Tag: NAPABA

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PRESS RELEASE: NAPABA Names Michelle K. Lee as its 2015 Women’s Leadership Award Recipient

For Immediate Release: Aug. 26, 2015

For More Information, Contact:
Brett Schuster, Communications Manager
[email protected], 202-775-9555

NAPABA Names Michelle K. Lee as its 2015 Women’s Leadership Award Recipient

WASHINGTON – The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) has named Michelle K. Lee, under secretary of Commerce for intellectual property and director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as the recipient of the 2015 NAPABA Women’s Leadership Award. This award recognizes the accomplishments of women lawyers and is presented to an individual who has achieved professional excellence in her field, demonstrated leadership and understanding of women’s issues, and made significant contributions to the Asian Pacific American (APA) legal community.

Ms. Lee will be honored at the Women’s Leadership Breakfast at the 2015 NAPABA Convention on Nov. 7, 2015, in New Orleans, La.

As the first woman and person of color to head the USPTO in its 225-year history, Ms. Lee leads almost 13,000 employees with an annual budget of $3 billion and is also the principal advisor to the President – through the Secretary of Commerce – on domestic and international intellectual property (IP) policy. Prior to her current role, she served as deputy director of the USPTO, and before that as the first director of the USPTO’s Silicon Valley office.

Ms. Lee has spent most of her professional career advising some of the country’s most innovative companies on technical, legal, and business matters. Prior to joining the USPTO, she was Deputy General Counsel for Google and the company’s first Head of Patents and Patent Strategy. She was formerly a partner at the Silicon Valley-based law firm of Fenwick & West LLP, where she specialized in advising a wide range of high-technology clients – from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies – on patent law, IP, litigation, and corporate matters.

In 2004, Ms. Lee co-founded Chief Women IP Counsels (ChIPs), whose mission is to support and promote the advancement, development, and retention of women in technology and IP through substantive and inspiring speakers, relationship building, mentoring, education, best-practice sharing, and other forms of support. Since the organization’s inception, membership in ChIPs has steadily grown from a small group of women in the Silicon Valley to over one thousand members internationally.

“Ms. Lee has long been a pioneer and innovator in the IP field,” said NAPABA President George C. Chen. “She has had, and continues to have, an incredibly distinguished career, and we applaud her commitment to advancing women and people of color in the workforce. NAPABA is proud to honor Ms. Lee as this year’s Women’s Leadership Award recipient.”

Previously, Ms. Lee was named a 2015 Washingtonian Tech Titan by Washingtonian Magazine and one of D.C.’s Top 50 Women in Tech in 2015 by Fedscoop. She was also the recipient of the 2015 ICAS Liberty Award from the Institute for Corean-American Studies and was named one of 2015’s top 50-most influential visionaries in American public policy by Politico Magazine. The San Francisco Business Times and San Jose Business Journal recognized Ms. Lee as Best Bay Area IP Lawyer in 2012 and one of the top 100 most influential women in the Silicon Valley in 2013.

The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is the national association of Asian Pacific American attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students. NAPABA represents the interests of over 40,000 attorneys and approximately 75 national, state, and local Asian Pacific American bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal services and non-profit attorneys, and lawyers serving at all levels of government.

NAPABA continues to be a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian Pacific American communities. Through its national network of committees and affiliates, 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 color in the legal profession.

To learn more about NAPABA, visit www.napaba.org, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter (@NAPABA).

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PRESS RELEASE: NAPABA Announces Lee Tran & Liang LLP as its 2015 APA-Owned Law Firm of the Year

For Immediate Release: Aug. 19, 2015

For More Information, Contact:
Brett Schuster, Communications Manager
[email protected], 202-775-9555

NAPABA Announces Lee Tran & Liang LLP as its 2015 APA-Owned Law Firm of the Year

WASHINGTON – The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) has named Lee Tran & Liang LLP as the 2015 Asian Pacific American (APA)-Owned Law Firm of the Year. NAPABA created the APA-Owned Law Firm of the Year Award to recognize APA-owned law firms that have achieved prominence and distinction while maintaining the highest ethical and legal standards in the profession, and have demonstrated a strong commitment to the APA community.

The Award also celebrates growing APA ownership and entrepreneurship in the legal marketplace. The 2015 APA-Owned Law Firm of the Year Award will be presented at the 2015 NAPABA Convention on Nov. 7, 2015, in New Orleans, La.

“NAPABA is proud to honor Lee Tran & Liang LLP with the Asian Pacific American-Owned Law Firm of the Year Award,” said NAPABA President George C. Chen. “We applaud the firm’s continued commitment to excellence both within and outside the legal arena.

With over 30 attorneys across three offices in California, Lee Tran & Liang LLP (LTL) is one of the largest and fastest growing APA-owned law firms in the country, and one of the largest APA-owned litigation boutiques. LTL started in 2003 as the first spin-off from trial powerhouse Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP. Devoted solely to trials and litigation, the firm represents global companies and handles complex matters nationwide.

LTL was recently included on the 2014 National Law Journal Litigation Boutiques Hot List (one of ten firms nationally), and was awarded the 2013 Client Service Award by the California Minority Counsel Program. Its attorneys have been honored as among the “Top 20” in California (Daily Journal), “Super Lawyers” (Los Angeles Magazine), and one of LTL’s partners was named “Best Lawyers under 40 in America” by NAPABA (2003).

The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is the national association of Asian Pacific American attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students. NAPABA represents the interests of over 40,000 attorneys and approximately 70 national, state, and local Asian Pacific American bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal services and non-profit attorneys, and lawyers serving at all levels of government.

NAPABA continues to be a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian Pacific American communities. Through its national network of committees and affiliates, 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 color in the legal profession.

To learn more about NAPABA, visit www.napaba.org, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter (@NAPABA).

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NAPABA Affiliate Grant Program

Message from Tina Matsuoka, NAPABA Executive Director:

NAPABA’s President George Chen and Immediate Past-President Bill Simonitsch spearheaded the development of the NAPABA Affiliate Grant Program, which will allow affiliates to apply for funding of up to $3,000 annually for projects related to membership development and pro bono activities. Eligible projects include advocacy efforts to support APA communities, educational workshops for lawyers and law students, and community outreach efforts. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.

For more information, please visit this link: http://www.napaba.org/?page=AffiliateGrant.

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Press Release: NAPABA Names Ropes & Gray as its 2015 Law Firm Diversity Award Recipient

For Immediate Release
Aug. 12, 2015

For More Information, Contact:
Brett Schuster, Communications Manager
202-775-9555, [email protected]

NAPABA Names Ropes & Gray as its 2015 Law Firm Diversity Award Recipient

WASHINGTON – The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) has named Ropes & Gray LLP as the 2015 Law Firm Diversity Award recipient. NAPABA created the Law Firm Diversity Award to recognize law firms that actively, affirmatively, consistently, and enthusiastically recruit, retain, and promote Asian Pacific American lawyers to equity partnership and firm leadership. 

The award will be presented at the NAPABA Anniversary Gala at the 2015 NAPABA Convention on Nov. 7, 2015, in New Orleans, Louisiana.

“Ropes & Gray has a long and proud history of being an industry leader when it comes to workplace diversity,” said NAPABA President George C. Chen. “It is a tremendous honor to be consistently recognized by your peers as one of the nation’s leaders in diversity practices, and NAPABA applauds the firm’s continued commitment to diversity and inclusion in the legal profession.”

Ropes & Gray has been recognized as a leading firm for diversity by the inaugural Law360 Minority Report released in May 2015. The distinction complements the firm’s top diversity rankings in other leading surveys, including the 2016 Vault guide, which ranked the firm in the top five U.S. law firms for overall diversity for the seventh consecutive year. Among the largest law firms on the Law360 list, Ropes & Gray ranked highest, and was the only firm with more than 1,000 lawyers recognized among the top 10 firms on the list, ranking eighth overall. The survey ranked Ropes & Gray for its inclusiveness based upon the firm’s minority representation at both the partner and non-partner levels, and based upon the firm’s total number of minority attorneys. Separately, Law360 ranked Ropes & Gray as one of the 50 best law firms for minority partners.

The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is the national association of Asian Pacific American attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students. NAPABA represents the interests of over 40,000 attorneys and approximately 70 national, state, and local Asian Pacific American bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal services and non-profit attorneys, and lawyers serving at all levels of government.

NAPABA continues to be a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian Pacific American communities. Through its national network of committees and affiliates, 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 color in the legal profession.

To learn more about NAPABA, visit www.napaba.org, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter (@NAPABA).

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2015 NAPABA Convention: Early Bird Deadline, Aug. 28

The early bird catches the worm…

The 2015 NAPABA Convention is right around the corner! With less than three weeks until the early bird deadline, register today and take advantage of maximum savings. Take a seat at the table with the greater legal community and benefit from this opportunity to convene, learn, network, and engage with your peers. Convention attendees leave the meeting with new ideas, greater knowledge, and a long list of new contacts.

Register before Aug. 28 to receive savings up to $150!

We can’t wait to see you in New Orleans!

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Press Release: NAPABA Announces GAPABA Its 2015 Affiliate of the Year

For Immediate Release
Aug. 5, 2015

WASHINGTON – The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) has selected the Georgia Asian Pacific American Bar Association (GAPABA) as its 2015 Affiliate of the Year. This award recognizes outstanding NAPABA affiliates for their best practices and accomplishments in their respective communities. The 2015 Affiliate of the Year Award will be presented on Nov. 7, 2015, during the 2015 NAPABA Convention in New Orleans, La.

NAPABA is the national association of Asian Pacific American attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students. GAPABA is one of almost 75 national, state, and local bar associations that are affiliated with NAPABA.

“The selection committee appreciated GAPABA’s adoption of a ‘Year of Service’ as its theme for 2015,” said NAPABA President George C. Chen. “Additionally, GAPABA truly distinguished itself by embodying the motto ‘you make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give’ when it included a discrete community service component in every event this year.”

GAPABA’s membership has more than doubled in the past 14 months, due in part to its adoption of innovative membership management software on its website and its concerted efforts that attracted two dozen general counsels to its annual gala. Its recent creation of a young lawyers division also stood out as a best practice that other affiliates could benefit from following.

NAPABA is pleased to confer its Affiliate of the Year Award to the Georgia Asian Pacific American Bar Association and congratulates its leaders on a successful year serving their members and community.

For more information, the media may contact: Brett Schuster, NAPABA Communications Manager, at 202-775-9555 or [email protected].

The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is the national association of Asian Pacific American attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students. NAPABA represents the interests of over 40,000 attorneys and approximately 75 national, state, and local Asian Pacific American bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal services and non-profit attorneys, and lawyers serving at all levels of government.

NAPABA continues to be a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian Pacific American communities. Through its national network of committees and affiliates, 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 color in the legal profession.

To learn more about NAPABA, visit www.napaba.org, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter (@NAPABA).

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Press Release: NAPABA Applauds Nomination of Jennifer Choe Groves to U.S. Court of International Trade

For Immediate Release
July 30, 2015

WASHINGTON – Today, the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) applauds President Barack Obama’s nomination of Jennifer Choe Groves to the U.S. Court of International Trade. If confirmed, Groves will be the first Asian Pacific American (APA) judge to serve on this court.

“We commend President Obama for his continued commitment to judicial diversity with this historic nomination,” said NAPABA President George C. Chen. “As a longtime NAPABA member and a NAPABA Law Foundation Board member, Ms. Groves is an esteemed leader in the APA legal community. NAPABA looks forward to continuing to support her nomination.”

The U.S. Court of International Trade, an Article III court, has nationwide jurisdiction over civil actions arising out of U.S. customs and international trade laws.

Groves is currently the chief executive officer of Titanium Law Group PLLC and Choe Groves Consulting LLC, where she provides consulting and legal services in the areas of international trade and intellectual property. Previously, she was a partner at the law firms of Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott LLC, and Hughes Hubbard and Reed LLP. Groves also has served as the Senior Director of Intellectual Property and Innovation in the Office of the United States Trade Representative in the Executive Office of the President. Earlier in her career, she was an attorney at O’Melveny & Myers LLP, Fisher & Neave LLP (now Ropes & Gray LLP) and the District Attorney’s Office of New York County.    

For More Information, Contact:
Brett Schuster, Communications Manager
(202) 775-9555, [email protected]

The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is the national association of Asian Pacific American attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students. NAPABA represents the interests of over 40,000 attorneys and approximately 70 national, state, and local Asian Pacific American bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal services and non-profit attorneys, and lawyers serving at all levels of government.

NAPABA continues to be a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian Pacific American communities. Through its national network of committees and affiliates, 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 color in the legal profession.

To learn more about NAPABA, visit www.napaba.org, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter (@NAPABA).

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Press Release: NAPABA Files Amicus Brief in Federal Circuit Case Affecting Trademark Registration of Disparaging Marks

For Immediate Release
July 28, 2015

For More Information, Contact:
Brett Schuster, Communications Manager
202-775-9555, [email protected]

WASHINGTON – The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), the South Asian Bar Association of Washington, D.C., (SABA-DC) and the Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality (Korematsu Center) jointly filed an amicus brief to support the U.S. government’s denial of trademark registration to an Asian American rock band in a case before the Federal Circuit. Amici were represented by Charanjit (Charan) Brahma, Michael Hobbs, and Daniel Sharpe at Troutman Sanders LLP.

Simon Shiao Tam applied to register a federal trademark for his band, “The Slants.” The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office denied his application based on Section 2(a) of the Lanham Act that permits it to deny registration of disparaging marks. Though Tam’s appeal was rejected by a panel of the Federal Circuit, the en banc court on its own accord vacated that decision and ordered an en banc hearing on whether Section 2(a) violates the First Amendment.

“Asian Pacific Americans are all too familiar with the harm, including violence, that often accompanies racial slurs and epithets,” said NAPABA President George C. Chen. “Although I recognize the band’s intent to reclaim a historically disparaging term, as an intellectual property attorney, I also am cognizant that changing the U.S. trademark regulations to allow the registration of ‘The Slants’ could result in the trademarking of offensive terms by individuals and groups without similarly positive intentions.”

“SABA-DC deplores the use of racial slurs and epithets, and while the particular epithet involved in this case is not one that is usually directed to our South Asian constituency, we believe slurs against any racial or ethnic group are damaging to us all,” added SABA-DC President Habib F. Ilahi. “The First Amendment protects free speech, but it does not entitle those who wish to use such derogatory terms for branding purposes to receive the stamp of government approval that comes with federal trademark registration.”

The amicus brief urges the court to recognize that federal registration of a disparaging mark implicates the government. It argues that the federal registry can be compared to county deed recording systems, under which property owners were permitted to record racially restrictive covenants. Until the 1948 case of Shelley v. Kraemer, courts enforced these private acts of discrimination. The amicus brief urges the Federal Circuit to not make the federal trademark registry a place where racism is recorded and authorized, and to not require our government to perpetuate racism.

Robert Chang, executive director of the Korematsu Center, commented, “While Mr. Tam seeks to embrace a derogatory racial term and to subvert it, a laudatory goal, a ruling against the government in this case would leave the government powerless to deny federal registration of trademarks to hate groups.”

“Troutman Sanders is pleased to be able to lend our experience in intellectual property and Federal Circuit appellate issues to aid NAPABA, SABA-DC and the Korematsu Center in this important case,” added Charan Brahma, a partner in Troutman Sanders’ Intellectual Property practice in the San Francisco office, and former president-elect of SABA-DC. 

The case, In re Tam, will be heard en banc by the Federal Circuit on Oct. 2, 2015.

The amicus brief is available HERE.

Contacts:         DC)
                        [email protected]
                        571-483-0074

                        Brett Schuster, Communications Manager (NAPABA)
                        [email protected]
                        202-775-9555                              

                        Robert S. Chang (Korematsu Center)
                        [email protected]
                        206-398-4025

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Press Release: NAPABA Commends White House Plans to Reunite Filipino American WWII Veterans with Their Families

For Immediate Release
July 17, 2015

For More Information, Contact:
Brett Schuster, Communications Manager
202-775-9555, [email protected]

WASHINGTON – The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) applauds the White House for announcing plans on Wednesday for a parole program that would allow Filipino American World War II veterans to be reunited with their families. This program was announced as part of a Visa Modernization Task Force report.

“NAPABA commends the Administration for improving our immigration system and for honoring the sacrifices many Filipino veterans have made for our country,” said George C. Chen, president of NAPABA. “This action has been long overdue as these World War II veterans have waited decades to be reunited with their families, including their children.”  

During World War II, more than 260,000 Filipino soldiers fought for the United States and were promised citizenship and benefits in honor of their service. After finally being granted eligibility for citizenship decades after their wartime service, these veterans were able to petition for family members to immigrate to the United States. However, family visa backlogs have kept many of these families separated for more than 20 years.

For more information, the media may contact Brett Schuster, NAPABA communications manager, at 202-775-9555 or [email protected].

The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is the national association of Asian Pacific American attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students. NAPABA represents the interests of over 40,000 attorneys and approximately 70 national, state, and local Asian Pacific American bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal services and non-profit attorneys, and lawyers serving at all levels of government.

NAPABA continues to be a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian Pacific American communities. Through its national network of committees and affiliates, 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 color in the legal profession.