2025 NAPABA Awards | Celebrating Last Year’s Honorees

Join Us As We Celebrate Our Community

Each year, NAPABA celebrates legal professionals and organizations whose work exemplifies excellence, impact, and leadership in service of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community. This year’s honorees will join an illustrious list of past recipients—Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono, Rear Admiral A.B. Cruz III (ret. USN), former Principal Deputy Solicitor General of the United States Neal Katyal, Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary of Medtronic Ivan Fong, former Mayor of San Francisco Edwin Mah Lee (posthumous), Ambassador Gary Locke, Ambassador Katherine Tai, civil rights attorney Dale Minami, Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, Chief Judge Sri Srinivasan, Judge Amul Thapar, President of Queens College Frank Wu, and activist and author Helen Zia to name a few—whose achievements have shaped the legal profession and advanced justice nationwide.

With award presentations now thoughtfully spread across the NAPABA Convention to create more meaningful moments of celebration, there’s never been a better time to nominate someone whose work inspires you. Let’s shine a spotlight on the leaders shaping our future.

2024 Award Honorees

2024 President’s Award

Nancy P. LeePriya PurandareWendy C. Shiba

INSPIRE Award

Military & Veteran Service Award

In-House Counsel Leadership Award

Don LiuMarty LorenzoHannah Kim

In-House Counsel Leadership Rising Star

Pro Bono Service
Award

Public Sector
Leadership Award

Stephanie Chu ClausenMuhammad FaridiJin Hee Lee

Women’s Leadership
Award

Manisha M. Sheth

Affiliate of the Year

APA-Owned Law Firm of the Year

Law Firm Community Champion

Daniel K. Inouye Trailblazer Awards

Joseph J. Centeno

Robert S. Chang

The Honorable Leslie E. Kobayashi

The Honorable Goodwin LiuChristy Goldsmith Romero

Best Under 40 Award

Onchantho Am

Aaron Bains

Aaron Bains

Nyssa P. ChopraMinsuk Han

2024 NAPABA Awards | Celebrating our Honorees

Join Us As We Celebrate Our Community

We’re proud to recognize all of the deserving honorees and the exceptional achievements of our membership with the 2024 NAPABA Awards. The impact honorees have made within the legal and AANHPI communities is inspiring and we’re happy to shine a spotlight on them.

Join us next month in Seattle as we celebrate them at the 2024 NAPABA Convention. You only have until November 3 to take advantage of the Advance Rate. While you’re registering, don’t forget to add our plenary luncheons and gala dinner. There will be no opportunity to purchase after November 3, and you won’t want to miss our amazing sessions and speakers.

Click on the images below to learn more about each of our honorees.

2024 President’s Award


Nancy. P Lee

Priya Purandare

Wendy C. Shiba
2024 INSPIRE Award

Don Liu
2024 Military & Veteran Service Award

Marty Lorenzo
2024 In-House Counsel Diversity Leadership Award

Hannah Kim
2024 In-House Counsel Diversity Leadership Rising Star

Stephanie Chu Clausen
2024 Pro Bono Service
Award


Muhammad Faridi
2024 Public Sector
Leadership Award


Jin Hee Lee
2024 Women’s Leadership
Award


Manisha M. Sheth
2024 Affiliate of the Year

Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers (British Columbia) Society (FACL BC)
2024 APA-Owned Law Firm of the Year

Anderson & Associates
2024 Law Firm Diversity Award

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

2024 Daniel K. Inouye Trailblazer Awards


Joseph J. Centeno

Robert S. Chang

The Honorable Leslie E. Kobayashi

The Honorable Goodwin Liu

Christy Goldsmith Romero

2024 Best Under 40 Award


Onchantho Am

Aaron Bains

Heaven Chee

Nyssa P. Chopra

Minsuk Han

Winston Hsiao

Stephen Mar

Kelly Matayoshi

Alexander Payne

Raymond R. Rollan

Raymond Tran

Congratulations to 2020-21 Elected NAPABA Officers and Directors

On September 10, the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) announced its newly elected Officers and Directors for the 2020-21 NAPABA board of governors. Board members will be sworn into office on November 7 during the NAPABA Virtual Experience.

AABANY would like to extend congratulations to the following individuals:

Sid Kanazawa, President-Elect

Hogene Choi, Treasurer

Judy M. Lam, Secretary

Jim Goh, Director

Marty Lorenzo, Director,

Philip Nulud, Director

Brendan Wong, Director

To register for the NAPABA Virtual Experience where these individuals will be sworn in, see here.