Don Liu Archives - WE Blog @ AABANY

October 26, 2026November 10, 2026

Look for These AABANY Members and Leaders at the NAPABA Convention in Los Angeles!

Are you attending the NAPABA Convention on November 12-14, 2026 in Los Angeles this year? Check out some of these events and programs at which you can find AABANY members and leaders while you are there!

This list will be periodically updated as we get new information about AABANY member participation, so check back here for updates.

You can find the full Convention agenda here.

Panels

Thursday, November 12, 2026

1:00 PM-2:15 PM PT

Solo & Small Firm Boot Camp 1 | Scaling Your Practice: Partnerships, Mergers, and Exit Strategies for Solo & Small Firm Lawyers.

AABANY Board Director and Issues Committee Co-Chair Vishal Chander and AABANY Board Director Jennifer Wu will be on this panel.

2:45 PM-4:00 PM

Public Sector Network Workshop 2 | Public Interest Lawyering in the Age of Trump 2.0.

AABANY Academic Committee Co-Chair Dennis Fan will be on this panel.

Solo & Small Firm Boot Camp 2 | Cutting Through the Hype: Practical AI Implementation for Solo & Small Law Firms

AABANY Board Director and Issues Committee Co-Chair Vishal Chander will be on this panel.

Friday, November 13, 2026

9:00 AM-10:15 AM PT

Shark Tank Part IV: The GC Hot Seat — Live Pitch Coaching and Business Development Mastery

AABANY Past President and member Susan Shin is the moderator. AABANY member Allen Lo and former AABANY Director and former member Steve Chung will be on this panel.
Sign Up To Deliver a Live Pitch: Attorneys interested in pitching to the GC panel: register here. Advance sign-ups receive priority; participation depends on avaialble time.

10:45 AM-12:00 PM

General Counsel Roundtable

AABANY In-House Counsel Committee Co-Chair David Sohn and AABANY member Michael Wu will be co-moderating this panel, and a number of GCs from AABANY, including Don Liu and Allen Lo will be speaking.

Law Student Workshop 2 | Breaking Into Public Interest and Impact-Driven Advocacy: Strategies for Finding Purpose-Driven Legal Careers

AABANY members Louise Lingat and Professor Rose C. Cuison-Villazor will be on this panel.

Hate Crimes in the COVID‑19 Era and Beyond: The Unfinished Work Facing Attorneys, Advocates, Government, and Society

AABANY Board Director Jennifer Wu will be on this panel.

Behind the Curtain: What Really Happens in Mediation and Arbitration

AABANY Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee Co-Chair Chris Kwok will be on this panel.

12:00 PM-1:30 PM

Mainstage Event: Friday Plenary Luncheon: A Conversation with Min Jin Lee and Don Liu

AABANY member Don Liu will be moderating. AABANY Board Director Jennifer Wu will introduce the speakers. Her firm, Groombridge, Wu, Baughman & Stone, LLP is sponsoring this luncheon.

2:00 PM-3:15 PM PT

“Concededly Loyal”: Ex Parte Mitsuye Endo

This is the newest AABANY Trial Re-Enactment, presented for the first time at NAPABA. AABANY members Hon. Denny Chin and Kathy Hirata Chin will be narrating this reenactment, along with a cast featuring many AABANY members.

Dueling Experts: Inside the Damages Battles That Decide High-Stakes Litigation

AABANY Past President and member Brian Song will be on this panel.

Hyper Velocity, Higher Stakes: Mitigating Early Tenure Risk for General Counsel

AABANY member Don Liu will be on this panel.

Saturday, November 14, 2026

9:00 AM-10:15 AM PT

AI in the Crosshairs: Generative AI, Intellectual Property, and the Global Technology Threat

AABANY Past President and member Sapna Palla, and NAPABA incoming President-Elect, will be on this panel.

10:45 AM-12:00 PM PT

Still Under Watch: The China Initiative’s Lasting Impact on Asian American Workers, Academics, and Advocates

AABANY Board Director and Issues Committee Co-Chair Rachel Lee will be on this panel.

Awards

Friday, November 13

Daniel K. Inouye Trailblazer Award at the Trailblazer Awards Reception

AABANY member Hugh Mo will be honored.

Saturday, November 14

Awards Luncheon

In-House Counsel Leadership: AABANY Past President and member Linda Lin will be honored.
Women’s Leadership: AABANY member Anushree Bagrodia will be honored.

Receptions

AABANY at NAPABA: Get Together at Lazy Dog: Register here. The event is now at capacity but you can still sign up to be on the waitlist until Nov 11.

When:	Friday, November 13, 20264:00pm – 6:00pm
Where:	Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar800 W Olympic Blvd A-180Los Angeles, California

From former Board Director and AABANY member Will Hao:

University of Michigan Alumni Reception

Friday, November 13th, from 6-7pm

Reception open to all University of Michigan alumni. Come join your fellow Wolverines and kick off the conference! Sponsored by 5Gambit and Alston & Bird. Go Blue!

From Board Director Jennifer Wu:

Reception hosted by North American Taiwanese Bar Association

Saturday, November 14^th, from 2-4pm

18 Social at Hotel Indigo, located a short walk from the JW Marriott (899 Francisco St, Los Angeles, CA 90017)

Committee Meetings

Government Enforcement and Compliance Committee

AABANY Members Yi Liu (NYC Law Department), Anden Chow (MoloLamken), and Elizabeth L. Mo (The Law Firm of Hugh H. Mo) are Co-Chairs of this Committee

Thursday 6-7:00pm – Reception sponsored by BRG

JW Marriott Plaza I

Friday 3:30-4:15pm – Business meeting

JW Marriott Olympic I

A photo scheduled for past and present prosecutors on Friday at 12:10pm; the location is TBD.

Solo and Small Firm Committee

AABANY Board Directors Beatrice Leong and Vishal Chander are Co-Chairs of this Committee

Friday 3:30-4:30 – SFF Membership Meeting

JW Marriott Platinum E

Friday 7:30-11pm – SSF Korean BBQ Dinner

An evening of great food, conversation, and networking with colleagues from across the country!

WhatsApp for AABANY members

Yes, we do have a WhatsApp group for AABANY members at the NAPABA Convention. If you are on WhatsApp and wish to be added, send a request to [email protected].

If you are participating in a panel or will be receiving an honor at the NAPABA Convention, hosting a reception or a Committee meeting, but are not listed above, please let us know at [email protected], and we will update this blog post accordingly.

November 3, 2025November 3, 2025

AABANY Committees Present Pickleball Night, Co-Sponsored by Citizens Bank

On October 16, 2025, AABANY’s Corporate Law Committee, In-House Counsel Committee, Mentorship Committee, and Government Service and Public Interest Committee, in collaboration with Citizens Private Bank, held Pickleball Night at Gotham Pickle (5-25 46^th Ave., Long Island City, New York 11101). The event brought together professionals and AABANY members for an evening of networking, community building, and fun competition and conversation.

The event welcomed both seasoned players and first-time pickleball enthusiasts, creating an inclusive atmosphere where attendees learned together and competed in friendly matches. The event provided a unique opportunity for members to connect outside the traditional professional setting, while enjoying one of the fastest-growing sports in the country.

Brandon Martinez from Gotham Pickle coached our group and taught us about the no-volley zone or the “kitchen,” serving in doubles, the two-bounce rule, keeping score, and best practices and strategy to win a rally.

Throughout the evening, the players rotated between courts and teams to allow for a mix of playing experience and so that people were able to meet new people, helping to foster meaningful connections among peers from diverse practice areas and career stages. Each game went to 11, and the players with the most wins reached the finals.

Huge congratulations to Alysha Naik and Don Liu for reaching the finals and winning the prizes!

Special thanks to Citizens Private Bank for their support! Citizens Private Banking offers a personal, relationship-driven approach to managing wealth. Every client is paired with a dedicated relationship manager who takes the time to understand their goals, priorities, and financial vision.

Private Banking clients benefit from:

Dedicated Relationship Managers who provide proactive, one-on-one guidance.
Custom Lending Solutions for real estate, investments, and liquidity needs.
Comprehensive Wealth Strategies, in partnership with our investment and planning specialists.
Priority Service and Access to exclusive products and premium benefits.

With Citizens, private banking isn’t just about managing assets – it’s about building a trusted partnership that grows with each client over time.

To learn more, connect with Steve Shin, Private Banker ([email protected]).

Additional thanks to Rokstar Chicken for catering from their location at 42-02 Northern Blvd., Long Island City, NY 11101 (in front of Food Bazaar Supermarket).

To learn more about the Corporate Law Committee, click here. To learn more about the In-House Counsel Committee, click here. To learn more about the Mentorship Committee, click here. To learn more about the Government Service and Public Interest Committee, click here. To stay informed about all upcoming events hosted by these committees, as well as other exciting AABANY events, we encourage you to visit the calendar on AABANY’s website for the latest information.

If you aren’t an AABANY member yet – consider joining! AABANY membership allows you access to many more events like this one, and also free or discounted admission. Please see this page to learn more about member benefits, and sign up on AABANY’s website.

Thank you to everyone for joining us at the Pickleball Night. We hope to see you again at a future event soon.

Written by Johnny Thach, Co-Chair, Government Service and Public Interest Committee.

June 16, 2025June 16, 2025

2025 NAPABA Awards | Celebrating Last Year’s Honorees

Join Us As We Celebrate Our Community

Each year, NAPABA celebrates legal professionals and organizations whose work exemplifies excellence, impact, and leadership in service of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community. This year’s honorees will join an illustrious list of past recipients—Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono, Rear Admiral A.B. Cruz III (ret. USN), former Principal Deputy Solicitor General of the United States Neal Katyal, Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary of Medtronic Ivan Fong, former Mayor of San Francisco Edwin Mah Lee (posthumous), Ambassador Gary Locke, Ambassador Katherine Tai, civil rights attorney Dale Minami, Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, Chief Judge Sri Srinivasan, Judge Amul Thapar, President of Queens College Frank Wu, and activist and author Helen Zia to name a few—whose achievements have shaped the legal profession and advanced justice nationwide.

With award presentations now thoughtfully spread across the NAPABA Convention to create more meaningful moments of celebration, there’s never been a better time to nominate someone whose work inspires you. Let’s shine a spotlight on the leaders shaping our future.

View This Year’s Award Categories

2024 Award Honorees

2024 President’s Award

Nancy P. Lee

Priya Purandare

Wendy C. Shiba

INSPIRE Award

Military & Veteran Service Award

In-House Counsel Leadership Award

Don Liu

Marty Lorenzo

Hannah Kim

In-House Counsel Leadership Rising Star

Pro Bono Service
Award

Public Sector
Leadership Award

Stephanie Chu Clausen

Muhammad Faridi

Jin Hee Lee

Women’s Leadership
Award

Manisha M. Sheth

Affiliate of the Year

APA-Owned Law Firm of the Year

Law Firm Community Champion

Daniel K. Inouye Trailblazer Awards

Joseph J. Centeno

Robert S. Chang

The Honorable Leslie E. Kobayashi

The Honorable Goodwin Liu

Christy Goldsmith Romero

Best Under 40 Award

Onchantho Am

Aaron Bains

Nyssa P. Chopra

Minsuk Han

October 15, 2024October 15, 2024

2024 NAPABA Awards | Celebrating our Honorees

Join Us As We Celebrate Our Community

We’re proud to recognize all of the deserving honorees and the exceptional achievements of our membership with the 2024 NAPABA Awards. The impact honorees have made within the legal and AANHPI communities is inspiring and we’re happy to shine a spotlight on them.

Join us next month in Seattle as we celebrate them at the 2024 NAPABA Convention. You only have until November 3 to take advantage of the Advance Rate. While you’re registering, don’t forget to add our plenary luncheons and gala dinner. There will be no opportunity to purchase after November 3, and you won’t want to miss our amazing sessions and speakers.

Click on the images below to learn more about each of our honorees.

2024 President’s Award

2024 Daniel K. Inouye Trailblazer Awards

2024 Best Under 40 Award

August 28, 2024August 28, 2024

2024 NAPABA Awards | Announcing Don Liu as the NAPABA INSPIRE Award Honoree

For Immediate Release:
Date: August 28, 2024

Contact:
Maureen Gelwicks, Deputy Executive Director

NAPABA Honors Don Liu with the NAPABA INSPIRE Award

WASHINGTON – The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is proud to announce that Don Liu, who recently announced his retirement as Chief Legal and Compliance Officer of Target Corp., will receive the NAPABA INSPIRE Award. The NAPABA INSPIRE Award is presented to individuals who have made extraordinary contributions of national significance towards achieving representation and influence for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs) in the legal profession and society. The NAPABA INSPIRE Award has been awarded only twice in NAPABA’s history — the first time to former Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakayue of the California Supreme Court in 2010, and the second to George Takei, actor, author, and activist, in 2016.

Don Liu, a nationally renowned leader and legal counsel for several of the Nation’s most recognized corporations, has made a steadfast, lifelong commitment to ensuring that AANHPI attorneys can thrive and advance to the highest levels of the legal profession. He co-founded NAPABA’s 10X10 Initiative and later the 20X20 Initiative, originally designed as an aspirational “stretch” five-year effort to place 20 AANHPI General Counsels at Fortune 500 companies by 2020. The initiative was so successful that it inspired the current 50X25 Initiative and the development of the Hispanic National Bar Association’s Poder 25 Initiative, for which Don serves as a strategic advisor. Don Liu founded NAPABA’s In-House Counsel (IHC) Network, served as its first chair, spearheaded the creation of NAPABA’s IHC Summit and IHC Mentoring Program and continues to be active in its programs. Under Don’s leadership, the IHC Network has assisted countless AANHPI attorneys in gaining greater professional visibility and helped promote countless AANHPI lawyers into senior in-house counsel positions.

“Don Liu recognized early on his career that the barriers he faced as a young attorney can be overcome, and he helped build an entire infrastructure to steer and guide AANHPI lawyers on a path to success,” said Anna Mercado Clark, President of NAPABA. “The NAPABA INSPIRE Award is a testament to Don’s dedication to increasing diversity in the profession, his courage in standing up for a more just society, creativity and vision, and his relentless dedication in mentoring hundreds of young attorneys.”

The NAPABA INSPIRE Award also recognizes Don Liu’s contributions towards improving our community on a national scale. Responding to the overwhelming need to deliver legal services to victims, Don Liu, together with several Asian American leaders within the legal profession, founded the Alliance for Asian American Justice. The Alliance brought together the collective power of both large law firms and legal departments to form a pro bono legal services network dedicated to ensuring that victims of hate would receive the legal assistance that they need. It provided opportunities not only for firms, but also for corporations to join the collective effort opposing anti-Asian hate. For these reasons and many more, NAPABA is privileged to recognize the incredible work and dedication of Don Liu with the NAPABA INSPIRE Award.

NAPABA will formally present the award during the Gala at the 2024 NAPABA Convention in Seattle on Saturday, November 9.

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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) represents the interests of over 80,000 Asian Pacific American (APA) legal professionals and nearly 90 national, state, and local APA bar associations. NAPABA is a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. Through its national network, NAPABA provides a strong voice for increased diversity of the federal and state judiciaries, advocates for equal opportunity in the workplace, works to eliminate hate crimes and anti-immigrant sentiment, and promotes the professional development of people of all backgrounds in the legal profession.

October 22, 2021October 22, 2021

Don Liu Featured on Ascend Leadership’s #TheOtherSide

Ascend Leadership, one of the largest professional membership organizations that represent the interests of Asian American/Pacific Islander professionals within North America, has featured Don Liu in its #TheOtherSide campaign.

Don Liu currently serves as the Executive Vice President and Chief Legal and Risk Officer at Target Corporation. Despite his notable successes, Mr. Liu’s career path demonstrates the prevalence of discrimination in Asian American professional life.

Don, a graduate of Columbia Law School, was one of many Asian American business and professional leaders invited to discuss their perspectives on Asian Americans and the workplace as part of Ascend Leadership’s #TheOtherSide campaign. Mr. Liu reflected on his encounters with racial stereotyping during his extensive and distinguished legal career.

In his first year of practice, Mr. Liu was exposed to others’ characterization of him as the “stereotyped Asian American worker bee.” He was assigned to work on a large case simply because of the false impression that he “would never miss a typo.”

“I guess I should be thankful, but on the other hand, that’s so unlike me,” Mr. Liu notes. “I’m a big thinker, strategic thinker. I think that’s my strength. I was not going to wind up being that stereotyped Asian American worker bee.”

To watch Don Liu’s interview for the #TheOtherSide campaign, click here.

To learn more about the #TheOtherSide campaign, click here.

To help ensure that future leaders in the legal profession do not succumb to the same stereotyping that Don faced, two Past Presidents of AABANY, Jean Lee and Mike Huang, founded the Don H. Liu Scholars Program in 2014. The Program seeks to identify, cultivate and inspire future Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) leaders within the legal profession to address the single most important reality facing AAPI professionals today: the barrier to advancement.

To support emerging AAPI leaders, the Program continues to award each of three Scholars a financial scholarship of $15,000. The Scholars also receive mentorship and assistance with their career development from leading AAPI lawyers from across AABANY’s network.
The deadline for consideration for the 2021 Don H. Liu Scholarship is November 15, 2021. For more information as well as application information, click here.

January 28, 2019

Don Liu featured as the Keynote Speaker at the Fourth Annual Alumni of Color Event of Columbia Law School

On Thursday, January 24, 2019, Don Liu was featured as the Keynote Speaker at the Fourth Annual Alumni of Color Event of Columbia Law School. The event took place at the Intercontinental Barclay Hotel in Manhattan and was attended by over 200 Columbia Law School Alumnae.

Don spoke of the challenges of being an APA Attorney and In House General Counsel. He praised all of the pioneering efforts of NAPABA and AABANY to support and encourage the future careers of many APA law students and attorneys.

Of greater importance was how he inspired the audience with what Diversity and Inclusion meant to him and how important it was to embrace it.

We thank Margaret Ling, AABANY’s Director of Development and Co-Chair of AABANY’s Real Estate Committee, for providing the photos and write up for this post.

November 5, 2018December 4, 2018

March 27, 2017

In-House Counsel Profile: Target Corp.’s Don Liu

Don H. Liu, Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary of Target Corp., was the subject of an in-house counsel profile in the March 27 issue of the National Law Journal. Here is an excerpt (thanks to Advisory Committee member Carol Lee):

Though Liu went to law school to be a civil rights lawyer, his path after included a year as a clerk at the New Jersey Supreme Court and then about five years in private practice specializing in securities and M&A.

Liu began his in-house career at Aetna Inc. and then moved on to Toll Brothers Inc. and Xerox Corp. before landing at Target in August 2016. “I honestly went in-house without a lot of information about how my role would change [compared to my role at a firm],” he said. “Every aspect of the trade I learned through practice.”

For the full article follow the link in the title (subscription required).

July 15, 2016

Target Names Don Liu as Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel

Please join us in congratulating the new Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel of Target and long-time AABANY friend Don Liu.

Don continues to inspire a younger generation of attorneys through his unparalleled accomplishments in the legal industry. We are proud to have had his leadership and mentorship. We thank him for his many years of service as a leader and friend and wish him the utmost luck in his new role at Target.

See below or click on the link above to see Target’s press release.

MINNEAPOLIS – July 14, 2016

Liu replaces Tim Baer who will retire July 2017

Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) today announced Don Liu as executive vice president, chief legal officer and general counsel, effective August 22, 2016. Liu will oversee all legal, corporate governance and government affairs matters for the company. He will report to chairman and chief executive officer Brian Cornell and serve as a member of Target’s leadership team.

Liu replaces Tim Baer who will be retiring in July 2017 after 23 years with the company. Baer joined Dayton Hudson as assistant general counsel in 1994. He will serve in an advisory role for the next 12 months, supporting Liu’s transition to Target and ensuring the process is seamless.

“Tim’s leadership has been integral to Target’s success and we are grateful for his years of service. In all his years with the company, Tim has been a true guardian of the Target brand, bringing a sharp legal mind and rock-solid judgement to every challenge. He was a trusted voice on our leadership team, managing and mitigating issues and influencing our business during a time of intense change. He also developed a strong team of in-house legal talent and was a respected advisor to our board of directors. On behalf of the entire team, I thank Tim for the tremendous contributions he made to our brand and our business,” said Cornell. “As Tim transitions to retirement, I look forward to welcoming Don to our team. His extensive legal expertise as well as his deep business acumen will help us continue to navigate the increasingly complex business environment with the highest standards of ethics and integrity. I know Don will be an excellent addition to our leadership team.”

Liu, 55, joins Target from Xerox Corporation where he has served as executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary since 2007. In that role, he was responsible for all of Xerox’s legal and government affairs matters. Prior to Xerox, Liu was senior vice president and chief compliance officer for Toll Brothers, Inc. and senior vice president and general counsel for Ikon Office Solutions. Liu has extensive professional affiliations, including being a member and former chairman of the board of directors for the Minority Corporate Counsel Association and former chair of the in-house counsel committee of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association.

“I am privileged to join Target as general counsel. I have long admired Target and the legal team behind the brand. Joining the organization will provide me with an incredible opportunity to bring my passion for the law to one of the great retail companies in America. I look forward to building Target’s business and positively impacting its reputation,” said Liu.

Photo by Karen Zhou, taken at AABANY’s 2016 Annual Dinner.

2024 INSPIRE Award Don Liu	2024 Military & Veteran Service Award Marty Lorenzo
2024 In-House Counsel Diversity Leadership Award Hannah Kim	2024 In-House Counsel Diversity Leadership Rising Star Stephanie Chu Clausen
2024 Pro Bono Service Award Muhammad Faridi	2024 Public Sector Leadership Award Jin Hee Lee
2024 Women’s Leadership Award Manisha M. Sheth	2024 Affiliate of the Year Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers (British Columbia) Society (FACL BC)
2024 APA-Owned Law Firm of the Year Anderson & Associates	2024 Law Firm Diversity Award Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

Onchantho Am	Aaron Bains	Heaven Chee
Nyssa P. Chopra	Minsuk Han	Winston Hsiao
Stephen Mar	Kelly Matayoshi	Alexander Payne