Category: Uncategorized

Posted on

AABANY Hosts 2022 Annual Meeting of Members

On Tuesday, February 8, 2022, AABANY held its Annual Meeting of Members for the second time on Remo. President Terrence Shen called the meeting to order and established quorum. The main order of business was conducting the election for the 2022 Board of Directors and Officers.

President Terrence Shen presented the Annual Report of the Board and thanked the Board members for their service during the past year. Treasurer William Hao and Membership Director Beatrice Leong presented the reports for their respective offices. 

Executive Director Yang Chen presented highlights from the Committee Reports. Following the reports, awards were presented to honor AABANY leaders and committees for their dedication to AABANY over the past year. While these presentations were occurring, Immediate Past President Sapna Palla and President-Elect William Ng tallied the votes.

The following awards were presented:

Committee of the Year: The Membership Committee

The Membership Committee received the Committee of the Year Award for its outstanding contributions in promoting AABANY’s membership engagement and in recruiting new members. The Committee successfully transitioned from virtual mixers to in-person events. The most popular events include a visit to Little Island (New York’s newest public park attraction), live stand-up comedy as part of the Asian American International Film Festival, and a screening of “Shang Chi – Legend of the Ten Rings” in a private theater in Times Square. 

Program of the Year: Turning the Tide (T3) Project

The Program of the Year Award was given to the Turning the Tide (T3) Project, a joint project of AABANY and AALFNY, for providing a holistic and practicable action plan to address anti-Asian hate and violence. AABANY established an Anti-Asian Violence Task Force, composed of leadership from several AABANY committees, to leverage diverse skills and talents towards turning back the rising tide of hate and violence against AAPIs. 

Member of the Year: May Wong

The Member of the Year Award was presented to May Wong, for her prodigious contributions, not just but especially, this past year to further the mission of AABANY through the Pro-Bono and Community Service Committee as well as her collaboration with other AABANY Committees. At a time when committees were unable to plan regular events due to the COVID surge, May was forging ahead to come up with new ways for the PBCS Committee to successfully continue to serve and assist the AAPI community with their legal needs. As Vice-Chair of the Committee, she initiated many projects, liaised with law students and firms, led planning meetings, and often was the first to show up and the last to leave. 

Congratulations to all the honorees for the recognition of their achievements and hard work during the 2022 fiscal year.

After the presentation of awards, Terry announced the election results. The following officers were elected and will begin their term one-year terms on April 1, 2022:

Karen Kim

President-Elect

Joseph Eng

Vice President, Programs and Operations

Beatrice Leong

Vice President, Programs and Operations

Evelyn Gong

Treasurer

Shirley Bi

Secretary

Christopher Bae

Membership Director

Anna Mercado Clark

Development Director

The following candidates were elected as Directors to serve two-year terms starting on April 1, 2022:

Grace Fu

William Hao

Gigio Ninan

Won Shin

Kazuko Wachter

Lawrence Wee

After the election results were announced, all the attendees were invited to stay and network in Remo. We thank everyone who came and participated in the Annual Meeting and the election. Congratulations to all the Officers and Directors who were elected to the Board to serve in the 2023 fiscal year that begins on April 1, 2022.

Posted on

AABANY Attends Asian Justice Rally in Manhattan on January 30

Photo by Han Wen Zhang.

On Sunday, January 30th, a group of AABANY members from the Pro Bono & Community Service (PBCS) and Government Service & Public Interest (GSPI) Committees joined a nationwide rally for Asian justice. The AABANY group, led by May Wong, vice-chair of PBCS, and Kevin Hsi, co-chair of GSPI, held vibrant posters to raise awareness on anti-Asian hate and violence. 

The Asian Justice Rally was held on the anniversary of the death of 84-year old Thai grandfather Vicha Ratanapakdee, commemorating him and the many victims of Asian hate. The rally drew attendees in San Francisco, New York City, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, Atlanta, and worldwide on livestream. In Manhattan, speakers included Senator John Liu,  Senator Chuck Schumer, Executive Director of the Asian American Federation Jo-Ann Yoo, NYC Public Advocate Jumanne Williams, the daughter of victim Vilma Kari, the aunt of the late Christian Hall, and Assistant District Attorney and AABANY member Grace Vee. 

A group of AABANY members, including co-chair of GSPI Kevin Hsi (far left), holding colorful printouts brought by AABANY member and event speaker Grace Vee. Photo by Han Wen Zhang.

“Silence is violence, we are not a virus.”

“Get it right the first time, that was a hate crime.” 

The crowd chanted in Foley Square, surrounded by the New York Supreme Court, the Federal Courthouse and the Manhattan Municipal Building. Hundreds of attendees held signs demanding justice and awareness. Around 2:45 pm, a minute of silence was observed in remembrance of the victims of anti-Asian hate. The rally ended with a march through the streets of Lower Manhattan.

Thank you to everyone who attended this event to denounce the hatred and violence faced by the AAPI community. To learn more about the Pro Bono & Community Service Committee, please visit https://www.aabany.org/page/117. To learn more about the Government Service & Public Interest (GSPI) Committee, please visit https://www.aabany.org/page/113. To view more pictures of the event taken by AABANY leaders Kevin Hsi and May Wong, please visit https://photos.app.goo.gl/nnxQ33UugR21NrNh6. 

Photo by Han Wen Zhang.

Posted on

In-House Counsel Committee Hosts Winter Soiree to Network over Wine and Trivia

On Wednesday, January 26th, AABANY held a virtual Winter Soiree featuring a lively sommelier-led wine tasting and trivia games. Organized by the In-House Counsel Committee, the event brought together more than 50 senior in-house lawyers and corporate law firm attorneys. Companies represented included Mastercard, MetLife, Google, and Goldman Sachs. Attendees streamed in from a variety of locations across the United States, from California to New York.

The evening was full of fun, excitement, and laughter as Brooklyn Winery guided attendees through a Chardonnay and Cuvée Noir tasting. Attendees received tasting kits ahead of the event, which included bottles of wine, a bottle opener, tasting glasses, “make your own wine label cards” and virtual wine games instructions. There were two rounds of trivia, the first focusing on wine and winemaking, the second on wine and pop trivia. Attendees also mingled in breakout sessions after each round to get to know each better or to catch up.

Susie Dare from Marsh & McLennan won the trivia games and was gifted a tasting kit from Brooklyn Winery – congratulations, Susie!

Social media post by attendee featuring wines tasted and activity sheet.

The event was made possible by our headline sponsors:

We would also like to thank our sponsors 

Thank you to all our attendees, and we hope to see everyone again at next year’s soiree (which we hope will be in person). To learn more about the In-House Counsel Committee go to: https://www.aabany.org/page/149

Posted on

AABANY Joins the New York Diversity Equity and Inclusion Neutral Directory

The Asian American Bar Association of New York together with the New York City Bar Association ADR Committee and the New York State  Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section and partner bar associations are committed to increasing the selection of ADR professionals from historically underrepresented communities. To promote this goal, the partnering bar associations have created the New York Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Neutral Directory (“NY DEI Neutral Directory).  

The directory is a list of ADR professionals who self-identify as a member of a historically underrepresented community including but not limited to: a person of color, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, as having a disability, or identify as a woman. Individuals seeking ADR professionals can search the directory alphabetically, by practice area, by language ability, and by other self-identifying characteristics. Individuals who wish to be included in the directory must be members of one of the partnering bar associations, and have filled out the Directory Questionnaire which is available here: https://bit.ly/3d1Nn3q Inclusion in this directory does not imply endorsement or recommendation by any organization

Directory Partners include the following bar associations: The Amistad Long Island Black Bar Association, Asian American Bar Association of New York, The Bar Association of Erie County, The Brehon Law Society, Caribbean Attorney Network, Dominican Bar Association, Hispanic National Bar Association, New York Chapter, LGBT Bar Association of New York, Macon B. Allen Black Bar Association, Metropolitan Black Bar Association, The Network of Bar Leaders, New York County Lawyers Association, Rochester Black Bar Association, South Asian Bar Association of New York, Puerto Rican Bar Association, Westchester Bar Association and the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York.

The NY DEI Neutral Directory is available online here: https://bit.ly/3o7XOcf

Posted on

AABANY Member Lisa Lim Recognized by The New York Real Estate Journal in its Women in Commercial Real Estate Spotlight

On November 9th, 2021 Akerman partner Lisa Lim and AABANY member was honored by New York Real Estate Journal in its Women in Commercial Real Estate Spotlight. A graduate of Wellesley College and Fordham Law School Lisa is a go-to resource in the city’s complex and dynamic market, Lisa’s practice focuses on real estate finance and development, economic development, and affordable housing. Lisa focuses her practice in real estate finance and development, economic development, and affordable housing. Her transactional experience includes representing borrowers, lenders, and government agencies in the structuring, negotiation, and closing of complex transactions. Lisa is a Fellow for the American College of Real Estate Lawyers (ACREL) and was recently ranked again by Super Lawyers Magazine in New York for real estate, a distinction she has held since 2015. 

Please join AABANY in congratulating Lisa Lim on this well deserved honor. To read the full feature click, here

Posted on

NAPABA Applauds the Nominations of Nusrat Choudhury, Robert S. Huie and Nina Y. Wang to U.S. District Courts

WASHINGTON –Today [January 19th], the Biden administration announced the nominations of three AAPIs to the following U.S. District Courts: Nusrat Choudhury to the Eastern District of New York, Robert S. Huie to the Southern District of California, and Judge Nina Wang to the District of Colorado.

“NAPABA applauds the Biden administration for honoring its commitment to nominate a more representative judiciary,” said A.B. Cruz III, Acting President of NAPABA. “To date, there are a total 45 AAPI Article III judges, ten of whom were confirmed within President Biden’s first year in office.

“Ms. Choudhury, Mr. Huie and Judge Wang have impeccable careers, serving our nation in government and civil rights. We thank Senators Schumer, Feinstein, Bennet, Gillibrand, Padilla and Hickenlooper for recommending them and NAPABA urges the Senate to quickly confirm them.”

Nusrat Choudhury is the Roger Pascal Legal Director at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Illinois where she oversees a team advancing civil rights and civil liberties. She has more than a decade of experience advocating for underserved communities in her previous roles at the ACLU Foundation in New York. Choudhury clerked for the Honorable Barrington D. Parker of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and for the Honorable Denise Cote of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. She received her B.A. from Columbia University, M.P.A. from Princeton University and J.D. from Yale Law School. If confirmed, Choudhury would be the first Bangladeshi American to serve as an Article III judge.

Robert S. Huie is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of California where he served as deputy chief of the Major Frauds and Public Corruption Section. He has also served in the U.S. Department of Justice as a resident legal advisor and diplomat in the U.S. Embassies in North Africa and Eastern Europe. He currently serves as counsel at Jones Day San Diego. Huie clerked for the Honorable José A. Cabranes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and is a graduate of Calvin College and Yale Law School.

Judge Nina Y. Wang is a U.S. magistrate judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. Previously, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Colorado and was a partner at Faegre Baker Daniels LLP. Judge Wang clerked for the Honorable Peter J. Messitte of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland and is a graduate of Washington University and Harvard Law School. Active in the AAPI community, Judge Wang is a recipient of NAPABA’s Best Under 40 Award and served as president of NAPABA’s Colorado affiliate APABA Colorado.

###
The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), represents the interests of over 60,000 Asian Pacific American (APA) legal professionals and nearly 90 national, state, and local APA bar associations. NAPABA is a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting APA communities. Through its national network, 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 all backgrounds in the legal profession.
Posted on

In the News: AABANY Member Lisa Lim Discusses Affordable Housing Projects in the New York Real Estate Journal

On November 23, 2021 Akerman partner Lisa Lim and AABANY member authored an article in the New York Real Estate Journal outlining the potential benefits of adding affordable housing components to development projects. Speaking from her own extensive experience with such projects, she lays out four resources that make the buildings possible. 

Now more than before, as America recovers from pandemic disruptions, affordable housing presents opportunities for “developers seeking a valuable and lucrative way to expand their own footprints, and simultaneously help meet an ever-growing need in the United States.” 

To read the full article click, here

Posted on

AABANY Congratulates Former Board Member Kevin Kim on His Appointments to the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders and as the New Commissioner of New York City Small Businesses

On December 31st, 2021 former AABANY Board Member Kevin Kim was selected as the first Korean American  to hold the position of Commissioner of New York City Small Businesses where he will be responsible for running a dynamic City agency focused on connecting New Yorkers to good jobs, creating stronger businesses, and building a thriving economy. Kevin also was selected on December 20th, 2021 to be a Commissioner to President Biden’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders which has been tasked with advancing equity, justice, and opportunity for AANHPI communities.

Kevin is a graduate of Stanford University and Columbia Law School where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and a Senior Editor of the Columbia Law Review. After graduating law school Kevin began his legal career as a law clerk for then United States District Court Judge for the Southern District of New York, Hon. Denny Chin. He then worked as an Associate at Davis Polk & Wardwell where he practiced corporate law. 

Kevin has devoted his career to public service and specifically promoting greater Asian representation in positions of power. He serves on the Board of Trustees for the City University of New York and was elected to the national Board of Directors for the Stanford Asian Pacific American Alumni Club. His past board service includes the American Red Cross in Queens, Friends of Thirteen (public media provider featuring PBS series), Korean American Association of Greater New York, and the Korean American Community Foundation. From 2014-2016, Kevin was the Commissioner of the New York State Liquor Authority, becoming the first Asian American appointed to this position. Former Governor Andrew Cuomo appointed Kevin as a Trustee of the City University of New York, making him only the third Asian American and the first Korean American to serve on the CUNY Board of Trustees. In that position, he chaired the Audit Committee and is a member of the Subcommittee on Investments. 

Kevin has received countless awards including the Ellis Island Medal of Honor; Columbia Law School APALSA Hong Yen Chang Award for inspiring civic engagement; KAAGNY, Man of the Year; and City Hall News (“40 Under 40”).

Please join AABANY in congratulating Kevin on his appointments to these important positions.

Posted on

In the News: AABANY Joins Push for Adoption of “Unity Map” in New York Redistricting Process

On January 4, 2022, City Limits published an article entitled, “As NY Redistricting Forges Forward, Asian American Groups Push for ‘Unity Map’” detailing an independent coalition’s efforts to establish more equitable districts in the state.

As the redistricting process continues in New York, a coalition of three civil rights legal groups—the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, the Center for Law and Social Justice, and Latino Justice—seek to combat the fragmentation of minority communities. Altogether forming the Unity Map Coalition, the groups’ proposed “Unity Map” recognizes the rapid growth of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in New York and aims to preserve the political power of communities whose interests have historically been undermined in the redistricting process. 

If adopted by Governor Kathy Hochul, the “Unity Map” would replace drafts developed by the state Independent Redistricting Commission, drafts which have been influenced by the coalition’s input but that have failed to fully address issues relayed by community members. Legal groups, such as AABANY, in addition to pro-democracy groups have signed onto a letter requesting another opportunity from state lawmakers to provide public comment before the governor approves draft maps. 


To read the full article, click here.

Posted on

Congratulations to AABANY Members Listed in the New York Metro Edition of 2021 Super Lawyers

AABANY congratulates the AABANY members who have been named Super Lawyers in the New York Metro 2021 edition. Super Lawyers are selected through a rigorous selection process that includes being nominated by their peers, evaluated by third-party research in 12 key categories, and reviewed by a Blue Ribbon Panel of attorneys. Only 5 percent of attorneys are selected. 

Please join us in congratulating the following AABANY members on being named to the 2021 Super Lawyers list: 

  • Joanna Chan
  • Loyti Cheng 
  • Eugene Chang
  • David Choi  
  • Elliot Choi
  • Blaise Chow
  • Anna Mercado Clark
  • Kenneth W. Eng 
  • Anthony K.C. Fong 
  • Zheng Gao
  • Flora Go 
  • Lawrence S. Han
  • Annie Huang
  • Eric Kang 
  • Albert Kim 
  • David K.S. Kim
  • Kenneth Chin
  • Steven J. Lee
  • Beatrice Leong
  • Tao Li 
  • Ge Li 
  • Lisa S. Lim
  • James Lo 
  • Tiffany Ma
  • Jay Min
  • Ran Mukherjee
  • Alysha M. Naik
  • William H. Ng
  • Simone Park
  • Sun Ah Park 
  • Zixian Qi
  • Yu Tian 
  • Gloria Tsui-Yip 
  • Katie Wang
  • Karen Wu
  • Stacy Wu
  • Ruofei Xiang 
  • Melissa Yang
  • Si Yang 
  • S. Yan Sin 
  • Stephenie Yeh
  • Michelle Yeung
  • Tsui H. Yee
  • Honghui Yu 
  • Xintong Zhang
  • Shan Zu

Are you an AABANY member who made the Super Lawyers 2021 list but not shown above? If so, please pardon the omission, and let us know so that we can update the list with your name. Contact [email protected]

To see the 2021 Super Lawyers New York Metro Edition, click on the image above.

Proudly powered by WordPress