On May 14, 2024, AABANY’s Labor and Employment Law, Intellectual Property, and In-House Counsel Committees co-hosted a panel discussion entitled “Roots to Success: Navigating Commercial and Legal Terrain in Asian Small Business Ventures.” The event was an opportunity for AABANY members to gather in celebration of May’s AANHPI/APIDA Heritage Month.
The event featured panelists Rachna Shah, Founder and General Counsel of External General Counsel LLC, Ayan Sanyal, Co-Founder of Kolkata Chai, and Lingfei (Teddy) Wu, Founder and CEO of Anytime AI. The event was moderated by Anushree Bagrodia, Vice President of Legal Americas of Mastercard and Co-Chair of AABANY’s In-House Counsel Committee.
The panelists shared their unique personal journeys that led them to start their businesses. They discussed the challenges that they faced when starting and growing their businesses and how they overcame these challenges, including how they navigate the legal issues that their businesses encounter. To tie the event back to AANHPI/APIDA Heritage Month, the panelists also shared the importance of embracing and celebrating their Asian heritage and supporting other Asian entrepreneurs and Asian owned businesses. We thank our distinguished panelists and moderator for sharing their time, perspectives, and insights. We also thank Littler Mendelson. P.C. for hosting the event at their New York City office.
To learn more about the Labor & Employment Law Committee please click here. To learn more about the Intellectual Property Committee please click here. To learn more about the In-House Counsel Committee please click here.
On April 24, a vibrant Wednesday evening in the heart of New York City, the Asian American Bar Association of New York’s Intellectual Property Committee convened again for the beloved recurring dinner, this time at Chili, nestled on 13 E 37th St. The event brought together members and friends of the IP Committee for an evening of Szechuan food, networking, and good conversation.
Attendees mingled, fostering connections and exchanging insights on the latest developments in intellectual property law. As guests exchanged stories and shared experiences, the room buzzed with excitement and energy. Seasoned practitioners offered guidance and wisdom to aspiring legal minds, while newcomers brought fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to the table. It was a true testament to the diversity and richness of talent within the Asian American legal community.
To all who joined us for this unforgettable evening, we extend our heartfelt thanks for your presence and participation. To learn more about the IP Committee and how you can get involved, go here.
On November 21, 2023, the IP Committee convened at Dhaba Indian Cuisine for a pre-Thanksgiving dinner. Co-Chair of the IP Committee, Jeffrey Mok, ordered family-style dishes for everyone to share. A group of law firm attorneys, in-house counsel, and students connected over aromatic and spicy Punjabi specialties. Some highlights were the paneer cheese, baigan da bharta (tandoor smoked eggplant), and lamb biryani. Conversations ranged from how AI can transform legal business models and what to do in NYC over the holidays to stories about law school reunions and career paths.
Thanks to everyone who attended the pre-Thanksgiving IP Committee dinner. Please sign up for the IP Committee mailing list and look out for the next events! To learn more about the IP Committee, please click here.
On November 4, 2023, the IP Committee gathered for a relaxing afternoon of board games at the Uncommons board game cafe in the Village. On this beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon, we were glad to be able to welcome several newcomers – both practicing attorneys and law students – as well as familiar faces, over classic board games such as Catan, Unstable Unicorns, Sorry! and more. We had a cozy private room in the back just to ourselves within this bustling venue as the several board game aficionados amongst the group explained the rules of our games and led us through two hours of fun! We had such a great time that many attendees expressed interest in extending our time or, even better, holding a board game event on a regular basis (more to come on this, so please stay tuned!).
We would like to thank all of our attendees for joining us and making this event as enjoyable as it was. We are always looking forward to seeing more faces and welcoming newcomers and members alike. To learn more about the IP Committee, please click here.
On October 17, 2023, the IP Committee and the Labor & Employment Committee together hosted a bowling event at Frames Bowling Lounge in Midtown Manhattan. New and familiar faces gathered to mingle and bowl, alongside classic plates including angus beef sliders, buffalo wings, and perfectly crispy fries. With 4-5 players per lane across three lanes, attendees brought on the competition and the game was on! The spacious two-floor bowling lounge had a liveliness and energy that certainly made the Tuesday evening feel like a Friday, and the food was so good that it had everyone taking the leftovers home in smaller boxes.
We would like to thank all of our attendees for a fun night and Jane Hong (IP Committee vice-chair) and Jennifer Kim (Labor & Employment Committee vice-chair) who took the lead in making this event come to life. We are always looking forward to seeing more faces and welcoming newcomers and members alike. To learn more about the Labor & Employment and IP Committees, please visit this page and this page.
On Wednesday, February 15, 2023, AABANY held its Annual Meeting of Members at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. President William Ng called the meeting to order and established quorum. The main order of business was conducting the election for the 2024 Board of Directors and Officers.
President William Ng presented the Annual Report of the Board and thanked the Board members for their service during the past year. Treasurer Evelyn Gong and Membership Director Christopher Bae presented the reports for their respective offices.
Executive Director Yang Chen presented highlights of Committee activities. Following the reports, awards were presented to honor AABANY leaders and committees for their dedication to AABANY over the past year. While these presentations were occurring, Immediate Past President Terrence Shen and President-Elect Karen Kim tallied the votes.
The following awards were presented:
Committee of the Year: Intellectual Property Committee
The Intellectual Property Committee received the Committee of the Year Award for its outstanding contributions in promoting AABANY’s membership engagement and creating a vibrant community for IP law practitioners. The Committee successfully hosted several committee dinners and social events including their first concert event to see the ARKAI Duo. At the start of 2023, the IP Committee started a new program called “Dumplings & Discussion,” the inaugural event featuring Andy Yoo, SVP & General Counsel of Savvas Learning Company. The discussion covered topics including Andy’s role as general counsel, diversity, equity and inclusion, and his career path and trajectory.
Program of the Year: Inter-Bar Association Summer Family Day
The Program of the Year Award was given to Christopher Bae, AABANY’s Membership Director. On June 4, 2022, AABANY’s Membership Committee hosted an Inter-Bar Association Summer Family Day with the Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York (KALAGNY) and the South Asian Bar Association of New York (SABANY). Over fifty members and their friends and families gathered at the Major R. Owens Health & Wellness Community Center in Brooklyn to participate in spirited sports games and enjoy snacks and refreshments.
Member of the Year: Jennifer H. Wu
The Member of the Year Award was presented to Jennifer H. Wu, for her outstanding leadership inside and outside of AABANY. Within AABANY, she co-chaired the Women’s Committee and helped to put on some excellent events. She was also active in AABANY’s Anti-Asian Violence Task Force, in addition to the pro bono work she had been doing to advise and assist survivors and victims of anti-Asian violence in New York over the past couple of years. On top of all that, she co-founded her own patent litigation law firm Groombridge Wu Baughman & Stone
Congratulations to all the honorees for the recognition of their achievements and hard work during the 2023 fiscal year.
After the presentation of awards, William announced the election results. The following officers were elected and will begin their term one-year terms on April 1, 2023:
Joseph Eng, Jr.
President-Elect
Beatrice Leong
Vice President, Programs and Operations
Jeffrey Mok
Vice President, Programs and Operations
Jasmine Ball
Treasurer
Shirley Bi
Secretary
Christopher Bae
Membership Director
Varuna Bhattacharyya
Development Director
The following candidates were elected as Directors to serve two-year terms starting on April 1, 2023:
Katherine Loanzon P. Bartlett Wu
After the election results were announced, attendees stayed to network at Paul, Weiss. We thank everyone who came and participated in the Annual Meeting and the election. Congratulations to all the Officers and Directors who were elected to the Board to serve in the 2024 fiscal year that begins on April 1, 2023.
Special thank you to AABANY Director Larry Wee and the Paul, Weiss team for hosting AABANY’s 2023 Annual Meeting.
On February 1, 2023, the IP Committee hosted its inaugural “Dumplings & Discussion” fireside chat series, with Andy Yoo, SVP & General Counsel at Savvas Learning Company as the guest.
Over a sumptuous spread of dumplings and other Chinese dishes, Andy shared his insights on intellectual property in the education industry, reflected on his career path, discussed his responsibilities as General Counsel, and offered advice to young attorneys. Andy also discussed how he leads his team, and his views on the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). The attendees were made up of in-house counsel attorneys in private practice and law students, and represented a wide range of experience levels.
Andy talked about his start at a prominent law firm and his move in-house to a media company. His next in-house move was to another media company that was also prominent in producing educational materials, and his current company focuses on those products. Andy enjoys the variety of challenging work he does as an in-house counsel and noted that nearly a third of his work involves IP, because the company manages a portfolio of hundreds of trademarks and thousands of copyrighted materials.
Andy has been deeply involved with DEI as an in-house counsel and reflected on changes in DEI over the past three decades. Compared to when he started as an associate to present day, he has observed a shift from the legal profession barely talking about DEI to robust efforts driven by the corporate sector to increase DEI across the board. The change, noted Andy, “is like night and day.” Yet, Andy recognizes that much still needs to be done and laments that during times of economic downturn, corporate DEI budgets tend to shrink, leading to cycles of advancement and retreat that make lasting progress hard to maintain.
After the in-depth discussion and lively Q&A that followed, attendees continued to enjoy drinks and food in a networking reception.
Thanks to Jeff Mok, Co-Chair of the IP Committee for moderating an insightful conversation, and to Fish & Richardson for being such gracious hosts. Thanks to Andy Yoo for sharing his time, experiences and knowledge with us.
Look out for the next IP Committee “Dumplings & Discussion” fireside chat. To learn more about the IP Committee, go to https://www.aabany.org/page/145.
On July 19, 2022, the IP Committee gathered at Barn Joo Nomad near Koreatown in a cozy, private second-floor dining area. Dishes were ordered family-style, and a seemingly endless stream of food accompanied lively conversations throughout the night. Featured delicacies included Braised Pork Belly, Seafood Krispy Paella, Nomad Bite, and many more. New connections were formed among the diverse group of attendees, which included law firm attorneys, in-house counsel, and students. Over dishes of Silky Tofu and Chili Shrimp, the lively conversations ranged from Post-Grant Reviews (PGR) and International Trade Commission (ITC) Patent Litigation to important considerations when choosing a law school and firm. Thanks to everyone who attended.
Please sign up for the IP Committee mailing list, and look out for the committee’s next event! To learn more about the IP Committee, please visit https://www.aabany.org/page/145.
On June 8, 2022, the IP Committee convened at Sabai Thai in Midtown under a beautiful canopy of flowers and fairy lights. Congee artisan, lifelong Toronto Blue Jays fan and Co-Chair of the IP Committee Jeffrey Mok graciously ordered family-style dishes for everyone to share, featuring delicacies such as Thai-Style Sea Bass, Crying Tiger Beef, and many more. New connections were formed among the diverse group of attendees, which included law firm attorneys, in-house counsel, and students. Over dishes of Pad Thai Gai Yang and Yum Mamaung, the lively conversations ranged from Broadway show recommendations (Co-Chair Benjamin Hsing – a Broadway and opera aficionado – recommends “Hamilton” and “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”) and new Return to Office (RTO) policies to stories about career paths and side hustles. For example, did you know that Co-Chair Greg Pan designs and sells toys?
Thanks to everyone who attended the first IP Committee dinner of the fiscal year. There will surely be many more to come. Please sign up for the IP Committee mailing list and look out for the committee’s next event! To learn more about the IP Committee, please visit https://www.aabany.org/page/145.
On March 17, the IP Committee enjoyed a delicious Singaporean feast at Laut Singapura for its final meeting of the fiscal year. New connections were made over dishes such as Hainanese Chicken, Laksa, Nasi Lemak, and many more. Attendees, ranging from law firm attorneys, students, and in-house counsel chatted about their careers, classes at school, and upcoming plans, among many other topics. Thanks to everyone who attended.
Please sign up for the IP Committee mailing list and look out for the committee’s next event! To learn more about the IP Committee, please visit https://www.aabany.org/page/145.
