Tag: annual meeting

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AABANY Holds its 2024 Annual Meeting of Members at King & Spalding on February 13

On Tuesday, February 13, 2024, AABANY held its Annual Meeting of Members at King & Spalding. President Karen Kim called the meeting to order and established quorum. The main order of business was conducting the election for the 2025 Board of Directors and Officers and voting on a proposed revision to the bylaws to set term limits for certain Committee Chairs.

Treasurer Jasmine Ball gave the Treasurer’s Report, sharing information about AABANY’s financial performance through September 30, 2023. Membership Committee Co-Chair Ashley Shan presented the Membership Director’s Report in place of Membership Director Christopher Bae, who was not able to attend.

President Karen Kim presented the Annual Report of the Board, summarizing the major activities of AABANY during the past year, and thanked the Board members for their service during the past year.

Executive Director Yang Chen presented highlights of Committee activities. Following the reports, awards were presented to honor AABANY leaders and committees for their dedication to AABANY during the 2024 fiscal year.

The following awards were presented:

Committee of the Year: Student Outreach Committee

The Committee of the Year Award was given to the Student Outreach Committee for their dedication and commitment to advancing the mission of AABANY and providing enriching programming and activities that benefits not only law students but AABANY’s membership and community as a whole.

Program of the Year: Winter Soiree 2024

The Program of the Year Award was given to the Winter Soiree. Held on January 25th, 2024, the In-House and Corporate Law Committees led the biggest and best Soiree to date for AABANY, successfully bringing together in-house counsel, law firm attorneys, AABANY Board members, Committee Chairs, and a record number of sponsors for this marquee event.

Member of the Year: William Lee

The Member of the Year Award was presented to William Lee for his commitment to serving the AABANY Student Outreach Committee, his steadfast leadership and mentorship, and his contribution to the advancement of AABANY’s mission, programs, and activities over the years.

Student of the Year: Joon Choe

The Student of the Year Award is new and was presented for the first time to Joon Choe, Fordham Law School, class of 2024, for giving his time to advancing AABANY’s mission, programs, and activities through his constant and trustworthy volunteer service.

Honorable Mentions: Pro Bono & Community Service Committee and Solo and Small Firm Practice Committee

An honorable mention was presented to the Pro Bono & Community Service Committee for their pro bono clinics in Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn that continue to serve an under-represented and under-resourced population, and for providing AABANY’s members with the opportunity to volunteer and support New York’s AAPI and immigrant communities.

An honorable mention was also presented to the Solo and Small Firm Committee for their unique and innovative programs and events that have benefited and enhanced the lives and experiences of AABANY members in solo and small firm practice.

Congratulations to all the honorees for the recognition of their achievements and hard work during the 2024 fiscal year.

After the presentation of awards, Karen announced the election results. The following officers were elected to serve a one-year term for the fiscal year beginning April 1, 2024 and ending March 31, 2025 (the “2025 Fiscal Year”):

Benjamin Hsing

President-Elect

Jeffrey Mok

Vice President, Programs and Operations

Ashley Shan

Vice President, Programs and Operations

Jasmine Ball

Treasurer

David Mou

Secretary

Alysha Naik

Membership Director

Varuna Bhattacharyya

Development Director

The following candidates were elected as Directors to serve two-year terms beginning on the first day of the 2025 Fiscal Year:

Christopher Bae
Vishal Chander
Grace Fu
William Hao
Gigio Ninan
Lawrence Wee
Jennifer Wu
Kevin Yam
Dwight Yoo

At the meeting, the following proposal was voted on: To amend AABANY’s by-laws to establish term limits for certain Committee Chairs by setting a four (4) year term limit for Committee Chairs, excluding Chairs of any Standing Committees, taking effect on the first day of the 2025 Fiscal Year.

This amendment was passed.

We thank everyone who attended the Annual Meeting and everyone who voted, whether by proxy or in person. Congratulations to all the newly-elected Officers and Directors.

Special thank you goes out to AABANY President-Elect Joseph Eng and the wonderful staff at King & Spalding for hosting AABANY’s 2024 Annual Meeting.

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AABANY Holds its 2023 Annual Meeting of Members at Paul, Weiss on February 15

On Wednesday, February 15, 2023, AABANY held its Annual Meeting of Members at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison.  President William Ng called the meeting to order and established quorum. The main order of business was conducting the election for the 2024 Board of Directors and Officers.

President William Ng presented the Annual Report of the Board and thanked the Board members for their service during the past year. Treasurer Evelyn Gong and Membership Director Christopher Bae presented the reports for their respective offices.

Executive Director Yang Chen presented highlights of Committee activities. 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 Terrence Shen and President-Elect Karen Kim tallied the votes.

The following awards were presented:

Committee of the Year: Intellectual Property Committee

The Intellectual Property Committee received the Committee of the Year Award for its outstanding contributions in promoting AABANY’s membership engagement and creating a vibrant community for IP law practitioners. The Committee successfully hosted several committee dinners and social events including their first concert event to see the ARKAI Duo.  At the start of 2023, the IP Committee started a new program called “Dumplings & Discussion,” the inaugural event featuring Andy Yoo, SVP & General Counsel of Savvas Learning Company.  The discussion covered topics including Andy’s role as general counsel, diversity, equity and inclusion, and his career path and trajectory.

Program of the Year: Inter-Bar Association Summer Family Day 

The Program of the Year Award was given to Christopher Bae, AABANY’s Membership Director.  On June 4, 2022, AABANY’s Membership Committee hosted an Inter-Bar Association Summer Family Day with the Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York (KALAGNY) and the South Asian Bar Association of New York (SABANY). Over fifty members and their friends and families gathered at the Major R. Owens Health & Wellness Community Center in Brooklyn to participate in spirited sports games and enjoy snacks and refreshments.

Member of the Year: Jennifer H. Wu

The Member of the Year Award was presented to Jennifer H. Wu, for her outstanding leadership inside and outside of AABANY. Within AABANY, she co-chaired the Women’s Committee and helped to put on some excellent events. She was also active in AABANY’s Anti-Asian Violence Task Force, in addition to the pro bono work she had been doing to advise and assist survivors and victims of anti-Asian violence in New York over the past couple of years. On top of all that, she co-founded her own patent litigation law firm Groombridge Wu Baughman & Stone

Congratulations to all the honorees for the recognition of their achievements and hard work during the 2023 fiscal year.

After the presentation of awards, William announced the election results. The following officers were elected and will begin their term one-year terms on April 1, 2023:

Joseph Eng, Jr.

President-Elect

Beatrice Leong

Vice President, Programs and Operations

Jeffrey Mok

Vice President, Programs and Operations

Jasmine Ball

Treasurer

Shirley Bi

Secretary

Christopher Bae

Membership Director

Varuna Bhattacharyya

Development Director

The following candidates were elected as Directors to serve two-year terms starting on April 1, 2023:

Katherine Loanzon
P. Bartlett Wu

After the election results were announced, attendees stayed to network at Paul, Weiss.  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 2024 fiscal year that begins on April 1, 2023. 

Special thank you to AABANY Director Larry Wee and the Paul, Weiss team for hosting AABANY’s 2023 Annual Meeting.

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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.

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AABANY Hosts 2021 Annual Meeting of Members on Remo

On Tuesday, February 9, 2021, AABANY held its Annual Meeting of Members on Remo. President Sapna Palla called the meeting to order and established quorum. Elections were held for the 2021 Board of Directors and Officers.

President Sapna Palla presented the Year in Review and Executive Director, Yang Chen, presented the report of the Committees. 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 Brian Song and President-Elect Terrence Shen tallied the votes.

The following officers were elected and will begin their term on April 1, 2021:

William Ng
President-Elect

Cynthia Lam
Vice President, Programs and Operations

Joe Eng
Vice President, Programs and Operations

Margaret Ling
Development Director

William Hao
Treasurer

Christopher Bae
Secretary

Beatrice Leong
Membership Director

The following candidates were elected as Directors to serve two-year terms starting on April 1, 2021:

Jasmine Ball
Jeff Ikejiri
Suzanne Kim
Chris Kwok
David Sohn
Bart Wu
Karen Yau
Andy Yoo

Congratulations to all the Officers and Directors who were elected to the Board.

The following awards were presented:

Committees of the Year: The Pro Bono and Community Service Committee and the Student Outreach Committee

For the numerous initiatives they organized to support the community during COVID-19, including Know Your Rights webinars, COVID Rent Relief Program application drives, and postering and social media campaigns to promote the Remote Pro Bono Legal Clinic and other community programs.

Program of the Year: Weekly Membership Mixers

For hosting more than 30 weekly mixers on Zoom and Remo since April 1, 2020 to provide an open space for members and non-members to share their feelings, see old friends, and make new connections.

Member of the Year: Bart Wu

For his outstanding work with the Legal Referral and Information Service, which he helped launch, and his work reviving the Solo and Small Firm Practice Committee.

Congratulations to all the honorees for the recognition of their achievements and hard work during the 2021 fiscal year.

Congratulations to the Officers and Directors elected to the Board to serve during fiscal year 2022 which commences on April 1, 2021.

We would also like to thank our members for attending and participating in the annual meeting.

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Allen & Overy Hosts AABANY’s 2020 Annual Meeting of Members

On Tuesday, February 11, 2020, AABANY held its Annual Meeting of Members at Allen & Overy. President Brian Song called the meeting to order and established quorum. Elections were held for the 2020 Board of Officers and Directors, along with a vote on bylaw revisions to clarify and extend term limits.

President Brian Song presented the Year in Review while Executive Director, Yang Chen, presented the report of the Committees. After the reports, awards were presented to honor AABANY leaders and committees for their dedication to AABANY over the past year. While these presentations were occuring, Immediate Past President James R. Cho and President-Elect Sapna Palla tallied the votes.

The following officers were elected and will begin their term on April 1, 2020:

Terrence L. Shen
President-Elect

Tiffany Miao
Vice President, Programs and Operations

David Sohn
Vice President, Programs and Operations

Margaret Ling
Development Director

William Hao
Treasurer

Christopher Bae
Secretary

Beatrice Leong
Membership Director

The following candidates were elected as Directors to serve two-year terms starting on April 1, 2020:

Jasmine Ball
Una A. Dean
Edward Y. Kim
Naf Kwun
Won Shin
Kazuko Wachter

Congratulations to all the Officers and Directors who were elected to the Board.

The bylaw revisions were passed.

The following awards were presented:

Committee of the Year: The Young Lawyers Committee

For their outstanding contributions in promoting AABANY’s mission and their service to our members and the community at large.

Program of the Year: The AABANY Trial Reenactments Project under the auspices of the Professional Development Committee 

For enhancing and contributing to public understanding and awareness of major contributions by Asian Americans to the social, political and legal history of the United States.

Member of the Year: Beatrice Leong

For her contributions to the growth of AABANY’s membership under her leadership as Membership Director.

Congratulations to all the honorees for the recognition of their achievements and hard work during the 2019 fiscal year.

We would like to thank our members for attending and participating in the annual meeting, and we also thank John Hwang and Allen & Overy for hosting the meeting in a beautiful space, treating us to a delectable selection of food and drinks.

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Congratulations to Hon. Lillian Wan, Recipient of the Brooklyn Bar Association’s Diversity Award

On Wednesday May 8, the Brooklyn Bar Association held its annual meeting on Wednesday and honored nine members of the local legal community during a ceremony at the Brooklyn Bar Association building on Remsen Street. AABANY is proud to note that its member, Hon. Lillian Wan, received the Diversity Award. Read the full article in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle here.

From Yang Chen, Executive Director:

“AABANY congratulates Justice Wan on being honored with the first-ever Diversity Award from the Brooklyn Bar Association,” states Executive Director Yang Chen. “We have followed Justice Wan’s path to the bench and her rise over the years, and we commend the Brooklyn Bar Association for recognizing her with this well-deserved honor, recognizing her role as a trailblazer in the Asian American community and as a champion of diversity and inclusion in the legal profession and the community.”

Read the full AABANY press release here.

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Call for Nominations: Secretary

AABANY thanks everyone who submitted nominations for the election taking place at the Annual Meeting scheduled for February 13, 2019. We did not receive any qualified submissions for the position of Secretary and therefore it was marked as vacant for the meeting. The Board will fill this vacancy pursuant to Section 7.05 of the bylaws. If you are interested in applying for the Secretary position, please submit your nomination materials by no later than 5:00 PM on Wednesday, March 6. Note that you may be meeting with the Nominations Committee on March 13, in the evening, so please save the date.

As set forth in the Bylaws, section 5.4 (f):

The Secretary shall:(i)  be the recording secretary of the Board, shall act as clerk, record all votes and prepare the minutes of all Board, Special and Annual meetings; (ii)  prepare all correspondence to inform the Members and the Board as to the status of all orders, votes and resolutions that call for some action or steps to be taken, give any required notice of all meetings, and inform the Board of all correspondence; (iii)  keep the seal of the organization; (iv) safeguard the indemnity insurance of the Association (see Section 4.18); (v) manage and review handbooks and manuals of the Association; and (vi) assist the other Officers in the performance of their respective duties and shall perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board or by the President.

To apply for this Officer position, please submit:
(i) a statement of interest declaring your intent to run; and
(ii) a current resume, biography or CV listing your experience and accomplishments and any honors received to date.

As part of item (i), please indicate your experience with AABANY if you have been an active member, describing any activities that you have participated in or helped to organize. If you have not been an active member in AABANY, explain what capabilities, resources, talents, skills, expertise, experience or any other contributions you would be able to make as the Secretary. Please also identify any activities indicating a dedication and commitment to issues of importance to the Asian Pacific American community.

You may email your application in Word or PDF to [email protected]. You may fax your nomination to (718) 228-7206. If you wish to submit by regular mail, it must reach AABANY by no later than close of business, March 6, at the following address: 45 Rockefeller Plaza, 20th Floor, New York, NY 10111.

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Annual Meeting of Members 2019

On Wednesday, February 13, 2019, AABANY held its Annual Meeting of Members at Wachtell Lipton. President James R. Cho called the meeting to order and established quorum. Elections were held for the 2019 Board of Officers & Directors and President James R. Cho presented the Year in Review. President James R. Cho also announced a new initiative to help AABANY law students find summer internship positions.

Executive Director, Yang Chen, presented the report of the Committees and then presented awards honoring several members and committees for their dedication to AABANY over the past year. Immediate Past President Dwight Yoo and President-Elect Brian Song tallied the votes.

The following officers were elected and will begin their term on April 1, 2019:

Sapna Palla
President-Elect

Tiffany Miao
Vice President, Programs and Operations

David Sohn
Vice President, Programs and Operations

Margaret Ling
Development Director

William Hao
Treasurer

Secretary – Vacant

Beatrice Leong
Membership Director

The following candidates were elected as Directors to serve two-year terms starting on April 1, 2019:

Dai Wai Chin Feman

Suzanne Kim

Chris Kwok

Edward Lee

Marianne Chow Newman

Terrence Shen

Andy Yoo

The following awards were presented:

Committee of the Year: The In-House Counsel Committee

For their excellent programming and activities that have benefited AABANY’s members and the community of legal professionals in New York.

Program of the Year: The AABANY Leadership Development Program

For helping to develop future leaders and contributing to the promotion of diversity and inclusion in the legal profession in New York.

Member of the Year: Edwin Kim

For his exemplary record of service and leadership as Co-Chair of the Student Outreach Committee and Labor and Employment Law Committee and in coordinating volunteers for numerous programs and events.

Congratulations to all the officers and directors who were elected to the Board.

Congratulations to all the honorees for the recognition of their achievements and hard work in 2018.

We would like to thank our members for attending and participating in the annual meeting, and we also thank Edward J. Lee and Wachtell Lipton for hosting the meeting in a beautiful space, treating us to a delectable selection of food and light refreshments.

(Thanks to AABANY Program Associate Dave Singh for the write-up and photos.)

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Call for Nominations: Membership Director

AABANY thanks everyone who submitted nominations for the election taking place at the Annual Meeting scheduled for February 13, 2019. At this time, we have not received any nominations for the Officer position of Membership Director. If you are interested in applying for this position, please submit your nomination materials by no later than 5:00 PM on Friday, December 28.

As set forth in the Bylaws, section 5.4 (g):

The Membership Director shall: (i) receive and process applications or renewals of membership, and promptly notify acceptance or non-acceptance of the same; (ii) create and maintain accurate and up-to-date records of the membership of the Association, including categorizing the Members into their respective membership categories; (iii) maintain mailing addresses for each Member and person or organization doing business with the Association; (iv) advise members when their membership will expire and request renewal of the same; (v) at the request of the President or the Board, prepare a list of Members; and (vi) assist the other Officers in the performance of their respective duties and shall perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board or by the President.

The Membership Director is supported in the above functions by AABANY staff, and per the bylaws, section 6.05, “shall be the Chair of the Membership Committee.  The Membership Committee shall develop recommendations for programs and services that will meet the needs of the membership and encourage new Members to join the Association. The Membership Committee shall assist with the provision of general membership functions, such as application, renewal, and notice of expiration of membership.”

To apply for this Officer position, please submit:
(i) a statement of interest declaring your intent to run; and
(ii) a current resume, biography or CV listing your experience and accomplishments and any honors received to date.

As part of item (i), please indicate your experience with AABANY if you have been an active member, describing any activities that you have participated in or helped to organize. If you have not been an active member in AABANY, explain what capabilities, resources, talents, skills, expertise, experience or any other contributions the Membership Director. Please also identify any activities indicating a dedication and commitment to issues of importance to the Asian Pacific American community.

You may email your application in Word or PDF to [email protected]. You may fax your nomination to (718) 228-7206. If you wish to submit by regular mail, it must reach AABANY by no later than close of business, December 28, at the following address:

Best wishes for a happy holiday season!

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AABANY at the Trial of Two Pizzas and the Heart Mountain Trial Reenactment

At the Trial of Two Pizzas, to be held during the ABA Annual Meeting in New York City starting on August 10, an old rivalry will be put to rest at last. Both New York thin crust pizza and Chicago deep dish pizza are well-loved, but only one can be the best. Presided by AABANY-member Hon. Doris Ling-Cohan, the Trial of Two Pizzas will take place at the New York Hilton Midtown on Thursday, August 10th. 

The Trial of Two Pizzas is included in the CLE in the City Series, as part of the ABA Annual Meeting. Both ABA and non-ABA members can sign up for just $25 per program, and every program comes with access to the Trial of Two Pizzas on August 10th. 

Beyond the Trial of Two Pizzas, CLE in the City participants can partake in programs from twelve ABA tracks on topics ranging from family law to the United Nations, from Thursday, August 10th to Friday, August 11th. Earn up to 4.5 CLE credits, meet lawyers from around the world, and benefit from programs held at top law firms and venues throughout Manhattan. AABANY will be performing a reenactment of the Heart Mountain Draft Resisters Trial on August 10th from 2:00 to 3:30 PM at Fordham Law School as part of CLE in the City.

For more information, click here. 

Register here using the promo code “LAP” to sign up for CLE in the City for only $25 per program. We hope to see you there!

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