Tag: corporate

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From the Courtroom to the C-Suite: Lessons from Linda Lu, Chief Legal and Risk Officer, Zip Co Limited

On April 29, 2026, AABANY’s In-House Counsel Committee hosted a fireside chat with Linda Lu, Chief Legal and Risk Officer of Zip Co Limited, at offices of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. Over 40 attendees gathered to hear Lu discuss her 25-year career across prominent financial services and insurance companies, offering insights into reaching the top as an Asian American woman.

Moderated by Dwight Yoo, Partner at Skadden and AABANY Board Director, the conversation covered Lu’s strategic career pivots, self-promotion, identity in corporate settings, and the role of AI in law. Lu structured her retrospective in reverse, starting with her current role at Zip, drawn by its female leadership and “low ego” culture. She recounted leaving TransUnion after a promised CLO succession plan failed for the second time in her career, reinforcing the need to remain open to outside opportunities.

Earlier, at Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, Lu transitioned from Chief Litigation Officer to General Counsel for the largest business unit after mentors stressed the need for CLOs to understand the business. This period, marked by intense corporate politics, shaped her “integrity line” philosophy—the point where a professional must decide if a workplace battle compromises personal values.

Lu introduced the PIE model for career advancement: Performance (10%), Image (30%), and Exposure (60%). She cautioned that brilliance without exposure is insufficient. Lu also addressed the specific challenges she faced as an Asian American woman, including being mistaken for a court reporter, and shared a moment of “overcorrecting” with aggressive assertiveness. She emphasized that the integrity line is a personal threshold for deciding when to leave a toxic environment.

Regarding leadership, Lu distinguished between the operational work of an individual contributor and the strategy and influence of a leader, warning that promotion means less substantive legal work. On the subject of sponsorship, which was a recurring theme in diversity conversations, Linda offered practical guidance. She suggested to the audience to take risks, raise their hand, and above all, make their boss look good. Sponsors are not recruited through eloquent requests, they are earned through visible and reliable performance that reflects well on the people above you.

Lu also shared the personal costs of her ambition, including returning to work six weeks after her first child’s birth—a mistake that she believed set an unhealthy precedent. Perhaps the most poignant moment of the evening involved Lu’s reflections on the personal trade-offs of her career trajectory. She recounted an episode when her second-grade son won a school contest for a story that was later staged as a play. Arriving early to secure a front-row seat, Lu expected a whimsical performance. The play, entitled My Day at the Zoo, began with a mother turning away from her child to answer a work call, leading to the boy getting lost. While the narrative eventually shifted toward a happy ending with talking animals, the image of the mother’s distraction remained a haunting symbol of the professional struggles and the “integrity line” Lu negotiated throughout her journey as a parent and a leader.

The discussion concluded with AI. Lu reported that Zip uses AI tools company-wide with a policy of no headcount reduction associated with use of the technology. She views AI as accelerating “Performance” but unable to replace human judgment, trust, and relationship-building. Her final message was: “People who use AI will survive more than people who don’t.”

The evening closed with further networking. AABANY’s In-House Counsel Committee thanked Linda Lu for her candor and Skadden for hosting. To learn more about AABANY’s In-House Counsel Committee, click here. 

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AABANY Hosts Dumplings & Discussion Series Featuring Grace Fu 

On March 25, AABANY was delighted to host another engaging installment of the Dumplings & Discussion series, featuring Grace Fu, Chief Legal and Administrative Officer of Nanit—and this year’s AABANY Annual Dinner honoree for the Corporate Leadership Award. The evening, which took place at the New York office of Fish & Richardson, was filled with candid conversation, thoughtful insights, and, of course, delicious dumplings.

Grace generously shared her career journey, reflecting on the decisions that shaped her path. She touched on her professional growth, navigating change, and lessons learned along the way. Grace shared what went into her decisions each time she changed careers into a different field, while carrying many essential skills with her along the path of her journey. Grace also touched upon working as a woman in the legal field, citing advice she was given in her career. Grace’s openness and authenticity resonated deeply with attendees at all stages of their careers.

We are incredibly grateful to Grace for taking the time to join us and for sharing her insights so generously. Her perspective and experiences made for a memorable and inspiring discussion.

Thank you as well to everyone who attended and helped make the evening such a success. We look forward to continuing the Dumplings & Discussion series with more opportunities to connect, learn, and engage with one another.

—Written by Jeffrey Mok, AABANY Board Director and Co-Chair of AABANY’s Intellectual Property Committee

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AABANY Hosts Dumplings & Discussion Fireside Chat with Sonia Low

On Wednesday, July 30, AABANY hosted one of its most highly attended Dumplings & Discussion events to date, featuring Sonia Low, Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Held at the New York offices of Fish & Richardson in Times Square, the event drew 40 attendees—a diverse and engaged crowd of law students, practicing attorneys, and even family members of AABANY members.

The room was filled to capacity, with attendees lining up along the back wall to listen in on the candid discussion. In an insightful conversation moderated by Jeff Mok, Principal at Fish & Richardson and AABANY Board Director, Sonia shared her journey to Javits, reflecting on her early inspiration to pursue law and experiences in previous corporate roles. She also spoke about the evolving nature of the workplace, the importance of adaptability, and what it means to lead with authenticity and purpose.

Among the attendees was David Feeser, VP of Business Development at 1031 Specialists, who brought along his wife, Te-Hsing Niu, and their 12-year-old daughter. “I wanted my daughter to hear firsthand how people don’t always follow a straight path,” David shared. “Sonia’s story showed her that it’s okay to go through a variety of career changes before finding where you’re meant to be.” 

Following the discussion, attendees stayed for a relaxed networking reception. Over plates of shrimp har gow, black bean chicken, and other delicious bites, seasoned practitioners and young aspiring lawyers discussed a range of reflections on the fireside chat and their own experiences in the legal field.

AABANY extends its deepest thanks to Sonia Low for her candor and generosity, and to Fish & Richardson for graciously hosting the event. We’re grateful to everyone who joined us for such a vibrant and memorable evening.

Keep an eye out on the AABANY calendar for the next Dumplings & Discussion event!

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AABANY and RAINY Host Summer Happy Hour at Albert’s Bar

On Wednesday, July 23, AABANY’s Commercial Bankruptcy & Restructuring Committee partnered with Restructuring and Insolvency Network New York (RAINY) to host a Summer Happy Hour at Albert’s Bar in Midtown Manhattan.

Over 30 professionals from both the legal and business sides of restructuring came together over drinks to network, catch up with colleagues, and meet new faces in the field. The crowd was filled with a range of people, from journalists studying for the LSAT to business school graduates with long-standing careers in restructuring.

Alex Xiao, the organizer from RAINY, described the mixer as a simple but meaningful way to connect people across the industry. The strong turnout and energetic atmosphere proved just how valuable these informal gatherings can be.

AABANY is proud to support opportunities that bring together practitioners across sectors and practice areas. Many thanks to RAINY for co-hosting, and to everyone who joined us for a great summer evening in Midtown.

To learn more about the Commercial Bankruptcy and Restructuring Committee and how you can get involved, go here.

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AABANY Hosts “The Surge in Anti-Asian Violence: Corporate Social Responsibility and Action” on April 9

On April 9, 2021, AABANY and a coalition of bar associations from across the country presented a CLE program titled, “The Surge in Anti-Asian Violence: Corporate Social Responsibility and Action.” About 500 attendees from all across the United States joined an esteemed panel of corporate in-house leaders in a discussion on how corporate employers can address the surge in anti-Asian violence and support their Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) employees. The panel included:

  • Sara Yang Bosco, Senior Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel, Emerson
  • Sam Khichi, Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Public Policy & Regulatory Affairs, Becton, Dickinson and Company
  • Sandra Leung, Executive Vice President & General Counsel, Bristol Myers Squibb
  • Allen Lo, Vice President and Deputy General Counsel Products, IP, and Legal Operations, Facebook
  • Susan Moon, Principal Counsel, The Walt Disney Company
  • Caroline Tsai, Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary, Western Union
  • Michael C. Wu (Moderator), GAPABA Board Member

Moderator Michael Wu began the panel discussion by describing how the coronavirus pandemic has become a virus of hate, with the increase of violence and hate crimes against Asian Americans. To add to this, Sara Bosco emphasized the importance of reporting and providing visibility to these incidents and stated, “You cannot manage what you cannot measure.” Asian Americans comprise 6% of the United States population, yet have been historically overlooked despite being part of U.S. history since the 1800s. Due to Asian Americans being viewed as perpetual foreigners and the model minority, coupled with the inaccurate information disseminated about the origins of the pandemic in 2020, Asian Americans have been perceived as an easier target to perpetrators of anti-Asian violence.

When asked how Corporate America should address anti-Asian violence, many of the panelists shared initiatives their workplaces started and gave suggestions on what companies can do. A main focus of the panelists was discussing how Asian employees can be supported in the workplace. To create a supportive environment, companies should reach out to AAPI employees and create an AAPI employee resource group in the workplace if there is not one already. Even if the organization does not have many AAPI employees, it is important for AAPI employees to meet others to increase their circle and build a larger voice. In addition, mental health resources and allyship training should be offered to employees within the workplace’s HR department. Panelists also agreed that not only should the diversity officers in the company address anti-Asian violence, but even CEOs need to speak up and make statements to show support for the AAPI community.

As individuals in the AAPI legal community, Sandra Leung said, “We are in a crisis situation right now with the rise of anti-AAPI hate, but it’s also an opportunity for us to band together to do our part individually or collectively in groups. We have to turn the emotion and anger that we have into action.” She further emphasized that we need to take leadership roles, speak loud, and educate people on anti-AAPI hate. In discussing leadership roles, Sandra Leung remarked, “I feel so compelled right now and so moved by everything we are facing in our community that I would love to run for President-Elect of NAPABA…” AABANY applauds Sandra Leung’s intent to run during these critical times and agrees that we have to continue working collectively to address anti-Asian violence.

Thank you to Sara Yang Bosco, Sam Khichi, Sandra Leung, Allen Lo, Susan Moon, Caroline Tsai, and Michael Wu for this important discussion on anti-Asian violence and corporate social responsibility. Non-transitional New York attorneys were eligible to receive a maximum of 1.5 CLE credit hours applied toward the Diversity, Inclusion, and Elimination of Bias requirement. CLE credits were also approved in California and Colorado, and CPE credits were approved in British Columbia and Ontario. CLE credits have been applied for in Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas, and are pending approval. To view a recording of the program, click here or on the image above.

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Ascend National Convention in New York City: 8/27-29

Ascend National Convention in New York City: 8/27-29

Ascend logo

Ascend is the premier non-profit professional association dedicated to enabling its members, corporate partners and the community to realizing the leadership potential of Pan-Asians in global corporations.

Ascend has 5,000+ members with 37 professional and student chapters located in major business hubs and campuses. Ascend membership is open to individuals of all ethnicities and business backgrounds.

The theme of the convention is “Competing in a Borderless World."  It takes place at the New York Hilton.  Although the organization and event seem to be geared towards APAs in the corporate sector, "aspiring professionals, managers and executives, at all levels, in any industry” are encouraged to attend.  For lawyers to network with other professionals is not a bad idea.  A Corporate and Career Fair takes place all day on Monday.  It might be worth checking out.

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