Tag: fall conference

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Thank you to all those who attended our Fifth Annual Fall Conference: Empowering Unity and Progress, hosted at Morgan Lewis on September 20, 2014. 

With over 300 people registered, the full day of CLE programs and Trial Advocacy Program (hosted at Alston & Bird LLP) were highly informative, productive, and engaging with truly something for everyone. We had panels addressing topics from Asian Americans in the Civil Rights Movement to How to Make it Rain and Keep It Raining. The invite-only In-House Counsel and Judicial Forums provided productive environments for candid discussion.

Gurinder Singh, Vice President of Programs and Operations, kicked off the lunch session by introducing Brad Edmister, Partner at Morgan Lewis, who offered welcoming remarks on behalf of the firm. At the lunch, we were excited to present our inaugural awards. We were honored to present the inaugural Norman Lau Kee Trailblazer Award to Hon. Marilyn Go and the inaugural Law Firm Diversity Award to Perkins Coie LLP.

Executive Director Yang Chen presented the Norman Lau Kee Trailblazer award, recognizing Norman Lau Kee who was present at the event, and then introducing Judge Go. When accepting her award, Judge Go spoke on the importance of being at right place at the right time, most notably on how expectations of Asian Americans have shaped her personal journey and the most opportune times to break barriers. As a trailblazer in the Asian American legal community, she is the first Asian American female to serve as a federal judge and is a founding member of AABANY.

President Clara Ohr presented the Law Firm Diversity Award and introduced Dennis Hopkins, Partner at Perkins Coie, who accepted the Law Firm Diversity Award on behalf of the firm. Dennis remarked on how Perkins is perceived as a leader, but noted humbly that they are “just doing what they should do” and are glad to be receiving acknowledgment.

Gurinder then introduced Helen Wan who spoke about her book The Partner Track and she too spoke of Asian Americans in law, specifically navigating the corporate world. Copies of her just-released paperback edition of her book were available for purchase at the event, and many attendees took the opportunity to pick up a copy and have it inscribed by Helen.

President-elect Will Wang offered closing remarks at the lunch. He reminded everyone to save the date for the 2015 Annual Dinner, to be held on February 25 at Cipriani Wall Street.

We hope all those who attended the Cocktail Reception and Committee Dinners enjoyed some well-deserved refreshment in some good company. We were happy to welcome 185 attendees at the Cocktail Reception hosted one block away at Park Avenue Tavern.

This year, there were five Committee Dinners hosted: Government Service & Public Interest/Litigation/Labor and Employment/Young Lawyers Committees Dinner at Aperitivo; In-House Counsel at Izakaya NoMad; Real Estate and Small & Solo Firm Practice Committees at Cibo; Intellectual Property Comittee at Radiance Tea House and Fine Asian Cuisine; and Tax and Bankruptcy & Restructuring Committees at Capital Grille.

We thank all those who made the day possible: Brad Edmister, Morgan Lewis staff, moderators and panelists, our sponsors for their continuing support, honorees, Helen Wan for speaking, volunteers, and especially you for attending. 

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From Lawyer To Novelist: An Interview With Helen Wan, Author Of The Partner Track

From Lawyer To Novelist: An Interview With Helen Wan, Author Of The Partner Track

How can you write a novel while holding down a demanding day job as a lawyer? How can women and minority lawyers position themselves for success in Biglaw? Author Helen Wan shares her insights.

We are pleased to announce that Helen Wan will be joining AABANY as a special guest speaker during the luncheon held at the 5th Annual Fall Conference, taking place at Morgan Lewis. We hope our attendees will take the opportunity to meet Helen and pick up a copy of her book, now out in paperback.

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PRESS RELEASE: Perkins Coie LLP to Receive Inaugural Law Firm Diversity Award from Asian American Bar Association of New York

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 18, 2014                              

Contact: Yang Chen, Executive Director
(718) 228-7206

NEW YORK – September 18, 2014 – The Asian American Bar Association of New York (“AABANY”) is proud to announce that Perkins Coie LLP will receive its inaugural Law Firm Diversity Award at the Fifth Annual AABANY Fall Conference, which will take place at the New York office of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP on September 20, 2014.

AABANY established this award to recognize a law firm with an extraordinary commitment to diversity, evidenced in part by a formal diversity plan that has achieved demonstrable success in the recruitment, retention, and promotion of women and minority attorneys, and also by a firm’s active participation in minority bar associations and other external diversity initiatives.  

According to AABANY President, Clara Ohr, “We selected Perkins Coie LLP to receive our Law Firm Diversity Award from a field of very strong candidates because of their (i) strong numbers of women and minority partners; (ii) goal-oriented and systematic diversity plan, which not only monitors the hours and assignments of women and minority attorneys on a monthly basis to ensure their continued development, but also considers individual diversity and inclusion efforts with respect to partner compensation; and (iii) consistent financial and personnel support of multiple minority bar associations.  Perkins Coie’s innovative practices have left an impressive footprint in establishing a broad pipeline of diverse talent that could serve as a useful roadmap for other law firms to consider.  AABANY congratulates and thanks Perkins Coie for its impressive efforts.”

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For more information, please contact Yang Chen, AABANY Executive Director, at (718) 228-7206, or direct any inquiries to main@aabany.org.

The Asian American Bar Association of New York is a professional membership organization of attorneys concerned with issues affecting the Asian Pacific American community.  Incorporated in 1989, AABANY seeks not only to encourage the professional growth of its members but also to advocate for the Asian Pacific American community as a whole.  AABANY is the New York regional affiliate of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA).

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JUDGE MARILYN D. GO TO RECEIVE INAUGURAL NORMAN LAU KEE TRAILBLAZER AWARD FROM ASIAN AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 15, 2014 

Contact: Yang Chen, Executive Director
(718) 228-7206 

NEW YORK – September 15, 2014 – The Asian American Bar Association of New York (“AABANY”) is proud to announce that United States District Court Magistrate Judge Marilyn D. Go, Eastern District New York, will receive the inaugural Norman Lau Kee Trailblazer Award. Judge Go will be honored at AABANY’s Fifth Annual Fall Conference held at the law firm Morgan Lewis Bockius on September 20, 2014.

Named for Norman Lau Kee, a revered legal and community pillar of New York City’s Chinatown for decades, this Trailblazer Award honors an accomplished leader in the legal profession of Asian Pacific American (APA) descent or dedicated to APA issues who has carved a path for others to follow, served the community as a mentor and role model, and has made a lasting impact on the APA community through his or her dedication and commitment.

Marilyn D. Go, United States Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of New York, was the first Asian American woman to serve as a judge in a federal court.  After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1977, she clerked for the late Honorable William M. Marutani in Philadelphia, who was the only Asian American judge on the East Coast at the time. She then served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the EDNY and was later a partner at Baden Kramer Huffman Brodsky & Go, P.C.  Committed to promoting diversity and professionalism in the bar, Judge Go was a founding member, officer and director of the Asian American Bar Association of New York; chair of the Voting Rights Committee of NAPABA; Vice Chair of the Standing Committee on Minorities in the Judiciary of the American Bar Association; and a member of Governor Cuomo’s Task Force on Minority Representation on the Bench.

 “Judge Go is a true trailblazer in our community,” Yang Chen, AABANY’s Executive Director, states. “She rose to the top of the legal profession as an attorney and judge at a time when women leaders, particularly APA women, were few and far between. Through her achievements, accomplishments and leadership, she has paved the way for future generations of lawyers to succeed and attain prominence. As one of the founding Board members of AABANY, she helped to lay the foundation for future leaders to grow the organization into the great bar association it is today. Because of the trails she has blazed, Judge Go has made a real difference for APA attorneys and the legal profession. We are proud to count her as a leading member of our association and our community.”

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For more information, please contact Yang Chen, AABANY Executive Director, at (718) 228-7206, or direct any inquiries to main@aabany.org.

The Asian American Bar Association of New York is a professional membership organization of attorneys concerned with issues affecting the Asian Pacific American community.  Incorporated in 1989, AABANY seeks not only to encourage the professional growth of its members but also to advocate for the Asian Pacific American community as a whole.  AABANY is the New York regional affiliate of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA).

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AABANY Career Placement Committee Intake Questionnaire

AABANY Career Placement Committee Intake Questionnaire

We respect your privacy. All information disclosed will be treated with the utmost confidentiality, limited to only the Career Placement Committee and AABANY staff. 

Interested in moving your legal career forward?

Help AABANY’s Career Placement Committee help you. Launched with the Career Exchange at last year’s Fall Conference, the Career Placement Committee seeks to match qualified AABANY members with available legal positions. AABANY members who are actively seeking or are considering seeking a new position are encouraged to complete the Career Placement Committee Intake Form at http://bit.ly/cpc_intake and email resumes/CVs to resume@aabany.org.

The Career Exchange, offering career advice and resources, will take place again at this year’s Fall Conference on September 20, 2014. 

All information disclosed will be treated with the utmost confidentiality. If you have any questions or comments, please contact the Career Placement Committee at careers@aabany.org.

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AABANY Announces New Career Placement Committee

AABANY is pleased to announce the formation of its new Career Placement Committee. The primary purpose of the Career Placement Committee is to match qualified AABANY members with available legal job positions. To accomplish this, the Career Placement Committee is launching the AABANY Career Exchange which will serve as a clearinghouse for all legal positions brought to its attention and will proactively seek to match qualified AABANY candidates with such open positions. To this end, the Career Placement Committee is actively seeking information regarding open legal positions. If you are aware of any such positions please email the Career Placement Committee co-chairs (Robert Leung, Michael Park and Gurinder Singh) at careers@aabany.org.

In addition, the Career Placement Committee is also interested in getting to know AABANY members who are currently seeking or considering seeking a new position. It is important for the Career Placement Committee to understand the skill sets, special expertise and interests of AABANY members currently conducting or thinking about a job search in order to be able to best match qualified candidates with particular open positions. To facilitate the process, the Career Placement Committee will kickoff the AABANY Career Exchange by holding 15-minute informational one-on-one meetings with interested AABANY members at the AABANY 2013 Fall Conference / NAPABA Northeast Regional Conference on September 21, 2013 (www.napaba-ne.aabany.org ). Feel free to bring a resume. All questions and inquiries will be kept strictly confidential.

Finally, if you are interested in getting involved in the Career Placement Committee, please let us know. We are currently actively seeking 5-10 committee members to assist with our current and future projects. Please email us at careers@aabany.org.

If you have any questions or comments feel free to contact the Career Placement Committee co-chairs: Robert Leung, Michael Park or Gurinder Singh at careers@aabany.org.

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Thanks to Francis Chin, here’s another slideshow of photos from the 2012 AABANY Fall Conference.  Enjoy!

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Thanks to everyone who came out to the Fall Conference on Saturday, September 15, at Gibson Dunn.  We could not have asked for a more beautiful day to hold a conference, and we had well over 200 attendees, including speakers, Board members, Committee Chairs, volunteers, and numerous participants for eight CLE programs, the all-day Trial Advocacy Program, the pitch sessions, the In-House Counsel Forum and the Judicial Forum. 

During the luncheon, Debra Wong Yang, Gibson Dunn Partner from the Los Angeles office, welcomed all the attendees.  Wells Fargo Senior Economist Anika Khan flew in from Charlotte, North Carolina, to give an informative and engaging presentation about the current economic outlook in the United States.

After a long day, many attendees stayed for the cocktail reception, at which the 2012-13 AABANY Mentorship Program was officially launched, with some mentors and mentees for this year’s program meeting face-to-face for the first time.  Cynthia Tomm, Development Coordinator for the MinKwon Center, our community partner, addressed the audience to talk about the work MinKwon has been doing in the community and to seek attorneys to volunteer their time in support of those efforts, especially with the recently-announced Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.  Jason Leung and Jin Hwang, NAPABA Northeast Regional Governors, were on hand to encourage everyone to register for the NAPABA National Convention in Washington, DC in November.

We thank the Fall Conference Planning Committee, the program organizers, the panelists and moderators for many months of hard work.  We thank all the volunteers who helped things to run smoothly from early in the morning and into the evening.

We thank our sponsors Wells Fargo, Hudson Reporting and Holtz Rubenstein Reminick for their generous support.  We thank Gibson Dunn for hosting the event and for donating so many resources to make the conference a success.

For those who still had energy left to go to the after-party, it was held at Chelsea Manor, and we thank Skadden for sponsoring the after-party.

We hope everyone had an enjoyable time at the Fall Conference (and afterwards), and if you have any feedback to share, please post it here on the blog or email us at main@aabany.org.

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