On September 29, 2026, AABANY hosted the latest installment of its Dumplings & Discussion fireside chat series, featuring Allen Lo, Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer at Madison Square Garden Entertainment and Sphere Entertainment. The event drew a fantastic turnout, bringing the community together for a night of vibrant conversation, high-level career insights, and excellent networking.
Allen gave a candid look at his remarkable career journey and shared thoughtful, deep insights with the room. Allen stayed well into the night for the reception, generously sharing his time with attendees.
It was a special treat to welcome back Dumplings & Discussion alum Kelly Koyama-Garcia, who proudly sported her dumpling pin.
A big thank you to Allen for his candor, his practical advice, and his generosity with his time. We’re glad to have him in the New York community. Additional thanks to host Jeffrey Mok, and to everyone who joined and made it another memorable night of great conversation, company, and, of course, great dumplings.
See here to read about past Dumplings & Discussion chats.
On Monday, January 27, 2025, AABANY members, friends, and family—40 attendees—gathered at Madison Square Garden to celebrate Lunar New Year while cheering on the New York Knicks as they faced the Memphis Grizzlies. The night began with a graceful rendition of the national anthem by Asian musicians, highlighted by the melodic sounds of the erhu, a traditional Chinese instrument. The Knicks burst onto the court with energy and precision in the first half, electrifying the crowd with their dynamic teamwork and securing a 60-52 lead heading into halftime.
At halftime, the celebration captivated the crowd with a traditional lion dance performed by the New York Chinese Freemasons Athletic Club. The vibrant colors, rhythmic drumbeats, and graceful movements filled the basketball court, offering viewers a glimpse into Chinese culture while spreading wishes of good luck for the Year of the Snake.
Once the second half got underway, the Knicks took complete control of the game, putting on an offensive game that left the Grizzlies struggling to keep up. Their ball movement was seamless, players found their rhythm with ease, and the shots kept falling from every angle. On the defensive end, the Knicks were relentless—challenging every pass, forcing turnovers, and locking down Memphis’ top scorers. The spirit and intensity in Madison Square Garden was contagious as the Knicks cruised to a dominant 143-106 blowout victory. The commanding performance was a perfect way to celebrate the Lunar New Year and left fans cheering well into the night.
For the third consecutive year, the Knicks won their Lunar New Year game with AABANY in attendance—a lucky streak we hope continues! A big thank you to everyone who joined us in celebrating the Year of the Snake. Together, we embraced the spirit of community, tradition, and joy, making it an evening to remember. Go Knicks!
A huge thank you to AABANY’s co-sponsoring committees—Academic, Asia Practice, Commercial Bankruptcy and Restructuring, Immigration Law, Labor & Employment Law, Membership, Mentorship, and Student Outreach—for their support in making this event a success. Their dedication and collaboration brought the community together for an unforgettable evening filled with camaraderie, culture, and celebration. We also welcomed a few friends from one of our sister bar associations, the Jewish Lawyers Guild. We were delighted that they came out to celebrate the Lunar New Year at Madison Square Garden with us.
On Tuesday, February 6, 2024, AABANY members, family and friends attended Lunar New Year celebrations at Madison Square Garden where the Knicks took on the Memphis Grizzlies. The night started with Asian musicians playing the national anthem, and the Knicks got off to a hot start. During halftime, the audience enjoyed a traditional lion dance performance. By the fourth quarter the Grizzlies cut the Knicks lead down to single digits, but the Knicks ultimately prevailed with a 123-113 victory.
For the second straight year, the Knicks won when AABANY attended their Lunar New Year celebration game. And, again, our group of nearly forty attendees got a “live shot shoutout” on the jumbotron. Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate with AABANY including our President Karen Kim who attended with her husband and two boys. No one cheered as loud as they did. Happy Year of the Dragon!
On Tuesday, January 24, forty AABANY members, family and friends celebrated Lunar New Year at Madison Square Garden as the Knicks took on the Cleveland Cavaliers. The night was filled with memorable moments: The New Asia Chamber Music Society performed the national anthem and there was a special lion dance performance during halftime. Two of our members caught t-shirts that were fired into the crowd by cannons and during the third quarter AABANY even got a shoutout on the Garden Vision big screen. And to cap it all off, the Knicks won a nail biter by a score of 105-103.
On Monday, February 14, AABANY attended the Knicks vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder game at Madison Square Garden. The night’s theme was Celebrating Lunar New Year – the Year of the Tiger. The stadium banners featured red lantern designs to observe the holiday. The lively halftime show featured lion dancers and folk dancers.
AABANY cheered on the Knicks in custom Knicks Chinese New Year t-shirts. The game was suspenseful, as the Knicks built a lead in the fourth quarter but fell back to a tie with less than a minute left. In a finale that left audiences on the edge of their seats, the game went into overtime and ended with the Thunder winning 127 – 123.
Thanks to everyone who came, especially to Membership Director Beatrice Leong for organizing the event. To learn more about the Membership Committee, please visit http://www.aabany.org/?page=130.
The Pinoy Relief Fund, Live Nation and Alvarez & Marsal have announced that they will host a Pinoy Relief Benefit Concert on March 11, 2014, at the Theater at Madison Square Garden. Doors open at 6:30 P.M., and the concert starts at 7:30 P.M. Tickets to the event are on sale now through Ticketmaster at http://www.ticketmaster.com/Pinoy-Relief-Benefit-Concert-tickets/artist/1960921.
The all-star event will feature performances by Jennifer Hudson, Pentatonix, Plain White T’s, A Great Big World, Jessica Sanchez, DJ Poet Name Life, and Charice, as well as special guest participation by Dr. Mehmet Oz, apl.de.ap of the Black Eyed Peas, Dante Basco and EGOT award winning songwriters Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez.
FALANY members are trying to order tickets to sit together. Please let Vincent Roldan ([email protected]) or Noel Vales ([email protected]) know if you are interested in joining. Also, just prior to the event, FALANY will be meeting for a casual happy hour with Rudy Figueroa, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary of Mitsui Rail Capital, LLC and President of the National Filipino American Lawyers Association (NFALA), who will be visiting from Chicago. The location and time is TBD so please look out for further updates on this.
