AABANY Congratulates Hon. Randall T. Eng

Congratulations to Hon. Randall T. Eng, retired Presiding Justice of the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Second Department, on receiving the Charles W. Froessel Award from Queens County Bar Association at its Annual Dinner held on May 2 at Terrace on the Park in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. This award celebrates Justice Eng’s achievements as a legal professional and honors his contributions to the Queens County Bar Association.

Justice Eng was born in Guangzhou, China, and was raised in New York City. He received a Juris Doctor degree from St. John’s University School of Law in 1972. Upon graduating from law school, Justice Eng served as an assistant district attorney in Queens. In 1983, Justice Eng was appointed to the Criminal Court of the City of New York by Mayor Edward I. Koch. In 1988, Justice Eng was appointed to serve as an Acting Justice of New York State Supreme Court. In 1990, Justice Eng was elected to stay in the position and was re-elected in 2004. Between 2007 and 2008, Justice Eng was appointed to serve a short term as Administrative Judge of the Criminal Term of Queens County Supreme Court, and he served in this role until he was elevated to the Appellate Division in 2008. In 2012, Governor Andrew Cuomo appointed Justice Eng to lead the Second Department as the presiding justice, where he oversaw one of the busiest judicial departments in the country. This appointment made Justice Eng the first Asian American to serve as a presiding justice in New York State. Justice Eng retired from the bench and joined Meyer, Suozzi, English & Klein, P.C. as Of Counsel in January 2018.

Over his long and prolific legal career, Justice Eng has received numerous honors, including AABANY’s Norman Lau Kee Trailblazer Award in 2017, OCA-NY Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018, and the Daniel K. Inouye Trailblazer Award in 2016, the highest honor bestowed by the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, of which AABANY is an affiliate.

As AABANY President Brian Song stated: “AABANY congratulates Justice Eng on receiving the Charles W. Froessel Award from the Queens County Bar Association,” states AABANY President Brian Song, “It is yet another well-deserved recognition of Justice Eng’s achievements as a prominent jurist who has led the way for generations of attorneys and judges to follow his example. During May, when we celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, it is a most fitting tribute that we recognize and honor the milestones and achievements of role models like Justice Randall Eng. None of us would be here today were it not for Justice Eng and other APA judges and lawyers who led the way.”

Please join AABANY in congratulating Hon. Randall T. Eng .

May 6, 2019

AABANY Congratulates Glenn Lau-Kee

Congratulations to Glenn Lau-Kee, Partner at Lau-Kee Law Group PLLC and former AABANY President (1997-99), on receiving the American Bar Association Solo and Small Firm Lifetime Achievement Award. Mr. Lau-Kee began his legal career as an associate in the Hong Kong and New York offices of Coudert Brothers LLP where he worked on bank financing, leasing, and corporate acquisition transactions. In 1977, he became a partner at Kee and Lau-Kee PLLC where he has developed a thriving real estate and bank financing practice. Mr. Lau-Kee made history as the first Asian American President of the New York State Bar Association (“NYSBA”) for the 2014-15 term. He continues his involvement with NYSBA as a member of the Business Law, Health Law and Real Property Law sections. Mr. Lau-Kee has also been an active member of New York County Lawyers Association (“NYCLA”) since 2000, serving on the Board of Directors until 2004 and serving on various task forces and committees until 2010. He also served on the Board of Directors for the NYCLA Foundation and the New York Bar Foundation, which function as the charitable and philanthropic arms of their respective organizations.

Please join AABANY in congratulating Glenn Lau-Kee.

May 6, 2019

AABANY Co-Sponsors: Asian Americans and Higher Education: An End to Affirmative Action?

On Tuesday April 30, 2019, Asia Society and the Asian American Bar Association of New York co-hosted a lively discussion on the lawsuit Students for Fair Admission vs. Harvard University. Currently winding its way through the Federal courts, Asian Americans and affirmative action have become a point of focus in contemporary political debate.

Within the Asian American community itself, a grassroots Asian American conservative movement has emerged in the last decade, in an attempt to end affirmative action. This conservative movement alleges that admissions discrimination in the name of diversity is wrong. That view was represented by Jack Ouyang, from the Asian American Coalition for Education.

Asian American liberals believe that conservative Asian Americans are being used as cover to abolish affirmative action, and fear a defeat of affirmative action means a loss for diversity in all of higher education. Nicole Gon Ochi from Asian American Advancing Justice -LA represented the view.

Dr. Van Tran, Columbia University sociologist, presented new research on what Asian Americans thought of affirmative action.

Audience members were treated to a deep dive into the issue, with views from both sides represented on the podium. A reception followed, at which attendees got to continue their conversations around this important topic.

Thanks to everyone who came out for this event. Thanks especially to all the speakers for their insights and views. See below for short bios of all the speakers. (Thanks to Elsa Ruiz for the event photos.)

Chris M. Kwok, Esq. (moderator) serves as the Co-Chair of the Issues Committee and Asia Practice Committee for the Asian American Bar Association of New York. He received his B.A from Cornell University with a major in Government and minor in Asian American studies, and his J.D from UCLA Law School, where he served on the staff of the Asian American Pacific Islander Law Journal. Formerly, he was the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Coordinator at the U.S. Equal Employment Commission in the New York District office. He is a mediator with JAMS.

Dr. Van C. Tran is a professor of Sociology at Columbia University whose research and writing broadly focuses on the incorporation of Asian immigrants and their children into American culture, politics and society. He has served in many positions at both the Eastern Sociological Society and the American Sociological Association. He is a frequent commentator in the media and was selected as an NPR Source of the Week in July of 2015.

Nicole Gon Ochi, Esq. is the Supervising Attorney at Asian Americans Advancing Justice—LA’s Impact Litigation unit. She joined Advancing Justice as a Skadden Fellow in 2010 and has taken a lead role in litigating and providing advocacy on matters involving employment discrimination, education, workers’ rights, affordable housing preservation, language access, and civil rights.

Dr. Jack Ouyang is the Vice President of Operations at the Asian American Coalition for Education. Mr. Ouyang has been an outspoken Chinese American civil rights activist and was a key organizer of the Chinese American for Equality. He was a board chair at the Millburn Short Hills Chinese Association and the Millburn Institute of Talent. He is currently an IT Professional based in New Jersey.

May 2, 2019May 21, 2019

Celebrate APA Heritage Month with AABANY

AABANY is a proud co-sponsor of the following events in celebration of APA Heritage Month, and we invite you to join us at one or more of them in May. If you have any questions, contact us at main@aabany.org.

Time/Location	Event
May 13 6:00 pm	AABANY Co-Sponsors: Brooklyn Women’s Bar Association APAHM Celebration
Location: 123 Remsen Street Brooklyn, New York	The Brooklyn Women’s Bar Association and the Asian American Judges Association of New York are celebrating APA Heritage Month. The Honorable Pamela K. Chen, EDNY, will be the Special Honoree at the celebration. For more information, go to https://www.aabany.org/events/event_details.asp?legacy=1&id=1229319
May 14 8:30 am – 12:15 pm	AABANY Co-Sponsors: The Fight for Justice: 75th Anniversary of Korematsu v. US
Location: Robert H. Jackson Center 305 E. 4th Street Jamestown, New York	AABANY’s classic trial reenactment is making a return in celebration of APA Heritage Month as well as the 75th anniversary of the Korematsu decision. We are honored to have invited Karen Korematsu, daughter of Fred Korematsu; John Q. Barrett, Professor at St. John’s University School of Law; Hon. Denny Chin, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and Thomas Loftus, Justice Jackson’s Grandson. For more information, go to https://www.aabany.org/events/event_details.asp?legacy=1&id=1231073
May 15 5:30-8:30PM	AABANY Co-Sponsors: Alice in Chinatown: Chol Soo Lee and His Fight for Freedom
Location: Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP 200 Liberty Street New York, New York 10281	Led by the Honorable Denny Chin, AABANY’s trial reenactment team will celebrate APA Heritage Month by retelling the story of Chol Soo Lee, a young Korean American who was wrongly accused and imprisoned for a gangland murder in San Francisco’s Chinatown. The effort to free him represented the beginning of Asian American activism in the 1970s. For more information, go to https://www.aabany.org/events/event_details.asp?legacy=1&id=1229620
May 22 4:30-7:30 pm	AABANY Co-Sponsors “Abacus: Small Enough to Jail”
Location: Four Gateway Center 100 Mulberry Street Newark, New Jersey 07102	AABANY will join APALA-NJ, McCarter & English and KALAGNY for a networking reception and a screening of the documentary Abacus: Small Enough to Jail, which tells the story of the Chinese immigrant Sung family’s resilience against injustice when their bank was the only one pursued by prosecutors in the wake of the 2008 financial collapse. For more information, go to https://www.aabany.org/events/event_details.asp?legacy=1&id=1229311
May 22 5:30-8 pm	“Murder of Vincent Chin” Trial Reenactment
Location: White & Case LLP 1221 6th Ave New York, New York 10020	White & Case presentes a reenactment of “Building Our Legacy: The Murder of Vincent Chin,” one of AABANY’s best known and most performed reenactments. From AABANY’s Trial Reenactments website: “Vincent Chin was beaten to death in 1982 in Detroit. When the assailants didn’t even receive jail time, the injustice galvanized the Asian American community.” For more information, go to https://www.aabany.org/events/event_details.asp?legacy=1&id=1214265
May 29 6:00 pm	AABANY Co-Sponsors: Breaking Through: A Look Beyond the Bamboo Ceiling
Location: Lowenstein Sandler 1251 Avenue of the Americas 17th Floor New York, New York	Please join the Diversity and Leadership Network and AABANY in celebrating Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month! The DLN will host an informative conversation with guest speakers, including the Honorable Justice Jeffrey K. Oing, Lawson Huynh, Associate at Lowenstein Sandler, Blossom Kan, Assistant General Counsel for MetLife, and Sonia Low, General Counsel of Jacob J. Javits Center, about the challenges and successes of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the legal profession. For more information, go to https://www.aabany.org/events/event_details.asp?legacy=1&id=1238912
May 30 6:00- 8:00 pm	AABANY Presents: Annual Judicial Reception Hosted by Judiciary Committee
Location: The Surrogate’s Courthouse Courtroom 503 31 Chambers St New York, New York	The Judiciary Committee hosts its Annual Judicial Reception to honor newly inducted, currently sitting and retired Asian American, Pacific Islander and South Asian judges. For more information, go to https://www.aabany.org/events/event_details.asp?legacy=1&id=1227878

April 30, 2019

2019 NAPABA Regional Conferences

Save the Date!

Central Regional Conference

August 23-24
Hotel Alexander
Indianapolis, IN

Hosted by:
Asian American Bar Association
of Indiana

Book Your Hotel

A block of rooms has been reserved at Hotel Alexander at a discounted rate. The room block will be available until July 26 at 5 p.m. ET or until the block has sold out.

Click here to book your room today!

Special Guest Speaker George Takei

The NAPABA Central Regional Conference will include a viewing of the film, And Then They Came For Us, followed later in the evening by special guest speaker George Takei, which will include a book signing of his new book, They Called Us Enemy. Copies will be available at the conference.

Northeast Regional Conference

September 21
Fordham Law School for NYC
New York, NY

Hosted by:
Asian American Bar Association
of New York

Book Your Hotel

A block of rooms has been reserved at Empire Hotel at a discounted rate. The room block will be available until Aug. 30 at 5 p.m. ET or until the block has sold out.

Click here to book your room today!

April 29, 2019

Apply to the NAPABA 2019 Leadership Advancement Program!

Apply today for the 2019 Class!
Washington, D.C. | July 19-21, 2019

NAPABA’s Leadership Advancement Program is a year-long program to develop mid-career Asian Pacific American attorneys’ leadership skills, while providing an opportunity to foster genuine relationships with peers within the profession, especially between in-house counsel (IHC) and law firm attorneys. This year, the first part of the program will be held in Washington D.C. The program will commence with a weekend of team-building and leadership training from Friday, July 19 through midday Sunday, July 21. The first two days will consist of leadership assessments, training on understanding and improving your leadership style, team building, and better understanding your career vision to help support you in pursuing career goals, including addressing the unique hurdles facing Asian Pacific Americans. The last half-day is devoted to launching team-based community projects that will allow participants to forge meaningful and mutually beneficial relationships.

NAPABA’s Leadership Advancement Program (LAP) is distinct from the In-House Counsel Summit (IHC Summit). NAPABA’s LAP is a professional and personal development program for mid-career IHC and law firm attorneys through leadership skills development, candid and open dialogue, and relationship-building. The IHC Summit is offered only to IHCs looking for professional leadership development and opportunities in association with NAPABA 20/20 initiative focused on career advancement for APA in-house counsel.

Applications for NAPABA’s LAP program will be accepted through May 13 at 8:00 p.m. EDT. Apply now!

Enrollment

Enrollment in the program is limited to 24 participants, with an even balance between IHC and law firm attorneys. All NAPABA members are encouraged to apply, although the selection committee will focus on the following criteria this year:

Law firm candidates: this year’s program will prefer candidates with between six and 10 years of experience
In-house candidates: preference for a minimum of three to four years of IHC experience, with six to 10 years of overall practice experience

NAPABA will provide the trainers, program materials, venue, and in-program meals. If accepted, attendees will be expected to commit $100 as a program fee and provide their own travel to Washington, DC and accommodations, if required.

Tentative Schedule

Fri., July 19
Leadership Assessment and Team Building: The program will consist of leadership exercises, assessments, and team-building.

Sat., July 20
Leadership Training: The program will consist of leadership training sessions aimed at helping attorneys achieve the highest level of leadership and success in law firms and corporations.

Sun., July 21
Community Project (Half-day): Participants will design a community project that will encourage team-building and leadership development throughout the year.

To learn more about NAPABA’s Leadership Advancement Program, please visit https://www.napaba.org/page/19_LeaderWorkshop or email Leadership Advancement Program Chair, Charles Jung

April 29, 2019

Congratulations to Sylvia Chin and White & Case on Pro Bono Award from Women’s World Banking

AABANY congratulates White & Case and Sylvia Chin on being recognized by Women’s World Banking for their pro bono work on behalf of the organization over four decades, since its founding. The award was presented on April 4 at Women’s World Banking’s 40th anniversary celebration in New York.

According to the media release, “In 2018, White & Case’s global pro bono practice provided more than 120,000 hours of legal services focused on access to justice, promoting the rule of law, and serving organizations with social and environmental missions. Women’s World Banking has been a recipient of White & Case’s pro bono legal services since our founding.”

For more information, visit White & Case’s website at
https://www.whitecase.com/firm/awards-rankings/award/womens-world-banking-honors-white-case-and-sylvia-chin-pro-bono-work

Sylvia is a Past President of AABANY (1994-96) and is current President of AALFNY, AABANY’s 501(c)(3) affiliate. Please join us in congratulating Sylvia and White & Case on their well-deserved honor and recognition for their pro bono work on behalf of women across the globe.

April 22, 2019

2019 Lobby Day | Deadline Extended!

Deadlines Extended to Thursday, April 25!

Join us for NAPABA’s annual Lobby Day hosted in our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. from May 20-21, 2019. This event brings NAPABA members from across the country to meet and discuss with members of Congress and congressional staffers on issues of importance and help promote NAPABA’s mission of advocating for justice, equity, and opportunity for APAs.

Registration | DEADLINE NOW APRIL 25, 2019
Registration includes a webinar training prior to Lobby Day as well as onsite training the day of, so that all participants are prepared for meetings with congressional members and staffers. For more information about the 2019 Lobby Day, visit our page.

Congressional Reception | May 20, 2019
In celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in May, NAPABA will be hosting a Congressional Reception. The reception will bring together Lobby Day participants, members of Congress and their staff, and leaders in the APA community. This event is open to the the public.

Hotel | RESERVATION DEADLINE EXTENDED to April 25, 2019
The official 2019 Lobby Day hotel, the Hyatt Place Washington DC/National Mall, is at the heart of Washington DC and walking distance of the Federal Center SW Metro Station, and the newly built Wharf.

You may also call Hyatt’s reservations department at 1-800-993-4031 and ask for “NAPABA Group” or Group Code “G-NAPA” Rate: $239 king plus applicable taxes & fees.

If you have any questions about any of the events above, please email Oriene Shin at oshin@napaba.org.

More 2019 Lobby Day information can be found here.

April 19, 2019

AABANY Co-Sponsors: Trends in Long Island Real Estate Development – IDA Zoning and Land Use

On April 11, 2019, the AABANY Real Estate Committee successfully presented a CLE and networking event entitled “Trends in Long Island Real Estate Development – IDA Zoning and Land Use.” Over 60 attorneys and real estate professionals were in attendance. The event was held at the Omni Building in Uniondale and was co-sponsored by AABANY, KALAGNY, Forchelli Deegan Terrana, Flushing Bank, and Big Apple Abstract Corp.

The panelists were:

Margaret Ling, AABANY Development Director and Real Estate Committee Co-Chair
Daniel Deegan, Partner at Forchelli Deegan Terrana
Kathleen Deegan Dickson, Partner at Forchelli Deegan Terrana
Rose Liu, Director of Finance & Research at Colliers International
Herbert Agin, CEO of Colliers International

The speakers led an insightful discussion on the following topics: title insurance, the key facets of Industrial Development Agencies (IDA) in Nassau and Suffolk County, zoning, variances, and municipal regulations in Long Island and how they have a significant impact on the success of real estate projects.

In addition, Rose Liu discussed the latest statistics involving real estate development projects in Long Island and Herbert Agin shared the latest updates on the Lesso Holdings development project in Westbury, Long Island.

The key takeaway of the event was that there are a lot of real estate development opportunities for investors in Long Island, but for the project to be successful, you need to have the right people on your team to navigate the rules and regulations surrounding real estate developments.

April 19, 2019

PRESS RELEASE: AABANY CONGRATULATES ITS FORMER PRESIDENT GLENN LAU-KEE ON RECEIVING SOLO AND SMALL FIRM LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FROM AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION

NEW YORK – The Asian American Bar Association of New York (“AABANY”) congratulates Glenn Lau-Kee, Partner at Lau-Kee Law Group PLLC and former AABANY President (1997-99), on receiving the American Bar Association Solo and Small Firm Lifetime Achievement Award. This award honors solo and small firm attorneys who are widely accepted by their peers as having significant lifetime distinction, exceptional achievement, and distinction in an exemplary way. Mr. Lau-Kee and his fellow awardees will be honored on Friday, May 3, 2019 at the ABA Solo and Small Firms Award Luncheon at the Marriott Marquis in New York City.

Mr. Lau-Kee began his legal career as an associate in the Hong Kong and New York offices of Coudert Brothers LLP where he worked on bank financing, leasing, and corporate acquisition transactions. In 1977, he became a partner at Kee and Lau-Kee PLLC where he has developed a thriving real estate and bank financing practice. He was also a partner at Koo Larrabee Lau-Kee & Lane LLP for six years.

Aside from practicing real estate and business law, Mr. Lau-Kee has spent much of his legal career tirelessly serving the Asian American community of New York City. He helped found the Chinatown YMCA, as well as the US-Asia Institute. For his long-standing service to the YMCA, he received the Order of the Red Triangle, the highest honor bestowed by the organization. Along with his father, Norman Kee, Mr. Lau-Kee received the Hon. George Bundy Smith Pioneer Award in 2010, recognizing their outstanding record of public service and commitment to providing exceptional legal services to the Chinatown community in New York City. In 2017, Mr. Lau-Kee was honored as a Community Hero by the Museum of Chinese in America.

Mr. Lau-Kee made history as the first Asian American President of the New York State Bar Association (“NYSBA”) for the 2014-15 term. He continues his involvement with NYSBA as a member of the Business Law, Health Law and Real Property Law sections. Mr. Lau-Kee has also been an active member of New York County Lawyers Association (“NYCLA”) since 2000, serving on the Board of Directors until 2004 and serving on various task forces and committees until 2010. He also served on the Board of Directors for the NYCLA Foundation and the New York Bar Foundation, which function as the charitable and philanthropic arms of their respective organizations.

Mr. Lau-Kee has been an active leader in AABANY for over twenty years. He served as President from 1997-1999 and on the Board of Directors from 1994-2000. He has served on the Nominations Committee, contributing to the promotion of future leaders for AABANY.

Mr. Lau-Kee is a graduate of Yale College and Boston University School of Law.

The Asian American Bar Association of New York is a professional membership organization of attorneys concerned with issues affecting the Asian Pacific American community. Incorporated in 1989, AABANY seeks not only to encourage the professional growth of its members but also to advocate for the Asian Pacific American community as a whole. AABANY is a New York regional affiliate of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA).

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