AABANY Asia Practice Committee Hosts U.S.–China Legal Elite Dialogue Forum & Dinner

On April 29, 2026, AABANY’s Asia Practice Committee successfully hosted the U.S.–China Legal Elite Dialogue Forum & Dinner in New York City, bringing together approximately 75 attorneys, legal professionals, and business leaders for an afternoon of insightful discussion and cross-border engagement.

Held at Club 135 by Industrious, the forum convened leading practitioners across the U.S. and China to examine the evolving legal and business landscape shaping cross-border transactions and disputes. The program featured keynote presentations and a dynamic panel discussion focused on the theme: “How U.S. and Chinese lawyers can create value for cross-border business under the new global landscape.”

The panel brought together an accomplished group of practitioners, including Hardy Zhou, Tax Attorney at Cooley LLP and Co-Chair of AABANY’s Asia Practice Committee, and Genny Ngai, Partner at Morrison Cohen LLP and Co-Chair of AABANY’s Litigation Committee. Moderated by Haiyan Tang, Managing Partner at Quinn Emanuel Shanghai, the discussion explored the increasing complexity of cross-border legal work, including heightened regulatory requirements, shifting investment trends, and the need for closer collaboration between U.S. and Chinese counsel.

Panelists shared practical perspectives on how lawyers can deliver value in this environment—ranging from structuring transactions and managing risk to navigating disputes and aligning multi-jurisdictional strategies.

The forum also featured keynote remarks from Yang Chen, the Executive Director of AABANY and Chris M. Kwok, Mediator at JAMS and Co-Chair of AABANY’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee, and other distinguished speakers across corporate, litigation, and dispute resolution practices, providing attendees with a well-rounded view of current developments in U.S.–China legal relations.

Following the formal program, participants continued their conversations during a networking reception and dinner, fostering meaningful connections and further strengthening the AABANY community.

AABANY extends its sincere thanks to all speakers, organizers, and attendees for contributing to the success of this event. The Asia Practice Committee looks forward to continuing to facilitate dialogue and collaboration among legal professionals engaged in cross-border practice.

-Written by Hardy Zhou, Co-Chair, AABANY’s Asia Practice Committee

April 20, 2026April 20, 2026

AABANY and SABANY Co‑Sponsor JAMS CLE Program on “The Mediation Process: What Works, What Fails, and Why?”

On April 16, JAMS hosted a CLE program titled “The Mediation Process: What Works, What Fails, and Why?,” co‑sponsored by AABANY and SABANY. The program drew a highly engaged audience and generated thoughtful, practical discussion among the panelists. Attendees remained actively involved throughout, contributing questions and insights that enriched the session.

AABANY’s ADR Committee Co‑Chairs, Chris M. Kwok (JAMS) and Rachel Ji-Young Yoo (Yoo Law Group), attended the program in their official capacity. During his opening remarks, Chris — who also serves as a JAMS Neutral — emphasized the importance of increasing visibility and opportunities for Asian mediators and neutrals within the dispute resolution field. His message resonated strongly with participants and set a meaningful tone for the program.

The distinguished panel of ADR professionals included former jurists and seasoned practitioners focused on how to maximize settlement opportunities and avoid impasse in mediation. In addition to Chris Kwok and Rachel Ji-Young Yoo, the panel featured Erica Barrow (BakerHostetler), Rachel A. Gupta (JAMS), Hon. Jeffrey K. Oing (Ret.), and Hon. Anil C. Singh (Ret.). The interactive panel discussion, designed for professionals at all stages of their ADR careers, offered tangible best practices and approaches designed to help navigate the mediation landscape. We are grateful for the presenters who shared best practices and effective solutions for preparing a case, designing client-centered processes, and navigating challenges and professionalism in the most challenging mediation matters.

We extend our appreciation to JAMS for hosting this timely and informative CLE program, and to SABANY for joining AABANY in co‑sponsoring the event. We appreciated the opportunity to participate alongside distinguished colleagues committed to advancing excellence, inclusion, and diversity in mediation practice.

– Written by Rachel Ji-Young Yoo, Co-Chair, AABANY’s ADR Committee

March 3, 2025March 3, 2025

2025 NAPABA Convention Call for Programs

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2025 NAPABA Convention Call for Programs

Deadline to Submit: March 14, 2025 at 8:00 pm ET

Beyond our outstanding CLE sessions, the NAPABA Convention offers specialty programming designed to provide hands-on, in-depth learning from top experts. These immersive workshops go beyond the basics, equipping participants with practical skills and actionable insights to advance their careers.

We’re seeking proposals for these dynamic specialty tracks:

International Law Symposium – Dive into global legal topics like IP, national security, and dispute resolution with diplomats, judges, and business leaders. Presented by the International Law Committee on Thursday.
Young Lawyers Workshop – Designed for early to mid-career attorneys, tackling real-world challenges like work-life balance and career growth. Presented by the Young Lawyers Network on Thursday.
Solo & Small Firm Boot Camp – Tailored for solo and small firm practitioners, covering business development, firm expansion, and legal strategy. Presented by the Solo & Small Firm Committee on Thursday.
Law Student Workshop – A two-day boot camp helping law students develop essential career skills through interactive sessions and expert-led discussions.

Have an idea? Submit a proposal and bring your expertise to Denver! Learn more, check out FAQs, and review a model proposal.

Review Requirements & Submission Instructions for All Programs

Download Our Submission Criteria Quick Reference Guide

March 21, 2014

AABANY Co-sponsors: Achieving Diversity in ADR

The AABANY Litigation Committee encourages anyone interested in pursuing a career as a neutral (arbitrator, mediator, etc.), and, in particular, learning about the specific advantages and challenges as a person of color, to attend the New York State Bar Association’s program entitled, “Achieving Diversity in the ADR Field: Overcoming Old Challenges and Seeking New Opportunities.” The program will be held on Tuesday, March 25th from 5:30-9:00 p.m. and, because AABANY is a participating and sponsoring bar association, the program will offer 2.5 FREE NY CLE credits in Skills to all AABANY members. A panel of renowned ADR providers, scholars, and administrators will discuss their practices for recruiting and selecting neutrals, the efforts they have undertaken to diversify their rosters of neutrals, and their efforts to further expose the users of their ADR services to racially and ethnically diverse panels of arbitrators and mediators. Another panel, moderated by AABANY member Theo Cheng, and comprising distinguished ADR neutrals, will provide perspectives on how to navigate a successful career as a neutral; recommending specific networking, marketing, and promotional activities; discussing how best to leverage diversity issues; and providing practical tips for increasing the opportunities for being selected as a neutral. Finally, there will be a discussion about strategies for addressing cross cultural issues in dispute resolution, followed by a networking reception. For more information go to http://bit.ly/nysbareg.

P.S. For those of you who are experiencing difficulties registering via the NYSBA’s website, you can alternatively send an email to Beth Gould at bgould@nysba.org with your full contact information (name, address, email, phone number), indicating that you are a member of AABANY. She will handle registering you for the event.

December 12, 2013

Advisory Council Proposes New Accelerated Adjudication Procedure | New York Commercial Litigation Insider

Vincent Chang, AABANY member, past president and Co-Chair of the Judiciary Committee, was quoted in a New York Commercial Litigation Insider article entitled “Advisory Council Proposes New Accelerated Adjudication Procedure.” Congratulations, Vince!

Vincent Chang, a partner at Wollmuth Maher & Deutsche and chair of the Federal Courts Committee at New York County Lawyers’ Association, agrees that cost is a huge issue for parties.

“There’s a concern in both state and federal courts that litigation is too costly and that a lot of cases that don’t have a huge amount at stake can’t be litigated fully and completely because of the cost and burden of litigation and e-discovery,” he said.

Moreover, Chang, who is not a member of the advisory council but has read the proposed rule, said the amendment offers “a creative solution” to parties who are drafting contracts and don’t want to upset the cooperative spirit.

“Because they avoid the topic [of dispute litigation procedures], often the clauses that appear in contracts are not well-drafted. Sometimes they’re ambiguous, sometimes they don’t cover as many situations as they should,” Chang said. “This regime would impose a very specific dispute resolution procedure and would avoid a lot of controversy about what the clause means.”