Tag: honorees

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AABANYs Judiciary Committee Honors Eighteen Trailblazing AAPI Judges at the 2024 Annual Judges’ Reception

On Tuesday, June 18th, 2024, at the 2024 Annual Judges’ Reception, AABANYs Judiciary Committee honored eighteen newly elected, elevated, or retired AAPI judges, each of whom are incredible trailblazers and represent continuing progress in the ongoing effort to increase AAPI representation in our courts.

The Judiciary Committee’s flagship event was hosted in the main hall of New York City’s Surrogate’s Court. Between sky-reaching pillars, and under the vaulted arch-ceiling the following eighteen judges were recognized and celebrated for their work, effort, and example: 

  • Hon. Deepa Ambekar (Kings Co. Sup. Ct.)
  • Hon. Sanket J. Bulsara (United States District Court, EDNY)
  • Hon. Nusrat J. Choudhury (United States District Court, EDNY)
  • Hon. Kenneth W. Chu (ret. ALJ, NLRB)
  • Hon. Christopher J. Exias (Rockland Co. Fam. Ct.)
  • Hon. Evelyn Gong (Queens Co. Civ. Ct.)
  • Hon. Dale E. Ho (United States District Court, SDNY)
  • Hon. Phillip Hom (App. Term, 2d Dept)
  • Hon. Gilbert C. Hong (ret. NY Co. Sup. Ct.)
  • Hon. Biju J. Koshy (Supervising Judge, Richmond Co. Crim. Ct.)
  • Hon. Karen Lin (Queens Co. Sup. Ct.)
  • Hon. Rena Malik (Kings Co. Civ. Ct.)
  • Hon. Kim Parker (Court of Claims)
  • Hon. Kris Singh (Admin. Judge, 4th Jud. Dist.)
  • Hon. Rantideva Singh (NYC Fam. Ct.)
  • Hon. Richard Tsai (NY Co. Sup. Ct.)
  • Hon. Vikram S. Vilkhu (Brighton Town Justice)
  • Hon. John Zhuo Wang (NY Co. Sup. Ct.).

The night began with introductory remarks by Committee Co-Chair Mark Son, who thanked elevated and retired judges for their service and congratulated new judges for their work which allowed them to advance to their new positions. He first praised several judges whose work has had a long-term effect and was substantially significant in making the AAPI voice in the justice system grow and prosper. He then acknowledged all other judges in attendance and expressed regret for being unable to share the breadth of their contributions in the short time allotted.

Next to take the podium was AABANY’s current President, Joseph Eng, Jr. He began by  reiterating Mark’s congratulatory sentiments, then introduced the eighteen honorees. Each in turn stood up and received warm applause from the audience. President Eng stressed the significance of hosting a Judges’ Reception as far more than an isolated single annual moment, but a day of celebration culminating from decades of work, a day to remind everyone of the great strides that have been made, and all the work that lays ahead in the continued struggle for diversity, equity, and inclusion. President Eng lauded the growth of AAPI representation, while also focusing on the milestones yet to be reached for true representation, drawing attention to the lack of any AAPI judges in the state’s highest court, the Court of Appeals, and in the United States Supreme Court. 

Once all the judges present came up to the front of the room to receive their awards, they gathered for a group photo with President Eng and the Judiciary Committee leadership.  The deserving honorees were regaled with cheers and applause from everyone.

Hon. Shahabuddeen Ally, President of the Asian American Judges Association of New York (AAJANY), then stepped up to the podium to present final remarks. He reiterated the main points of the evening, and celebrated the effort involved in organizing this event. He congratulated the judges being honored and praised the growth of AAPI representation, even as he considered the work that remains ahead and the necessity of diligence and focus to achieve progress. He verbalized the goal of reaching 100 AAPI judges in New York State in the near future as an aspirational challenge.  Finally, Committee Vice-Chair Vanessa Kong thanked everyone for attending and invited everyone to partake in the complimentary food and drink catered by Nom Wah. Laughter and stories filled the room, reflecting the camaraderie and mutual respect among the attendees.

As the evening drew to a close, it was evident that this reception was more than just an event; it was a celebration of progress, diversity, and the indomitable spirit of the AAPI community within the judiciary. The honorees left with not only memories of a joyous evening but also with the knowledge that their contributions are making a lasting impact.

We thank the Judiciary Committee for their tireless effort in making this annual event happen, as well as all the guests who attended. We thank AAJANY and Judge Ally for their participation. Once again, congratulations to all the honorees. To learn more about the Judiciary Committee please click here. To see more photos from the event, go to the album here.

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AABANY Celebrates 2023 Annual Dinner with 900+ Attendees at Cipriani Wall Street

On Tuesday, May 23, 2023, AABANY hosted its 2023 Annual Dinner with the theme “Embracing Wellness and Well-Being: Strengthening the Legal Profession by Investing in Ourselves” at Cipriani Wall Street. Celebrating AABANY’s 34th anniversary, this was our first Annual Dinner during Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Month! The dinner attracted over 900 attorneys, judges, prosecutors, in-house counsel, government officials, and dignitaries and sponsorships from more than 50 law firms and corporations. 

The event commenced with the Pre-Dinner General Counsel Reception, a gathering of GCs from companies representing a wide variety of industries, including biotechnology research, e-commerce, entertainment, fashion, financial services, insurance, internet privacy and security, medical, real estate, and more.

Attendance at the reception was exclusive to sponsors and invited guests, with a successful turnout of more than 55 GC attendees. We thank our Reception sponsor, Kirkland & Ellis, for helping us kick off the night with this well-attended program. For the full list of general counsels who accepted AABANY’s invitation, please click here.

AABANY was proud to honor:

  • Michael Wu, Chief Legal Officer, Bath & Body Works, Inc. with AABANY’s Corporate Leadership Award 
  • Prisca Bae, Chief Partnerships Officer, The Asian American Foundation with AABANY’s Women’s Leadership Award
  • Hon. Charles Ellis Schumer, U.S. Senator of New York with AABANY’s Impact Leadership Award

AABANY Corporate Leadership Award honoree Michael Wu delivered a powerful speech on the importance of resilience. He shared the inspiring story of his mother, a Hong Kong orphan and homeless refugee who overcame adversity to achieve the American dream. If she could do it, Michael declared, then “anyone in America can become a success.”  

Prisca Bae, AABANY’s Women’s Leadership Award honoree, shared her initiatives aimed to uplift our AANHPI community. She emphasized the importance of collective improvement, motivating the audience to “[aspire] to be better” and to “aim to [become] CEOs.” Her heartfelt sentiments served not only as a beacon of encouragement, hope and optimism but also an affirmation of the possibility that our aspirations are attainable.

We were joined by New York Senator Charles Ellis Schumer, AABANY’s Impact Leadership Award recipient, who delivered remarks on the strength of the AANHPI community as we “[embody] what the American dream has always been about, coming to this country, working hard building a better life for yourself and your children.” His speech resonated with those who are paving the way for our families and fellow community members. We thank Senator Schumer for his continuous efforts in providing opportunities and resources for the AANHPI community so we can keep pursuing the American dream.

This year, we had the privilege of having Kate Siahaan-Rigg, a remarkable actress, comedian, and activist, as our Master of Ceremonies (MC). She was our MC during our 2022 Annual Dinner, and we were delighted to have her host this year’s event. To read a post-Annual Dinner letter from our MC, read the blog post here. 

We were proud to honor Debevoise & Plimpton with the Law Firm Diversity Award for its commitment to improving diversity, equity, and inclusion within the legal profession. To read more about the award, read the press release here.

In addition, we presented the 2023 class of Don H. Liu Scholars: Samuel S. Kim, Kristie-Valerie Hoang, and Emily Yan. Read more about the program here. 

We extend our sincere gratitude to all those who contributed to our cause and helped us raise more than $20,000 for AABANY-AALFNY’s Turn the Tide (T3) Project to fight anti-Asian hate and violence. Special thanks to MC Kate Siahaan-Rigg for her unwavering humor and compassion in helping us reach our fundraising goal. We also acknowledge the survivors of anti-Asian hate and violence for sharing their stories in the AABANY Anti-Asian Violence Task Force’s “Voices Against Anti-Asian Hate” video, produced by Peter Chin. We were privileged to host survivors of anti-Asian violence, their families and friends at the Annual Dinner.

We thank all of the AABANY 2023 Annual Dinner Planning Committee members and volunteers for their hard work in making this year’s celebration a huge success. Thanks to President Karen Kim for her leadership of the 2023 Annual Dinner Planning Committee which started during her year as President-Elect in the prior fiscal year. In support of AABANY’s theme, Karen announced AABANY’s inaugural Wellness Day, to take place in July, during Minority Mental Health Awareness Month.

We gratefully acknowledge all our sponsors, whose generous contributions allow us to actively pursue our mission of advancing the interests of the AANHPI legal community, as well as the communities we serve. A special thank you to our premier sponsors: After-Party: Morrow Sodali; Diamond: Broadridge; Pre-Dinner GC Reception: Kirkland & Ellis LLP; Platinum: Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, Groombridge, Wu, Baughman & Stone LLP, Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP, Levine Lee LLP, Littler Mendelson P.C., Mayer Brown LLP, and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. Through their support, our sponsors continue to sustain AABANY’s many activities and signature events held throughout the year.

Lastly, we thank everyone who attended the 2023 Annual Dinner and for helping make it a memorable and momentous celebration. Please save the date for the 2024 Annual Dinner: it will take place on May 22 at Cipriani Wall Street! For now, look back at these photos to reminisce, captured by Karen Zhou and Victor Suwatcharapinun. Videos from the 2023 Annual Dinner can be viewed on the event’s webpage here.

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AABANY Celebrates with APALA-NJ at Their 23rd Annual Gala

On Thursday, September 22, 2022, our sister bar APALA-NJ  held their 23rd Annual Gala at the Liberty House in Jersey City, New Jersey. 

In attendance were AABANY Board Members, Anna Mercado Clark, Chris Kwok, Beatrice Leong, David Sohn and Andy Yoo. Many AABANY members also attended to show support. 
Anna presented the Professional Achievement Award to Dean Rose Cuison Villazor.
We congratulate the APALA NJ honorees and award recipients:

See more photos:  https://dcpnewyork.pixieset.com/apalanjgala2022/

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AABANY Celebrates 2022 Annual Dinner with 800+ Attendees

On Thursday, April 28, 2022, AABANY hosted its 2022 Annual Dinner with the theme “Forging a New Path to an Equitable Future” at Cipriani Wall Street. The dinner attracted over 800 attorneys, judges, prosecutors, in-house counsel, government officials, and dignitaries and sponsorships from more than 50 law firms and corporations.

AABANY was proud to honor:

  • Flora W. Feng, Senior Legal Director, Global Intellectual Property, PepsiCo with AABANY’s Corporate Leadership Award 
  • Emily A. Kim, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Zeta Charter Schools with AABANY’s Women’s Leadership Award

To read more about our extraordinary honorees, read the press release here.

We were joined by New York Governor Kathy Hochul who delivered remarks on the strength of the AAPI community and the importance of coming together to effectuate change. 

This year, Actress/Comedian/Activist Kate Siahaan-Rigg served as MC. She was our MC last year during our Virtual Gala, and this was her first time serving as our live MC at the Annual Dinner. Thank you, Kate, for raising awareness on “representASIAN” while adding color and fun to the ceremony! 

We were proud to honor Allen & Overy with the Law Firm Diversity Award for its commitment to improving diversity and inclusion within the legal profession. To read more about the award, read the press release here. 

In addition, we were also pleased to present the 2022 class of Don H. Liu Scholars: Seung Hye Yan, Edward Jung, and Brian Liu. Read more about the program here.

We extend sincere thanks to everyone who helped us raise over $30,000 for AABANY-AALFNY’s Turn  the Tide (T3) Project to fight anti-Asian hate and violence. We thank Mayer Brown for challenging the audience to match its initial donation of $10,000. Over the course of the evening, attendees tripled the match! We thank MC Kate Siahaan-Rigg for her endless humor and compassion in helping us exceed our fundraising goal. To learn more about the T3 Project see https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.aabany.org/resource/resmgr/2021aav/Turning_the_Tide_v5_compress.pdf

We thank all of the AABANY Annual Dinner Planning Committee members and volunteers for their hard work in making this year’s celebration a huge success.

We thank all of our sponsors. Their generous sponsorships make it possible for us to pursue our mission to advance the interests of the Asian American and Pacific Islander legal community and the communities we serve. Our sponsors support AABANY’s many activities and signature events throughout the year.

Lastly, we thank everyone that attended the 2022 Annual Dinner and celebrated with us. We were happy to see you all in person after two years of quarantine, social distancing and endless Zoom meetings.

More photos to come. Stay tuned! 

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AABANY at NAPABA Gala Dinner

Congratulations to NAPABA on a successful National Convention in Austin, Texas. Affiliates from around the country gathered to celebrate with NAPABA at its 31st Anniverary Gala Dinner held on Saturday night, Nov. 9, in the Grand Ballroom of the JW Marriott in Austin. Comedian Sheng Wang hosted the evening, and the Keynote Speaker was Chef Kristen Kish, owner of Arlo Grey, in conversation with restaurant critic Soleil Ho. Congratulations also to all the honorees who were presented with awards at the Gala:

  • Military and Veteran Service Award – Capt Lia Mitoko Reynolds
  • APA Owned Law Firm Award – Willenken LLP
  • Law Firm Diversity Award – Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld
  • Pro Bono Award – Karen King
  • Women’s Leadership Award – Debbie Shon
  • Presidents Award – Dale Ho

AABANY was honored to be presented with the Affiliate of the Year Award. Read more about that here.

AABANY members could be found filling a few tables at the Gala Dinner … but where was Executive Director Yang Chen? He was unable to attend due to a scheduling conflict. That did not stop Membership Director Beatrice Leong from creating a cardboard version of our ED to attend the Gala and then join the AABANY group photo at the NAPABA Convention. Thank you, Beatrice!

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Congratulations to Karen Yau

On Thursday, Oct. 17, at the 40th anniversary gala for Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC) Brooklyn Community Services, held at Affable Eatery in Brooklyn, Pro Bono Committee Co-Chair Karen Yau was honored for her work in support of the community. Many AABANY members and leaders came out to celebrate with Karen, including Pro Bono Committee Co-Chairs Pauline Yeung-Ha and Asako Aiba, Government Service and Public Interest Committee Co-Chair Kevin Hsi, AABANY Director of Technology and Professional Development Committee Co-Chair Francis Chin and Executive Director Yang Chen. Karen’s family, including her parents, were also in attendance.

AABANY also congratulates the other honorees at the gala dinner:

  • Dr. Gabriel Rincon, DDS
    Board of Trustees Chairman, The Family Health Centers at NYU Langone
  • Elizabeth Culkin, Principal, PS 176K
  • Hewett Chiu, Executive Director, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
    President and CEO, Academy of Medical and Public Health Services

Karen, in her acceptance speech, accepted the award on behalf of the Pro Bono Clinic, which has grown in number of clients served and number of volunteers participating, and which started serving clients in Brooklyn last month, in September. The next Brooklyn Pro Bono Clinic will take place on November 21. Please help us spread the word. More details here: https://www.aabany.org/events/event_details.asp?legacy=1&id=1291193 If you are able to volunteer there, contact Asako Aiba at [email protected].

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AABANY’S 30th Annual Dinner Celebrated By More Than 700 Attendees

On Wednesday, February 27, 2019, AABANY hosted its 30th Anniversary Annual Dinner: United in Action and Vision: Towards 2020 Together at Cipriani Wall Street. The dinner attracted over 700 attorneys, judges, prosecutors, in-house counsel, government officials, and dignitaries and sponsorships from more than 55 law firms and corporations.

This year AABANY was proud to honor:

Gurbir S. Grewal, Attorney General for the State of New Jersey, with the Public Service Leadership Award

Gabrielle Lyse Brown, Executive Director, Diversity and Inclusion for Morgan Stanley, with the Women’s Leadership Award

Deneen Donnley, Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of USAA, with the Corporate Leadership Award

Davis Polk & Wardwell with the 2019 Law Firm Diversity Award

In addition, we were also pleased to present scholarships to this year’s class of Don Liu Scholars.

We thank all of the AABANY Annual Dinner Planning Committee members and volunteers for their hard work in making this year’s celebration a huge success.

We extend sincere thanks to all of our sponsors. Their generous sponsorships make it possible for us to pursue our mission to advance the interests of the Asian Pacific American (APA) legal community and the communities we serve and support our many activities and signature events throughout the year.

Lastly, we thank everyone that attended the 30th Annual Dinner and celebrated with us.

More photos to come. Stay tuned!

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AABANY Prosecutors Committee Celebrates 10th Anniversary

On December 18, 2018, AABANY’s Prosecutors Committee held its 10th Annual Reception by honoring Bridget G. Brennan, Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York, and Jesse J. Sligh, Executive Assistant District Attorney, Queens County District Attorney’s Office, for their exemplary and established record of public service and their commitment to diversity and inclusion in the profession and the community.

Approximately 200 Prosecutors Committee members and guests filled the New York County Lawyers Association at 14 Vesey Street to capacity to celebrate this special anniversary event.  The evening featured numerous distinguished guests and speakers who provided congratulatory remarks to the Committee and the honorees.

Notable guests and speakers included:  

  • Darcel Clark, Bronx County DA
  • Michael McMahon, Richmond County DA
  • Madeline Singas, Nassau County DA
  • Cyrus Vance, New York County DA
  • Neil Corwin, Executive AUSA, US Attorney’ s Office, SDNY
  • Nancy Hoppock, Chief ADA, Kings County DA’s Office
  • Bridget Rohde, Chief AUSA, US Attorney’s Office, EDNY
  • John Ryan, Chief ADA, Queens County DA’s Office
  • Joe Alexis, Chief of Trials, Kings County DA’s Office
  • Catherine Christian, Special Assistant to the NY County DA for External Affairs
  • Diane Gujarati, Deputy Chief of Criminal Division, US Attorney’s Office, SDNY
  • Melinda Katz, Queens Borough President
  • Yang Chen, Executive Director, AABANY
  • Pamela Chen [Judge, US District Court, EDNY]
  • Dorothy Chin-Brandt [Retired Judge, Queens County Supreme Court]
  • Phyllis Chu [Judge, NY County Criminal Court]
  • Danny Chun [Judge, Kings County Supreme Court]
  • Ronald Hollie [Judge, Queens County Supreme Court]
  • Gilbert Hong [Judge, NY County Criminal Court]
  • Judy Kim [Judge, NY County Criminal Court]
  • Peggy Kuo [Judge, US District Court, EDNY]
  • Don Leo [Judge, Kings County Criminal Court]
  • Daniel Lewis [Judge, Queens County Supreme Court]
  • Kevin McGrath [Judge, NY County Criminal Court]

The Prosecutors Committee presented a 10-year retrospective slideshow reflecting on the birth and growth of this vibrant committee over the past decade.

This year’s reception also included a touching tribute in memory of Committee Co-Chair Helen Ahn, who passed unexpectedly in November. Helen’s parents and family were present to hear and receive the tributes from all the speakers and honorees.

AABANY thanks Prosecutors Committee co-chairs James Lin and Myongjae M. Yi for organizing the event, as well as Kin Ng, Catherine Christian, Francis Chin, Laura Badger, and the planning members for their assistance.  AABANY also thanks the New York County Lawyers Association for providing the beautiful venue for this special celebration.

AABANY congratulates the Prosecutors Committee on reaching its 10-year milestone and wishes it much success and growth in the coming years.  The Committee is comprised of current and former state and federal prosecutors. To learn more about the Committee go to https://www.aabany.org/page/73