On July 28, 2022, Co-Vice Presidents of Programs & Operations Joseph Eng, Jr. and Beatrice Leong hosted the Second Quarterly Committee Co-Chairs Meeting at King & Spalding. The Quarterly Meetings are a chance for all Co-Chairs, whether new or well-experienced, to learn about their roles as leaders in AABANY, brainstorm on future events and CLEs, and learn best practices.
The Co-Chairs were joined by the following Board members: President Will Ng, Membership Director Christopher Bae, Treasurer Evelyn Gong, Secretary Shirley Bi, Director of Technology Francis Chin and Board Directors Gigio Ninan and William Hao as well as Executive Director Yang Chen via video.
23 committees each sent a Chair to represent their group, share their thoughts, and collaborate with different committees. Immediately following the Committee Co-Chairs meeting was AABANY’s Membership Open House. To read more about AABANY’s Membership Open House, please click here.
Thank you to King & Spalding LLP for hosting AABANY’s FY2023 Q2 Committee Chair Meeting and Open House, and for providing food and beverages throughout the night!
On Wednesday, June 29, 2022, AABANY’s In-House Counsel Committee held its annual Summer Soiree at the Castell Rooftop Lounge located atop AC Hotel New York Times Square. The beautiful midtown skyline served as the perfect backdrop to a memorable night filled with hors d’oeuvres, a variety of drinks, wines, cocktails, and many conversations. Around 100 senior in-house lawyers and senior law firm attorneys and partners attended the networking event. This was the first Summer Soiree held in person since 2019, with the 2020 soiree being canceled due to COVID-19, and the 2021 soiree held over Zoom at the beginning of 2022 as the Winter Soiree. Everyone seemed happy to be gathering in person again for this popular event.
Photo by Karen Zhou
Attendees discussed various topics ranging from career pivots during the pandemic to favorite pastimes and hobbies. While munching on mini lobster rolls and sipping curated cocktails, attendees also heard from AABANY’s Co-VP of Programs and Operations, Beatrice Leong, In-House Counsel Committee Co-Chair, Blossom Kan, and Immediate Past President, Terry Shen. Some spectacular photographs from the night taken by Karen Zhou can be found linked here.
The attendees formed a diverse cohort, representing 74 companies across industries, including Apple, Meta, Johnson & Johnson, McKinsey & Company, Inc., and top global and regional law firms.
Photo by Karen Zhou
We thank and acknowledge the following sponsors for helping us make this event possible:
Thank you to all our attendees, and we hope to see everyone again at next year’s Summer Soiree. To learn more about the In-House Counsel Committee go to: https://www.aabany.org/page/149
On June 23, 2022, at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, the League of United Latin American Citizens of New York (LULAC NY) honored AABANY for its work in fighting Anti-Asian violence.
For 93 years, LULAC has been fighting for the civil rights of the Latin American community. The Director of LULAC NY, Aureo Ivan Cardona, spoke on the importance of teaming up with other organizations to fight injustice and hate, because any group could be the next victim or scapegoat.
LULAC presented President William Ng with a beautiful wood-carved plaque that says “Stop the Hate… Tolerate.” Joining Will at the reception were Beatrice Leong, Co-VP of Programs and Operations, Shirley Bi, Secretary, and Will Hao, Board Director.
AABANY thanks LULAC NY for bestowing this honor and recognizing AABANY’s anti-Asian violence work.
On May 28, 2022, the Membership Committee hosted a #RestaurantSeries lunch at Louie’s Pizza. AABANY is trying to support small Asian owned businesses and restaurants through our Restaurant Series, which will be held twice a month. In this case, we wanted to recognize the father and son duo, Cazim and Louie, for coming to the aid of an AAPI woman being robbed and attacked in front of their pizza store. The father and son stepped in for the woman, chased her assailants, and detained two of the suspects until the police arrived. Cazim and Louie received a combined ten stab wounds and each suffered collapsed lungs.
AABANY members enjoyed many pizza pies, from plain cheese to a variety of toppings. AABANY President William Ng came by with his son Justin. When co-owner Louie Suljovic came by to our tables to drop off a pie, he asked Will what high school he went to and mentioned that he looked “very familiar.” Will then thought about it for a minute and it dawned on him that he and Louie played basketball together in middle school in Queens. Small world! Karen Lin, AABANY member and candidate for Judge of the Civil Court in Queens also joined us with her husband and three sons. They spent their morning handing out campaign literature to help Karen become the first East Asian woman elected to be a judge in Queens. Read more about Karen in this profile: https://blog.aabany.org/2022/05/17/aabany-member-profile-karen-lin-runs-for-queens-civil-court-judge/.
We concluded the lunch by celebrating AABANY Vice President of Programming and Operations Beatrice Leong’s birthday with a cake from Martha’s Country Bakery in Bayside. We kicked off Beatrice’s birthday weekend with a rousing round of “Happy Birthday!”
Thank you to those who came out! Our next #RestaurantSeries will be at Lil Chef Mama. Enjoy a delicious Thai-fusion dinner with the Membership and Solo and Small Firm Practice Committees while supporting a local Asian-owned business. Dinner includes shared appetizers and an individual entree.
We hope you will join us on June 9 at 7pm at Lil Chef Mama (27 Cliff Street, Manhattan).
On July 12, 2021, AABANY Membership Director Beatrice Leong was interviewed by Stefanie O’ Connell Rodriguez on Real Simple Magazine‘s “Money Confidential” podcast. During the interview, which was broadcasted on all major podcast streaming sites, Beatrice, who is a divorce lawyer, discussed the benefits of obtaining a prenuptial agreement before marriage.
The interview talks about the practicality of a “prenup” and the stigmas tied to obtaining one. To hear more about prenups, click on the following links:
William Ng, President-Elect of AABANY, was recently featured in Binghamton University’s April 2021 Alumni Newsletter. In the article titled “Alumnus Leads Bar Association, Combats Racism,” William discussed AABANY’s mission of ensuring meaningful participation of Asian Americans in the legal profession. He also highlighted AABANY’s leadership in addressing the rise of hate and violence against the Asian American community. As President-Elect, William looks forward to prioritizing fundraising and ramping up virtual programs to position AABANY for success in a post-pandemic environment. Speaking about his time at Binghamton, William ’04 credits his experience serving in the Student Association and as a Student Conduct Board Member to furthering his interest in law.
The newsletter also acknowledges other Binghamton alumni who have served or currently serve on the AABANY Board:
Yang Chen ’87, Executive Director
Linda Lin ‘00, Past President
William Wang ’00, Past President
Bobby Liu ’93, Former Board Member
Christopher Bae ’10, Secretary
Beatrice Leong ‘06, Membership Director
To read the full article on Binghamton University’s Alumni Newsletter, click here.
On June 12 2020, the Membership Committee hosted their weekly Zoom Membership Mixer, with 19 participants in attendance. The icebreaker question posed to the participants was: “What is a motivational or inspirational moment or story that sticks out in your mind?” Members reported some favorite quotes: “I’m not saying I’m gonna change the world, but I guarantee that I will spark the brain that will change the world.” (Tupac); “Tomorrow’s world is yours to build.” (Yuri Kochiyama); “The people who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.” (Steve Jobs). Other members recalled moments with mentors which stayed with them. One partner told a young associate: “Speak up for what you want, you have to ask.” “There is the argument you prepare, the argument you make and the arguments you wish you made.” “Learn from your mistakes.” “Apply to every scholarship and opportunity and you can reach your goals.”
The Membership Committee previously hosted Monthly Mixers at bars, ballparks, stadiums, operas, etc, but due to COVID, we have moved online to offer members a weekly outlet to share their feelings, see old friends, and make new connections. Mixers start at 6:30pm on Friday and the main event ends at 7:30pm but feel free to stay on after 7:30pm for smaller breakout groups.
This week, after the main mixer, a breakout group of 6 members stayed to discuss the upcoming elections, civil unrest and the latest news.
We are giving away door prizes in some weeks. In order to win, you must be a member and must RSVP on the aabany.org calendar entry to get a raffle number. Non-members can join the Zoom mixer but won’t be eligible to win a prize. Congratulations to Chris Kwok for winning a PBS Passport subscription this week!
On June 5, 2020, the Membership Committee hosted their weekly Zoom Membership Mixer, with 25 participants in attendance. The icebreaker question posed to the participants was: “Who is your favorite villain from television, movies, or literature?” Members reported their favorite villains as Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader of Star Wars, Khan Noonien Singh of Star Trek, Professor Moriarty from Sherlock Holmes, Negan from Walking Dead, Cersei Lannister from Game of Thrones, Tony Soprano, Jack the Ripper, Agent Smith of Matrix, Mother Nature in Disney films, Bridget Gregory of the Last Seduction, Thanos in Marvel Universe, Maleficent of Sleeping Beauty, Hannibal Lecter, and Joker in Batman (both Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger).
The Membership Committee previously hosted Monthly Mixers at bars, ballparks, stadiums, operas, etc. but due to COVID, we have moved online to offer members a weekly outlet to share their feelings, see old friends, and make new connections. Mixers start at 6:30pm on Friday and the main event ends at 7:30pm but feel free to stay on after 7:30pm for smaller breakout groups.
This week, after the main mixer, a breakout group of 12 members stayed to discuss anti-Asian hate crimes in the age of COVID, and the current protests happening in response to the death of George Floyd.
We are giving away door prizes in some weeks. In order to win, you must be a member and must RSVP on the calendar entry for the mixer to get a raffle number. Non-members can join the Zoom mixer but won’t be eligible to win a prize. Congratulations to Kevin Hsi for winning an Amazon gift card this week!
On May 29, 2020, the Membership Committee hosted their weekly Zoom Mixer Membership Mixer, with 29 participants in attendance. In honor of Membership Director Beatrice Leong’s birthday, the icebreaker question posed to the participants was: “What was your favorite or most memorable birthday memory or gift?” The overwhelming answer by most participants was “getting drunk on their 21st birthday.” Other answers included a one-week alcohol bender, birthday parties in McDonald’s with childhood crushes, Tokyo birthdays, birthdays where members took the LSAT and passed the bar exam. Members’ favorite gifts included a Voltron toy, a song written in their honor, and a 3D printed toy of the member’s likeness.
This mixer featured Trivia Night hosted by Sal Chan. Sal is Chief of Operations at the trial boutique Mukasey Frenchman & Sklaroff. Thank you, Sal! Anyone interested in joining Zoom trivia nights every Thursday can email Sal at [email protected].
We had enough attendees to form four teams. Three of the teams stayed through two full rounds of quetstions. The winning team was “Taking Back Monday.” Congratulations to team members Andrew Kao, Puja Sharma, Kevin Hsi and William Lim. During the game, we encouraged participants to donate to a fund, with the winning team getting to pick which charity or cause they wished to support. Taking Back Mondays kindly agreed to donate to AABANY’s Pro Bono Clinic. Thank you, Taking Back Mondays!
The Membership Committee previously hosted Monthly Mixers at bars, ballparks, stadiums, operas, etc., but due to COVID, we moved online to offer members a weekly outlet to share their feelings, see old friends, and make new connections. Mixers start at 6:30pm on Friday and the main event ends at 7:30pm but people have stayed on after 7:30pm for smaller breakout groups.
We are giving away door prizes during some weeks. In order to win, you must be a member and must RSVP on aabany.org to get a raffle number. Non-members can join the Zoom mixer but won’t be eligible to win a prize. Mixers are not recorded, and are LIVE, so don’t miss out.
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.
