NAPABA Condemns Executive Orders Undermining the Legal Profession
WASHINGTON – The legal profession is of constitutional significance. The right to counsel is fundamental, and the judiciary as a coequal branch of government is charged with peacefully resolving disputes that inevitably arise in a vast and complex nation. Undermining the legal profession undermines democracy.
Over the past few weeks, the Administration issued executive actions against three law firms: Covington Burling LLP, Perkins Coie LLP, and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. These actions included the suspension of security clearances and a review and termination of government contracts. For two of the firms, the Administration limited their access to federal government buildings and interactions between the firms and government officials.
One executive order accused global law firms of having a role “in the destruction of bedrock American principles.” Another executive order described one of the law firm’s activities as “dishonest and dangerous.” The executive actions plainly expressed a displeasure with the firms’ representation of certain clients that the Administration disfavors. Some of the executive actions are now subject to litigation.
The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) condemns these attacks. From the founding of this Nation, lawyers have represented clients regardless of their stature in society. NAPABA is the national voice of the Asian Pacific American legal profession. We promote justice and equality. Members throughout our community zealously represent their clients each and every day, including those at the three law firms. When attorneys are unable to represent their clients free from intimidation and threats, our profession and justice system are jeopardized.
NAPABA also rejects the calls for the impeachment of judges simply because of their rulings. As Chief Justice John Roberts shared recently, “impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision. The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose.” We agree.
### 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.
AABANY congratulates Muhammad Faridi, current AABANY member, President of the New York City Bar Association (NYCBA), and Partner at Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP, for receiving NAPABA’s 2024 Pro Bono Service Award. The award is well-deserved, recognizing Muhammad’s commitment to pro bono work within the legal profession as well as his dedication to the advancement and protection of civil rights. Though Muhammad had not originally expected to be able to accept the award in-person due to an ongoing jury trial, as luck would have it, his closing statements took place the day before the awards presentation. Thus, he was able to appear in-person at the 2024 NAPABA Convention in Seattle, Washington to be presented with the award during Saturday night’s Gala on November 9, even though right before he got the award, a video was played showing him apologizing for not being able to be there in person due to an ongoing trial. None of the honorees were permitted to speak after getting their awards, which made for a puzzling moment. Thanks to Muhammad for clearing up the confusion, and congratulations again!
When asked why pro bono work is so important to him, Muhammad emphasized that it allows him to support and uplift his community, saying: “It is becoming increasingly difficult in our country for people from my type of background to enter the profession. I think there are a lot of barriers … that have made it difficult for people from marginalized backgrounds to have the level of success that I have had. There are significant structural problems that exist in our system that prevents many people from realizing their potential … a lack of resources in our public schools … health related challenges in communities where marginalized people live … and more.” For Muhammad, pro bono service is a way to give back and show support to the people around him.
Raised by immigrant parents from Pakistan, from a young age Muhammad’s family played a deeply influential role on him. For one, they imparted upon him a deep appreciation and respect for the Islamic faith. He explained, “One thing that people don’t appreciate is the commonalities of the Islamic faith – decency, humanity, and justice. These are concepts that all of us share. In some ways, my faith is one way for me to try to live by those three principles. It’s my spiritual way of trying to embody and connect with them.” Muhammad remarked that he has tried to carry these ideals with him throughout his career and into all the work he does.
Muhammad’s family also instilled in him the ideal that “education is something that is transformational in nature.” Muhammad attended John Jay School of Criminal Justice, from which he graduated summa cum laude. He then attended CUNY School of Law, where, as a 1L, he served as a research assistant for the Death Penalty Committee of the NYCBA – an introduction to what would later become one of his core professional interests – and, as a 2L, he earned a diversity fellowship from the NYCBA’s Committee on Recruitment and Retention of Lawyers – which he continues to work on and improve to this day.
Following his graduation from law school, Muhammad clerked for the Honorable Jack B. Weinstein, a former judge in the Eastern District of New York, a position which he described as “probably the best legal job I have ever had in my career.” As a clerk, Muhammad had the opportunity to closely interact with Judge Weinstein, growing not just professionally, but also personally. He remarked, “The most profound way [Judge Weinstein] influenced me was to not be deterred by the notion that it is too difficult or impossible to effectuate meaningful change. He encountered so many barriers as a judge. The rules appeared very rigid [but] he was able to navigate through those rules in a very careful way to make sure that he was always able to dispense his notion of justice. That was illuminating.” Muhammad further reflected that Judge Weinstein was always accessible and “fun to be around,” saying that he has tried to emulate these qualities in his own career.
After his clerkship, Muhammad began working for Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP in its litigation department, where he is now a partner. Over the course of his career, he has represented clients as both plaintiffs and defendants in a variety of industries, including financial services, pharmaceuticals, software, and manufacturing. Some of his most recent trial successes include securing a directed verdict on a statute-of-limitations defense, securing a $2 billion jury verdict, and securing a $1.84 billion settlement for his client midway through trial.
One of the most unique aspects of Muhammad’s career has been his ability to balance his professional work with his pro bono work. Ever since law school when he served as a research assistant for the NYCBA’s Death Penalty Committee, Muhammad has positioned himself as a strong opponent to the death penalty, representing a number of clients on death row. He recalled a particularly influential case he took on in 2016, in which his client had been on death row for eight years, saying: “We were dealing with some very challenging facts [but] were nevertheless seeking to spare that person’s life.” Though his client was ultimately executed after all the appeals processes had been exhausted, Muhammad reflected that he could “only hope that the attitude in our country changes to some degree.” Despite the heartbreaking nature of these cases, Muhammad has found immense meaning in them: “Many times you are dealing with people of the saddest backgrounds ever. These are some of the most marginalized people ever. These death penalty cases are in some ways an opportunity to give back to the community. It’s an uphill battle.”
Beyond death penalty cases, Muhammad has involved himself in a variety of other pro bono work. In 2016, for example, he worked on Trump v. Hawaii, representing a union of federal asylum and refugee officers challenging government restrictions on the rights of refugees. He explained, “We had harkened back to some of the problematic episodes in our history …. In that case, we tried to restore the longstanding tradition of America providing a safe haven to those who are being persecuted.” He successfully challenged the laws and barriers preventing these persecuted individuals from realizing the American dream, describing it as a “fascinating case and one of the defining moments of my career.”
Perhaps Muhammad’s most significant endeavor thus far is serving as President of the New York City Bar Association. Having worked with the organization throughout his entire career in various leadership capacities, including as Chair of the Capital Punishment Committee, Chair of the Executive Committee, and Vice President, his election to the presidency seemed only natural. When asked how he plans to shape the organization’s path forward, he responded, “Our number one goal is to prepare for the future. Our profession is going through a fundamental change. Young lawyers are beginning to question the value proposition of many longstanding institutions. The questions that are being asked are profound and need to be asked, like what is the value of the bar association? Is this the most effective way for lawyers to network? The younger lawyers are questioning and exposing these inefficiencies. Thus, my number one priority is to make the newer generation of lawyers understand the importance of bar associations.” Indeed, Muhammad’s vision reflects a clear commitment to supporting the new generation of lawyers and to ensuring that bar associations evolve to meet the needs of the rapidly-changing legal profession.
Outside of the legal world, Muhammad has impacted the larger New York City community as an independent civil representative to the NYPD’s Handschu Committee, an organization that oversees compliance with the Handschu Guidelines, which regulate the NYPD’s policies and practices regarding investigations of political activity. As Muhammad described, the Committee ensures that “while law enforcement is able to fulfill its very important duty, the rights of New Yorkers are not violated in the process.” With his background of representing people from the Muslim community, and as a human rights advocate, Muhammad has found the Committee’s work to be important and rewarding, stating that the current law enforcement process “exists in a very thoughtful process and strikes the right balance” in part due to Handschu.
Furthermore, Muhammad has committed to strengthening and supporting the Asian American community in New York. He has attended various events as an active AABANY member for many years, and also served on the Board of Directors of the Muslim Bar Association of New York from 2009 to 2010.
Please join AABANY in congratulating Muhammad on receiving the NAPABA Pro Bono Service Award. To learn more about the award, please click here.
On October 1, 2024, AABANY’s Intellectual Property Committee and the Young Singapore International Arbitration Centre (YSIAC) teamed up to host a fantastic Dim Sum dinner at Dim Sum Palace. The event drew a great crowd of IP litigation professionals, with everyone enjoying dishes like Peking Duck, Shu-Mai, and E-Fu Noodles. Jeffrey Mok, co-chair of AABANY’s IP Committee, and Adriana Uson, director of the SIAC, served as hosts for the evening.
As the night progressed, the event fostered a sense of community among the attendees, encouraging new collaborations and deepening professional relationships. This Dim Sum dinner was a meaningful gathering that provided a perfect balance of intellectual exchange and culinary enjoyment.
Among the attendees was Charlene Valdez Warner, a Senior U.S. Associate at Linklaters. We discussed her fascinating work in international arbitration and litigation, as well as what it is like being a Filipino-American in the legal field. She emphasized how important it is for Asian professionals, especially in underrepresented areas like ours, to have these kinds of gatherings. It’s not just about business; it’s about building community, sharing experiences, and lifting each other up.
Throughout the evening, the conversations were just as varied as the menu, with topics ranging from IP trends to the challenges of working in global markets. Charlene and I both agreed that dinners like these are essential, providing a space where Asian American attorneys can connect on a personal level and strengthen their professional networks.
As the night wrapped up, it was clear that the event was more than just a meal – it was a reminder of the power of community. AABANY continues to bring together legal professionals who support and inspire one another. Check the AABANY calendar for announcements of upcoming IP Committee dinner and events
To learn more about the IP Committee and how you can get involved, go here.
On August 14, 2024, the AABANY Litigation Committee came together for their second quarterly dinner, this time held at Hwa Yuan Szechuan in Chinatown. AABANY’s Litigation Committee is “dedicated to attorneys and law students who are interested in litigation [and] provides a forum and resources for networking and learning, and sponsors events that are of interest to its members.”
At the dinner, lively chatter filled the air, as attendees enjoyed banquet-style dining where dishes were served one at a time, with vegetarian and vegan options available. Vegetable dumplings, Peking duck, sweet eggplant, tofu, and fish were among the dishes served.
Attendees talked about their litigation experiences, strengthened relationships in their network, and met new litigators to add to their roster of contacts. Discussions ranged from providing legal career advice to law students and aspiring litigators to banter over how spicy the food was.
Thank you to the Litigation Committee for organizing this event and to all of those who attended.
The Litigation Committee is open to hearing suggestions for future events. To learn more about the Committee, how to get more involved, and how to contact the Committee Co-Chairs to share your ideas, please click here.
AABANY is pleased to announce the launch of the Trusts & Estates Committee. This new committee serves as a professional and community network for AABANY members and non-members interested in the practice of Trusts & Estates law, which spans trusts, estates, and tax planning to Surrogate’s Court practice and litigation. The Committee is dedicated to providing a platform for networking, mentoring, and professional development, as well as opportunities for public service.
Pang-Mei Natasha Chang, Co-Chair of the Committee, is a member of Dunnington Bartholow & Miller LLP’s estates, trusts and private clients practice group, as well as its international France desk, and charitable, not-for-profit and religious institutions practice groups. She counsels both domestic and international individuals, businesses and charitable organizations in estate and trusts planning, and wealth transfer planning. She represents clients of all ages, and advises in insurance planning, IRA/retirement benefit planning and the use of trusts for not only estate planning but asset protection. She also serves on the Trusts, Estates and Surrogate’s Court Committee of the New York City Bar Association, where she has participated as a writer and presenter.
Yi W. Stewart, the other Co-Chair of the Committee, works at the firm Farrell Fritz as a trusts and estates litigation associate. She performs pretrial discovery, conducts legal research, and prepares motions and memoranda of law for litigated Surrogate’s Court proceedings. Prior to joining Farrell Fritz, Yi served as associate law clerk to the Hon. Rita Mella for three years in New York County Surrogate’s Court, where she assisted the Surrogate with decisions on typical contested probate and accounting matters, complex issues of will construction and reformation, as well as novel issues such as a fiduciary’s authority to administer digital assets stored in Google and Apple accounts.
To contact the Committee Chairs for this Committee, click “Contact Us” at the top of the AABANY website and fill out the form, and tell us in the Comment field what in particular you would like to know about the Committee and its activities.
On July 11th, 2023, AABANY’s Students Outreach Committee organized a Students Meet Firms event, connecting law students with attorneys from Groombridge, Wu, Baughman & Stone. (Groombridge, Wu) The panelists included Josephine Young, Partner at Groombridge, Wu; Karen King, Partner at Morvillo Abramowitz Grand Iason & Anello PC; Ben Hsu, Associate at Groombridge, Wu; and Chih-Wei Wu, Associate at Groombridge, Wu. Serving as the moderator was Jennifer Wu, Partner at the firm and Co-Chair of AABANY’s Women’s Committee. The event took place at the Groombridge, Wu office located in New York City and online via Zoom.
The setting was intimate and informal, with Jennifer fielding questions from attendees, which included sharing personal stories and discussing the significance of being assertive in the legal profession. Jennifer emphasized learning to recognize your own voice and not allow others to walk over you. The conversation also delved into topics such as workplace racism, the advantages and disadvantages of owning a firm versus working for one, the training process, the life of an associate, and the value of learning from mistakes.
One notable piece of advice from Jennifer was to seek out a firm that allows for mistakes and provides opportunities for growth through learning from them. The attendees shared insightful questions, such as when does making mistakes become unacceptable, the experiences of being an Asian American woman while climbing the corporate ladder and making partnership, and the pros and cons of practicing law in a post-COVID world.
Overall, the panel provided comprehensive responses to a range of attendee questions, spanning from the experiences of litigation lawyers to insights into achieving partnership status at a major law firm or running one’s own.
Thank you to our speakers for sharing their insights and to the Student Outreach Committee for organizing this wonderful and informative event. To read more about other Students Meet Firms events, including Cleary Gottlieb and Kirkland & Ellis, click on the links to the blog posts. To learn more about the Student Outreach Committee, please click here.
AABANY’s new fiscal year began on April 1, and on April 6, at Mercury Bar West, 659 Ninth Avenue, over 40 attendees came out for the Fiscal Year ’24 Kickoff Mixer! The event was led by the Membership Committee and co-hosted by the Asia Practice, Litigation, and Women’s Committees. Attorneys, consultants, and friends alike networked, mixed, and mingled over shared appetizers and drinks. New friends ended the night with karaoke.
On August 16th, 2022, AABANY’s Litigation and ADR Committees, along with JAMS, co-sponsored a CLE panel about international arbitration. AABANY ADR Committee Chair and JAMS Neutral Chris M. Kwok gave opening remarks, and AABANY Litigation Committee Co-Chair Aakruti G. Vakharia of Haug Partners moderated the panel. The panelists were Hiro Aragaki, JAMS Neutral and Professor of Law; Margaret Ives, in-house counsel at Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, Limited; and Dr. Kabir Duggal of Arnold & Porter. The panel discussed the differences between litigation and arbitration, the benefits of international arbitration over cross-border litigation, the challenges of arbitrating internationally, the mechanics of international arbitration, and best practices for what to include and what to avoid when drafting a dispute resolution clause. The panel encompassed neutral, outside counsel, in-house counsel, and academic perspectives
Thank you to everyone who worked on and attended this CLE. We greatly appreciate Niki Borofsky, Christine Smith, Alison M., Margaret Poppe, Todd Drucker, Jazmine Smith, Corey Taylor, and Matthew P. York of JAMS collaborating with AABANY’s Litigation Committee, co-chaired by Aakruti G. Vakharia, Jennifer Wu, Lois Ahn, and ADR committee, led by Chris M. Kwok (Chair) and May Li (Vice Chair), all of whom put together this interesting and informative program.
On June 21, 2022, the Litigation, Prosecutors’ and Labor & Employment Committees hosted a Litigators’ Happy Hour at the Three Monkeys. Conveniently located in Midtown, law clerks, litigators, prosecutors, and lawyers in various practice areas enthusiastically attended the event after work. A range of platters including buffalo chicken spring rolls, macaroni and cheese bites, and nachos were served for everyone to share. The night was filled with lively conversations among the attendees. Many expressed their continued excitement for more in-person programming and happy hours as part of the hosting committees’ efforts. Litigation Committee Co-Chair, Aakruti Vakharia, reminisced about this year’s Annual Dinner and even shared a few tips with other attendees as to how to stay stylish by securing a free personal shopper from nearby department stores. Others were celebrating successes on their cases, while new members and first-time attendees were welcomed by introducing them to AABANY’s extensive network.
The committees also discussed ideas for programming and events for the upcoming year. Thanks again to everyone who attended the first joint event of the fiscal year from the Litigation, Prosecutors’ and Labor & Employment Committees. We look forward to many more events to come, whether collectively or individually, from these committees. To learn more about the different committees, please visit the Litigation Committee here, the Prosecutors Committee here, and the Labor and Employment Committee here.
Vincent T. Chang, active member of AABANY since 2000 and former AABANY President in 2007, was inducted as the first Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) President of the New York County Lawyers’ Association (NYCLA) on May 28, 2021. In his new role, Vince is prepared to lead NYCLA in supporting diverse communities, reaching out to more young attorneys and law students, and closing the justice gap to serve those in the community who are most in need.
Since high school, Vince gravitated towards pursuing a career in the legal profession. Involved in both his high school and college debate teams, Vince found overlapping aspects between debate and law. In presenting an argument, he noticed both involve research, assembly of evidence, and oral presentation. After graduating cum laude from Harvard Law School, he clerked for the Honorable Robert Krupansky of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit before joining Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP in 1989. Being familiar with litigation from his experience in debate and serving as a judicial clerk in a Federal appellate court, Vince chose to practice in litigation. Currently, Vince is a Litigation Partner at Wollmuth Maher & Deutsch LLP in New York specializing in complex commercial litigation matters in the financial industry, including investment banking, hedge funds, and mortgage backed securities.
Outside of his work at the law firm, Vince is an active member of numerous bar associations and organizations, and has served and continues to serve in various leadership positions. To name a few, Vince previously served on the New York State Bar Association Committee of Bar Leaders, on the Board of Directors at Legal Services NYC, and is currently the Vice President of the Asian American Law Fund of New York. Although he might be affectionately called a “Bar Junkie,” Vince did not participate in bar association work until later on in his career.
The first bar association Vince joined was AABANY, and he appreciated both the social and intellectual aspects of the association. He enjoyed the opportunity to learn about different areas of law while also being able to network and meet prominent lawyers. One of his fondest memories of serving as President of AABANY in 2007 was hosting the Annual Dinner because it was a rare event for 500 to 600 AAPI lawyers, including General Counsels and Judges, to all gather in the same room in New York City. This was especially significant because at the time there were at most 400 members in AABANY compared to the 1,500 members AABANY has now.
At AABANY, Vince also played a prominent role in organizing the AABANY Trial Reenactments. With a goal to educate lawyers and the public about the notable trials and cases in U.S. history involving AAPIs, Vince assisted Judge Denny Chin and Kathy Hirata Chin to develop scripts for the productions. Since 2007, Vince has starred as a cast member in numerous reenactments at the annual NAPABA conventions and at other events. He most recently played Fred Korematsu in the “Fred Korematsu and His Fight For Justice” reenactment in November 2019 at the NAPABA convention.
Today, Vince is the first AAPI President of NYCLA, which was the first bar association to admit women and lawyers of color into its membership. He views his role as both an honor and a serious responsibility—an honor because past presidents include esteemed individuals and a responsibility because of his duty to represent AAPIs and serve as a role model. At a time when diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the forefront of many bar associations’ and law firms’ missions, NYCLA plans to be more interactive with young lawyers, especially diverse attorneys, by reaching out to law schools, affinity bar groups, and law firms. Vince also plans for NYCLA to remain relevant on public policy issues and respond to them in a timely manner. He hopes that “taking positions that affect diverse communities will make them notice and realize NYCLA is on their side.”
A common theme of Vince’s work is the pursuit of justice to not only improve the legal profession, but to also improve the quality of legal representation for individuals in the community. He has served on the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary to review federal judicial nominees; sat on a NYCLA panel at a public hearing to address the impact of budget cuts on the Judiciary; served on the Disciplinary Committee for the First Department to prosecute disciplinary complaints against lawyers in Manhattan; and worked on other initiatives to minimize the justice gap. Vince plans to continue working on this at NYCLA as “access to justice is a hallmark of what bar associations and NYCLA are aiming for.” One program NYCLA has planned is to support attorneys who represent indigent persons through the Assigned Counsel Plan (18b). Under the proposed program, by increasing the rate at which assigned counsel are paid, there will hopefully be an increase of lawyers interested in doing 18b work, which will further decrease the access-to-justice gap. NYCLA also hopes to revive their Special Masters Program to provide an opportunity for young attorneys to gain experience working with the court system, and to close the gap between court workload and staff gap. At NYCLA’s AAPI Heritage Month Celebration on June 2nd, Vince vowed to continue to uphold NYCLA’s focus on sustaining the rule of law including the importance of practicing diversity, equity and inclusion in furtherance of fairness and justice for all.
Please join AABANY in congratulating Vince on becoming the first AAPI President of NYCLA and for doing all the work he does to support communities. We wish Vince great success in his vital new role as NYCLA President! To learn more about NYCLA, visit its website at https://www.nycla.org/. AABANY members who join NYCLA for the first time are eligible to receive 50% off their annual dues the first year and 25% off the second year. For more details, click here.
