On Wednesday, February 11th, 2026, AABANY held its Annual Meeting of Members at King & Spalding. The evening reflected on the accomplishments of the past year and looked forward to electing leadership for the new fiscal year ahead. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to King & Spalding for generously hosting us in their stunning new space, which was modern and spacious.
AABANY President Benjamin Hsing called the meeting to order shortly after 7 pm and established a quorum. Ben explained the voting procedures and encouraged everyone present to cast a vote, even if they had voted online before the meeting.
Once all ballots were filled out and collected, Ben called up Board Director Katherine Loanzon and President-Elect Varuna Bhattacharyya to serve as the Tellers to tally up the votes. They departed to a separate room to perform that task, counting up the votes cast in person at the Annual Meeting and via electronic voting beforehand. While the votes were being tallied, Ben invited the Membership Director, Alysha Naik, to present the Membership Director’s report. He then invited Assistant Treasurer H. Anthony Park to give the Treasurer’s Report, sharing information about AABANY’s financial performance during the past fiscal year.
Next, during the Annual Report of the Board, Ben presented a look back at major events in 2025, reflecting on AABANY’s remarkable year, guided by the theme “Together We Thrive: The Power of Us.” He highlighted the year’s signature events, including the Winter Soiree, AAPI Heritage Month celebrations, and the Annual Dinner at Cipriani Wall Street, which drew over 750 attendees. He also noted the 16th Annual Fall Conference, which featured CLE programming, a Career Fair, a Trial Advocacy Program, and the presentation of the Norman Lau Kee Trailblazer Award to Hon. Judy Kim, the first Korean-American judge elected to the New York State Supreme Court. He celebrated AABANY’s first-ever Diwali Dinner as a milestone that reflected the community’s diversity.
Executive Director Yang Chen then gave the Annual Report of the Committees. He introduced AABANY’s 2025 Year End Report, noting that this was the first time it had been published since the COVID-19 pandemic. He expressed his sincere gratitude to Deputy Executive Director Carrey Wong, emphasizing that the Year End Report would not have been possible without her diligence and many hours of work behind the scenes. He further explained that the hiatus was not due to any slowdown in AABANY’s activities. In fact, quite to the contrary, AABANY’s membership and programming have continued to grow at an impressive pace, reflecting the organization’s strength and momentum over the past few years.
Yang also presented highlights from the 26 Committees, expressing his gratitude to the Vice Presidents of Programs and Operations, Pei Pei Cheng de Castro and Tai Chien, as well as all the Committee Chairs, for their dedication and hard work throughout the year. He shared key accomplishments and standout events from various Committees, then concluded with the presentation of the Committee of the Year, Program of the Year, and Member of the Year awards.
Committee of the Year: Issues Committee
The Committee of the Year Award was presented to the Issues Committee in recognition of its outstanding contributions and impact over the past year. When asked for his reflections on receiving the honor, Co-Chair Vishal Chander shared that he and Co-Chair Rachel Lee view the Committee’s mission as deeply significant and timely. He noted that they felt a strong responsibility to meet the moment and lead with purpose, striving to uphold the Committee’s important work with utmost dedication and integrity.
Program of the Year: Dumplings and Discussion Series
The Program of the Year Award was presented to the Dumplings and Discussion Series hosted by Jeffrey Mok. The Dumplings & Discussion series has been a welcoming forum for prominent, industry-leading attorneys to share their stories and have a candid dialogue over delicious dumplings. Speakers in 2025 included Alan Chang of the New York Yankees, Michelle Lee of MediaCo, Christopher Chan of JLL Technologies, Sonia Low of the Javits Center, Liz Nie of Acorns, Stephen Mar of Odeko, and Osamu Watanabe of Moelis.
Member of the Year: Jeffrey Mok
The Member of the Year Award was presented to Jeffrey Mok for his exceptional dedication and contributions to AABANY over the past year, including his outstanding work as the Co-Chair of the IP Committee and organizing many popular and worthwhile events, such as Board Games Nights and the Dumplings & Discussion series.
When asked about receiving both the Program of the Year and the Member of the Year awards, Jeffrey reflected that the past year had been truly inspiring and energizing in deepening his involvement with AABANY. Praising AABANY’s work with the Pro Bono Clinics and the Issues Committee, he shared that being part of such a passionate and dynamic community made all the effort worthwhile. He expressed gratitude for the opportunity to contribute, even in a small way, and said he looks forward to continuing the work and participating in more impactful events in the year ahead.
After presenting the awards, President-Elect Varuna Bhattacharyya announced the election results. The following officers were elected to serve a one-year term for the fiscal year beginning April 1, 2026, and ending March 31, 2027 (the “2027 Fiscal Year”):
Officers
John Hwang
President-Elect
Pei Pei Cheng de Castro
Vice President, Programs and Operations
Taiyee Chien
Vice President, Programs and Operations
H. Anthony Park
Treasurer
S. Yan Sin
Secretary
Francis Chin
Membership Director
Gilyana Jones
Development Director
The following candidates were elected as Directors to serve two-year terms beginning on April 1, the first day of the 2027 Fiscal Year:
Directors
Henry C. Chan
Vishal Chander
Joseph Eng
Kelly Koyama-Garcia
Rachel Lee
Beatrice Leong
Alysha Naik
Diana Wang
Jennifer Wu
Kevin Yam
Dwight S. Yoo
Looking ahead, President-Elect Varuna Bhattacharyya shared her vision for the coming year. When asked about her plans for her term, she spoke about the importance of rising to meet the challenges of the future while intentionally cultivating the next generation of leaders. With mentorship as a central focus, she is committed to strengthening the pipeline of Asian American attorneys and ensuring that AABANY continues to empower and uplift tomorrow’s leaders today.
Special thanks go to AABANY Immediate Past President Joseph Eng, Partner at King & Spalding, and the wonderful staff at King & Spalding for hosting AABANY’s 2026 Annual Meeting.
We thank everyone who attended the Annual Meeting and everyone who voted, whether by proxy or in person. Congratulations to all the award recipients and the newly elected Officers and Directors.
