Membership Committee Hosts Mixer on November 13 with Naf Kwun

On November 13, 2020, the Membership Committee hosted their weekly virtual Membership Mixer, with 17 participants in attendance. This week AABANY had the honor of having Naf Kwun, Partner at Lee Anav Chung White Kim Ruger & Richter LLP and AABANY Board Member, as our guest speaker. 

Guest Speaker Naf Kwun

The icebreaker question posed to the group was: “What would you have done differently if you knew everything you knew about COVID before the lockdown?” Participants gave varied responses, such as invest in Pfizer, Zoom, and Amazon stocks; take a trip; clean their offices; buy more PPE.

Naf shared her path to success in the legal profession, starting with her attending AABANY’s second Fall Conference, in 2011, which led her to getting actively involved with AABANY’s quarterly newsletter, The Advocate, which then led to her becoming active on various AABANY Committees, including serving as a Co-Chair of the Women’s Committee. Naf also joined the Board and served as an Office and Director, including a highly productive tenure as Co-Vice President of Programs and Operations. Even as she was busy with AABANY, Naf got her legal career on track, first as a clerk to Criminal Court Justice Patricia DiMango, and then as an Associate at Lee Anav, where she rose to Partner after a few years. Naf also serves on the Board of AABANY’s 501(c)(3) affiliate, the Asian American Law Fund of New York. This year, Naf received recognition as one of NAPABA’s Best Under 40. Congratulations to Naf on this well-deserved honor and recognition, and thanks to Naf for sharing her inspiring journey with our members at our Weekly Mixer!

The Membership Committee previously hosted Monthly Mixers at bars, ballparks, stadiums, operas, etc, but due to COVID, we have moved online to offer members a weekly outlet to share their feelings, see old friends, and make new connections. Mixers start at 6:30pm on Friday and the main event ends at 7:30pm but many often stay on after 7:30pm for smaller breakout groups. Membership Committee will continue to host weekly virtual mixers until it is safe to gather together again in person. 

We are giving away door prizes in some weeks. In order to win, you must be a member and must RSVP on the aabany.org calendar entry to get a raffle number. Non-members can join the mixer but won’t be eligible to win a prize. 

Congratulations to Henry Man, for winning the weekly prize!

Please join us on November 20, 2020 for a Remo Room Mixer. Register by Thursday, Nov. 19, at https://www.aabany.org/events/event_details.asp?legacy=1&id=1420338.

Membership Committee Hosts Halloween Costume Mixer on October 30

On October 30, 2020, the Membership Committee hosted their weekly virtual Membership Mixer, with 20 participants in attendance. This week AABANY held a costume contest. The icebreaker question this week was: “What was the most memorable trick someone played on you or that you played on someone else, or what was your happiest Halloween Memory?” Participants told us their favorite memories, including people watching their children trick or treat. One person was pranked in college when their friend took an extra bed, moved it into their dorm room, and created an official looking letter to notify them that they were getting a 3rd roommate. 

For the costume contest, members dressed up as a moose, a scary clown, Elliot from Mr. Robot, a Zombie, Princess Leia, and Killer Hornet! Congratulations to Momo Liu for her Princess Leia Costume and Kasama Star for her “Butt Cream” Zombie — the votes were tied! What is a “Butt Cream”Zombie? Let’s just say you had to be there.

The Membership Committee previously hosted Monthly Mixers at bars, ballparks, stadiums, operas, etc, but due to COVID, we have moved online to offer members a weekly outlet to share their feelings, see old friends, and make new connections. Mixers start at 6:30pm on Friday and the main event ends at 7:30pm but people stay on after 7:30pm for smaller breakout groups.

Membership Committee will continue to host weekly virtual mixers until it is safe to gather together again in person. 

We are giving away door prizes in some weeks. In order to win, you must be a member and must RSVP on the aabany.org calendar entry to get a raffle number. Non-members can join the mixer but won’t be eligible to win a prize. 

Sign up by Thursday, Nov. 5 for this week’s mixer at https://www.aabany.org/events/event_details.asp?legacy=1&id=1420336.

Membership Committee Hosts Weekly Mixer on October 23, featuring Marianne Chow Newman

On October 23, 2020, the Membership Committee hosted their weekly virtual Membership Mixer, with 18 participants in attendance. This week AABANY was honored to have Marianne Chow Newman, Counsel at Hearst Corp and AABANY Board Member, as our guest speaker. 

Guest Speaker Marianne Chow Newman

The icebreaker question posed to the group was, “What would you do if you woke up with an extra $1 million dollars in your account?” Participants mainly responded: “Paying off bills, student loans and mortgages and saving the rest.” A few in the group replied that they would take time off from work and travel around the world with their families. 

The Membership Committee previously hosted Monthly Mixers at bars, ballparks, stadiums, operas, etc, but due to COVID, we have moved online to offer members a weekly outlet to share their feelings, see old friends, and make new connections. Mixers start at 6:30pm on Friday and the main event ends at 7:30pm but people usually stay on after 7:30pm for smaller breakout groups.

Membership Committee will continue to host weekly virtual mixers until it is safe to gather together again in person. 

We are giving away door prizes in some weeks. In order to win, you must be a member and must RSVP on the aabany.org calendar entry to get a raffle number. Non-members can join the mixer but won’t be eligible to win a prize. 

This week our guest of honor Marianne Chow Newman gave away a subscription to a Hearst magazine of the winner’s choice, and Jeff Tang won! Congratulations, Jeff, and thanks, Marianne!

WE HAVE A COSTUME CONTEST THIS FRIDAY OCTOBER 30. Here is your chance to win $100 for best costume! Participants are encouraged to dress up and join the fun. If you don’t want to dress in costume, please RSVP for the Mixer and help us judge the contest!

Bonus Prizes: Membership Director Beatrice Leong dresses up in costume on a weekly basis. But what will her HALLOWEEN MIXER costume be? Put your best guess in the RSVP link: https://www.aabany.org/events/event_details.asp?legacy=1&id=1420335

Membership Committee Hosts Weekly Mixer with FALA-New York on October 9

On October 9, 2020, the Membership Committee hosted their weekly virtual Membership Mixer, with 20 participants in attendance. This week AABANY had the honor of co-hosting the event with the Filipino American Lawyers Association of New York (FALA-New York). The icebreaker question posed to the group was: “Who is your favorite superhero, real or fictional?” Participants reported they idolized Captain Jean Luc Picard, Spiderman, Xena, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Neo, Jay and Silent Bob, Morpheus, Naruto, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Oksana Chusovitina, and their bartender.  Many of the participants hailed from New Jersey, and the burning question of the night was: “Is the beloved NJ ham dish called a pork roll or Taylor Ham?”

The Membership Committee previously hosted Monthly Mixers at bars, ballparks, stadiums, operas, etc, but due to COVID, we have moved online to offer members a weekly outlet to share their feelings, see old friends, and make new connections. Mixers start at 6:30pm on Friday and the main event ends at 7:30pm but many stay on after 7:30pm for smaller breakout groups.

Membership Committee will continue to host weekly virtual mixers until it is safe to gather together again in person. 

We are giving away door prizes in some weeks. In order to win, you must be a member and must RSVP on the aabany.org calendar to get a raffle number. Non-members can join the mixer but won’t be eligible to win a prize. 

This week Membership Committee gave away a free Membership. Congratulations to Louise Lingat for winning the prize.

Membership Committee would also like to thank Barry Kazan, a Partner at Mintz & Gold LLP for his generosity! Barry offered to pay FALANY and AABANY memberships for the October 9 Mixer attendees who are not already members of the respective bars.

Mixers are not recorded, and are LIVE, so don’t miss out. This week’s mixer happens on Oct. 16. Register by Thursday at https://www.aabany.org/events/event_details.asp?legacy=1&id=1420333

Membership Committee Hosts Weekly Mixer on October 2

On October 2, 2020, the Membership Committee hosted their weekly virtual Membership Mixer, with 13 participants in attendance. Recently, Membership Committee has used Remo, a new dinner party style platform to hold the mixer. Attendees have the flexibility to visit multiple tables and mix and mingle with guests in a six person group. The icebreaker question this week asked participants if they are looking forward to indoor dining at 25% capacity.

The Membership Committee previously hosted Monthly Mixers at bars, ballparks, stadiums, operas, etc, but due to COVID, we have moved online to offer members a weekly outlet to share their feelings, see old friends, and make new connections. Mixers start at 6:30pm on Friday and the main event ends at 7:30pm but people often stay on after 7:30pm for smaller breakout groups. Mixers are not recorded, and are LIVE, so don’t miss out.

Membership Committee plans to continue hosting weekly virtual mixers until it is safe to gather together again in person. 

We are giving away door prizes in some weeks. In order to win, you must be a member and must RSVP on the aabany.org calendar entry to get a raffle number. Non-members can join the mixer but won’t be eligible to win a prize. 

This week AABANY is co-hosting with FALANY. Please be sure to gather all your favorite Filipino and non-Filipino friends to attend this Friday, October 9, 2020. Register by this Thursday at https://www.aabany.org/events/event_details.asp?legacy=1&id=1420332.

AABANY Hosts Weekly Zoom Membership Mixer on May 15

On May 15, 2020, the Membership Committee hosted their weekly Zoom Mixer Membership Mixer, with 24 participants in attendance. The icebreaker question posed to the participants was “If you were not a lawyer or did not have a job in law, what would your career be?” Members said they would be chefs, producers, directors, comic book illustrators, standup comics, cosmologists, and food critics. 

Issues Chair, Chris Kwok, moderated a discussion about the Asian Americans documentary being shown on PBS right now. https://www.pbs.org/show/asian-americans/

The Membership Committee previously hosted Monthly Mixers at bars, ballparks, stadiums, operas, etc. But, due to COVID-19, we are moving online to offer members a weekly outlet to share their feelings, see old friends, and make new connections. Mixers start at 6:30 pm on Friday, and the main event ends at 7:30 pm but feel free to stay on after 7:30 pm for smaller breakout groups.

We are giving away door prizes in some weeks. To win, you must be a member and must RSVP on the aabany.org to get a raffle number. Non-members can join the Zoom mixer but won’t be eligible to win a prize. 

This week we gave away PBS’s Asian Americans DVD! Congratulations to Francis Chin for winning!

Be sure to register for this week’s mixer by Thursday evening, May 21, here: https://www.aabany.org/events/event_details.asp?legacy=1&id=1366636

AABANY Hosts Weekly Zoom Membership Mixer on May 8

On May 8, 2020, the Membership Committee hosted their weekly Zoom Membership Mixer, with 20 participants in attendance. The question posed to the participants was, “If you could choose one only movie, book or TV series to watch or read repeatedly for a one year quarantine, what would that be?” Members said they would choose: Harry Potter, The Office, Game of Thrones, Star Wars, Seinfeld, The Dream of Red Chamber, On a Pale Horse, Matrix Trilogy, and Blade Runner.

The Membership Committee previously hosted Monthly Mixers at bars, ballparks, stadiums, operas, etc. But, due to COVID-19, we are moving online to offer members a weekly outlet to share their feelings, see old friends, and make new connections. Mixers start at 6:30 pm on Friday, and the main event ends at 7:30 pm but feel free to stay on after 7:30 pm for smaller breakout groups.

We are giving away door prizes in some weeks. To win, you must be a member and must RSVP on the aabany.org to get a raffle number. Non-members can join the Zoom mixer but won’t be eligible to win a prize. 

This week we gave away a 4-month Showtime subscription! Congratulations to Suehyan Cho O’Leary for winning and we hope you enjoy watching Billions, Homeland, and The Affair.

For the Membership Mixer on May 15, please watch the PBS documentary “Asian Americans” https://www.pbs.org/show/asian-americans/ and we will be having a discussion of same with Chris Kwok moderating.

WE WILL NOT BE RECORDING THE SESSIONS – live Zoom meetings only! Don’t miss out. Be sure to register for this week’s mixer by Thursday evening, May 14, here: https://www.aabany.org/events/event_details.asp?legacy=1&id=1366635.

AABANY Membership Committee Hosts Weekly Membership Mixer on May 1

On May 1, 2020, the Membership Committee hosted their weekly Zoom Membership Mixer, with 17 members in attendance. The question posed to the participants was “What is the first thing you plan on doing after quarantine ends?” Members reported they wanted to eat at their favorite restaurant, do food tours, go to the gym and get hair cuts.

The Membership Committee previously hosted Monthly Mixers at bars, ballparks, stadiums, operas, etc, but due to COVID-19, we are moving online to offer members a weekly outlet to share their feelings, see old friends, and make new connections. Mixers start at 6:30pm on Friday and the main event ends at 7:30pm but feel free to stay on after 7:30pm for smaller breakout groups.

We are giving away door prizes on some weeks. In order to win, you must be a member and must RSVP on the aabany.org calendar to get a raffle number. Non-members can join the Zoom mixer but won’t be eligible to win a prize. This week, we let the members choose what prize they wanted to win: (HBO Subscription, NYTimes subscription, Washington Post subscription, Trader Joe’s Gift Card, or a one year AABANY Membership. The participants voted for a free AABANY Membership! Congratulations to Bart Wu on winning a one-year membership renewal to AABANY.

In the upcoming weeks, we will be looking to play charades or pictionary or host trivia nights through Zoom. Join us weekly to hang out! Register for this week’s May 8 mixer by May 7 here: https://www.aabany.org/events/event_details.asp?legacy=1&id=1366634

AABANY Membership Committee Hosts Weekly Mixer on Zoom

On April 24, 2020, the Membership Committee hosted the first of its weekly Zoom Membership Mixers, with 22 members in attendance. The question posed to the participants was: “What is the most positive thing to happen to you as a result of COVID-19?” Members reported having more time to garden, spending time watching their children grow, watching TV shows (“Better Call Saul”) and exercising. 

The Membership Committee previously hosted Monthly Mixers at bars, ballparks, stadiums, operas, etc, but due to COVID-19, we are moving online to offer members a weekly outlet to share their feelings, see old friends, and make new connections. Mixers start at 6:30pm on Friday and the main event ends at 7:30pm but feel free to stay on after 7:30pm for smaller breakout groups. (This week a few members talked till 10pm!) 

The Membership Committee will be giving away door prizes at some of the upcoming mixers. Congratulations to Jeffrey Mok for winning the cash prize at the first mixer!

Register for this week’s mixer at https://www.aabany.org/events/event_details.asp?legacy=1&id=1366633. Please register by April 30; we will send you the Zoom call-in details on Friday morning.

Thanks to everyone who attended, and thanks to the Membership Committee for organizing these weekly mixers.

AABANY Hosts February Monthly Membership Mixer at Atwood

On Wednesday, February 19, 2020, AABANY’s Membership Committee, together with Corporate, Issues, Litigation, Solo & Small Firm Practice, and Professional Development Committees hosted a Membership Mixer with members, colleagues, and friends at Atwood Bar & Lounge in Midtown East. Over twenty attendees filled a private section reserved for our group. Our membership programs provide opportunities to network and to learn more about AABANY by meeting current members and leaders. Keep an eye out for our future events including an outing to see “West Side Story” on Broadway on March 19. To learn more about the Membership Committee, go to https://www.aabany.org/page/130