Nurse Service of New York at the Chinatown Community Center.
Please note you MUST make an appointment in advance for
services by calling (646) 442-3119.
For more information, please see the flyers below.
November’s Monthly Pro Bono Clinic, held on Wednesday, November 13 at 33 Bowery Street in Confucius Plaza, brought out 36 volunteers who volunteered their time to help 25 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.
To make it easier for our members and our community to donate to the Pro Bono Clinic, we have set up a page on Give Lively where you can make a donation by texting APAPROBONO to 44321. It takes seconds to donate, and we hope you will take a moment today to support the Pro Bono Clinic and help it meet its fundraising goals. Please donate today!
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 [email protected].
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 November Pro Bono Clinic Volunteers!
Lawyers:
Sylvia Chin Shengyang (John) Wu Sae-Eun Ahn Michelle Nam Mayumi Cindy Iijima Kelly Diep Jen Rasay Eun Hye (Grace) Lee Bart Wu Annie Tsao
Interpreters:
Ya Peng Xiaoxiao Pan Winnie G Vien Teri Chow Teresa Wai Yee Yeung Shimeng (Fiona) Zhang Ruth Poon Nicholas Loh Nanako Arai Mina Kanamura Maria Katherine Delos Reyes Limeng (Charles) Tan Kenny Moy Go-eun Son Chao-Yung Chiu Ami Ishida Alicia Chen Alex Hwang
Other Volunteers Linda Liang , Research & Administration Julia Elhai, NY Connects Benefit Counselor Yu Ting Pak, Mental Health Professional Justin Ben, Legal Research
Special thanks to Henry Man for coordinating the clinic, and the Pro Bono and Community Service Committee Co-Chairs Pauline Yeung-Ha, Karen Kithan Yau, Asako Aiba, and Judy 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 December 11, 2019. If you are interested in volunteering at future Pro Bono Clinics, please contact Asako Aiba at [email protected].
On November 14, 2019, the AABANY Real Estate Committee presented a CLE and networking event entitled “Understanding Opportunity Zones and 1031 Exchange Deferrals.” The CLE program was presented by John J. Lee, Esq, Vice President and Account Executive of IPX 1031. Margaret Ling, Co-Chair of the AABANY Real Estate Committee moderated the program. Thanks to our sponsors: Xavier Wong of First Republic Bank, KALAGNY, and Big Apple Abstract. John Lee discussed the basics and the differences between the 1031 Exchange Program and the Tax Deferral Structures provided by Qualified Opportunity Zones. In the photo, from left to right: Margaret Ling, Co-Chair of AABANY Real Estate Committee; Qili Li, MD; John Lee of 1031 Exchange; George Xu of Century Development LLC; Larry Litwack of Big Apple Abstract Corp.
On October 28, 2019, the AABANY Real Estate Committee presented a CLE program entitled “Real Estate Fraud and Cyber Security.” The CLE and networking event took place at Anchin Block & Anchin LLP at its Manhattan Headquarters. The event was attended by over 50 attorneys and CPAs. Special thanks to the sponsors: Anchin Block & Anchin LLP; Big Apple Abstract Corp; KALAGNY; Capital One; SDL & GHS Insurance Agency; Ingram, Yuzek, Gainen, Carroll & Bertolotti LLP; Ganfer, Shore, Leeds & Zauderer LLP; Anchin Digital Risk Solutions. Pictured from left to right: Amol Pachnanda, AABANY Real Estate Committee Co-Chair; Russell Safirstein, Partner, Anchin Digital Risk Solutions; Margaret Ling, AABANY Real Estate Committee Co-Chair; Ashvini Persaud, Capital One; Daniel Jacoby, SDL & GHS Insurance; Benny Liu, CPA, Anchin; Larry Litwack, Big Apple Abstract; Jason Ganfer, Ganfer, Shore, Leeds & Zauderer LLP.
We congratulate Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, on being presented NAPABA’s Law Firm Diversity Award at the NAPABA Convention in Austin, Texas on Saturday, November 9, 2019. AABANY is pleased to count Akin Gump as a Silver Sponsor.
This award honors law firms that actively and consistently recruit, retain, and promote APA lawyers to equity partnership and firm leadership. One such lawyer is Alice Hsu, an AABANY member and Partner at Akin Gump.
Alice was interviewed in the acceptance video and stated that over the last few years Akin Gump has spent a lot of time working with pro bono clients and “brought together cross-racial, cross-ethnic coalitions to support challenging the travel ban, the census citizenship question, and DACA rescission. “
Please join us in congratulating Akin Gump on this well deserved honor.
We congratulate Karen King, AABANY Member and Counsel at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, on being presented NAPABA’s Pro Bono Award during the Gala at the NAPABA Convention in Austin, Texas on Saturday, November 9, 2019.
This award recognizes an attorney for outstanding achievement in Pro Bono service that involves impact litigation to advance or protect civil rights and provides direct legal services to individuals in furtherance of the administration of justice.
One of the pro bono cases that Karen was recognized for lasted for over 10 years and involved bias and discrimination in the promotion practices of the New York and New Jersey Port Authority against Asian American Police Officers. Karen found her work on the case to be very important for Asian Americans and rewarding for herself. In her video accepting the award, Karen remarked that young lawyers need to look for and seize opportunities to advance their careers “… and pro bono is an excellent way to do that.”
We are extremely excited and pleased that Karen received this prestigious honor. Please join us in congratulating her.
We commend Paul, Weiss on emphasizing, supporting, and encouraging their lawyers to engage in Pro Bono work and for being a Gold Sponsor.
