On April 23, 2024, the AABANY In-House Counsel Committee held its first dinner of the fiscal year at Sagaponack in Manhattan’s Flatiron neighborhood. Committee members gathered to enjoy a family-style seafood dinner while getting to know new and old faces in their field.
As the appetizers rolled in, Committee Co-Chair Kazuko Wachter began the dinner with introductions, which was followed by a table full of conversations about individual experiences working in-house and their lives outside the office. Aimed at senior in-house counsel attorneys, this dinner featured members with long-term experience in their respective companies, many of whom work in the Fintech industry. With ten people in attendance, the dinner encouraged close and personal discussions among the attendees. From talking about their busy work days to sharing their favorite K-Dramas, the event was a chance for the members to get to know each other and hopefully stay connected.
The Committee hopes its members will use these dinners to create relationships and expand their network with attorneys who share similar interests and experiences working in-house. For more information about the In-House Counsel Committee, visit their page here.
Application Deadline: Friday, August 18 at 8:00 pm ET
If you are a senior associate or of counsel at a major law firm who is approaching consideration for partnership, the NAPABA Prospective Partners Program (PPP) is designed for you. PPP is hosted on Thursday, November 9 and Friday, November 10 during the 2023 NAPABA Convention and you are invited to apply for this exclusive program.
Here are the top four reasons to apply:
• Meet senior in-house counsel and general counsels. • Fine tune your pitch and receive real-time feedback from decision-makers who hire attorneys. • Network and form meaningful connections with similarly situated attorneys on the cusp of partnership. • Gain mentorship from a partner at a different law firm and get a fresh perspective on your career trajectory.
Are you ready to boost your career? Apply for the PPP by 8:00 pm ET on Friday, August 18.
The NAPABA Convention offers one of the best values among legal education conferences. It is an opportunity to discover meaningful insights, grow your network, bolster your knowledge, and unleash your potential alongside diverse thought leaders. NAPABA recognizes, however, that attending the Convention can pose financial challenges to many of our members. As in prior years, we have established a Convention scholarship and a law student scholarship this year to offer financial assistance and access to the transformative NAPABA Convention.
Further, we know that members have concerns with the Convention being located in the State of Indiana. Thus, NAPABA has a limited number of discounted rooms (i.e., a hotel room rate that is lower than NAPABA’s already reduced hotel block rate available to Convention attendees generally) available to those who are economically impacted by the Convention’s location. NAPABA will consider the totality of an applicant’s circumstances in allocating the limited number of discounted rooms to members.
Register for the Convention Haven’t registered for the Convention yet? Now’s your chance! Join NAPABA in Indianapolis as we celebrate 35 years of leading and uniting the AANHPI legal community.
Building relationships. Connecting with old friends. Finding inspiration. The NAPABA Convention is more than a conference. It is a critical platform to learn about cutting-edge areas in the law and to explore your unique path to professional success.
Join us in Indianapolis this year, where we will also act on core NAPABA values, such as supporting the LGBTQ+ community, the immigrant community, and opposing ill-advised policies that adversely impact the broader AANHPI community.
Early bird registration, housing, and scholarship opens June 15, 2023, and this is your chance for the best deal you will not want to miss.
Housing and A La Carte Options Early bird registration lets you be first in line to take advantage of our special hotel rates and lets you purchase a la carte plenaries and gala tickets! A room block has been secured at the JW Marriott Indianapolis, the Convention host hotel, and Courtyard Indianapolis Downtown from November 9-12, 2023 for Convention attendees. The unique booking link will be provided to you AFTER you register for the 2023 NAPABA Convention.
To enhance your Convention experience and put you in control of your schedule, the Friday and Saturday Plenary Luncheons and the 35th Anniversary Gala will be available for purchase a la carte. To attend these ticketed events, you must add them to your registration for an additional fee.
Questions? You can find additional resources about the Convention and Indianapolis on our website, but if you have additional questions, contact us at [email protected].
On Wednesday, February 15, 2023, AABANY held its Annual Meeting of Members at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. President William Ng called the meeting to order and established quorum. The main order of business was conducting the election for the 2024 Board of Directors and Officers.
President William Ng presented the Annual Report of the Board and thanked the Board members for their service during the past year. Treasurer Evelyn Gong and Membership Director Christopher Bae presented the reports for their respective offices.
Executive Director Yang Chen presented highlights of Committee activities. Following the reports, awards were presented to honor AABANY leaders and committees for their dedication to AABANY over the past year. While these presentations were occurring, Immediate Past President Terrence Shen and President-Elect Karen Kim tallied the votes.
The following awards were presented:
Committee of the Year: Intellectual Property Committee
The Intellectual Property Committee received the Committee of the Year Award for its outstanding contributions in promoting AABANY’s membership engagement and creating a vibrant community for IP law practitioners. The Committee successfully hosted several committee dinners and social events including their first concert event to see the ARKAI Duo. At the start of 2023, the IP Committee started a new program called “Dumplings & Discussion,” the inaugural event featuring Andy Yoo, SVP & General Counsel of Savvas Learning Company. The discussion covered topics including Andy’s role as general counsel, diversity, equity and inclusion, and his career path and trajectory.
Program of the Year: Inter-Bar Association Summer Family Day
The Program of the Year Award was given to Christopher Bae, AABANY’s Membership Director. On June 4, 2022, AABANY’s Membership Committee hosted an Inter-Bar Association Summer Family Day with the Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York (KALAGNY) and the South Asian Bar Association of New York (SABANY). Over fifty members and their friends and families gathered at the Major R. Owens Health & Wellness Community Center in Brooklyn to participate in spirited sports games and enjoy snacks and refreshments.
Member of the Year: Jennifer H. Wu
The Member of the Year Award was presented to Jennifer H. Wu, for her outstanding leadership inside and outside of AABANY. Within AABANY, she co-chaired the Women’s Committee and helped to put on some excellent events. She was also active in AABANY’s Anti-Asian Violence Task Force, in addition to the pro bono work she had been doing to advise and assist survivors and victims of anti-Asian violence in New York over the past couple of years. On top of all that, she co-founded her own patent litigation law firm Groombridge Wu Baughman & Stone
Congratulations to all the honorees for the recognition of their achievements and hard work during the 2023 fiscal year.
After the presentation of awards, William announced the election results. The following officers were elected and will begin their term one-year terms on April 1, 2023:
Joseph Eng, Jr.
President-Elect
Beatrice Leong
Vice President, Programs and Operations
Jeffrey Mok
Vice President, Programs and Operations
Jasmine Ball
Treasurer
Shirley Bi
Secretary
Christopher Bae
Membership Director
Varuna Bhattacharyya
Development Director
The following candidates were elected as Directors to serve two-year terms starting on April 1, 2023:
Katherine Loanzon P. Bartlett Wu
After the election results were announced, attendees stayed to network at Paul, Weiss. We thank everyone who came and participated in the Annual Meeting and the election. Congratulations to all the Officers and Directors who were elected to the Board to serve in the 2024 fiscal year that begins on April 1, 2023.
Special thank you to AABANY Director Larry Wee and the Paul, Weiss team for hosting AABANY’s 2023 Annual Meeting.
On July 28, 2022, AABANY hosted its first-ever Membership Open House at King & Spalding LLP. With over 50 attendees, the Membership Open House gave new and prospective members the opportunity to speak with Board Members and Committee Chairs to learn about the work AABANY does and how new and prospective members can get involved.
Membership Director Christopher Bae in his introductory remarks welcomed attendees and thanked Board Members and Committee Chairs for coming. Former AABANY President Andy Hahn (2004) then highlighted the importance of getting involved with an organization like AABANY.
This AABANY Membership Open House spotlighted the Young Lawyers Committee, the Litigation Committee, and the Prosecutors Committee. Jasmine Chean from the Young Lawyers Committee, Lois Ahn from the Litigation Committee, and David Hsin-Tai Chiang from the Prosecutors Committee each spoke on why members should get involved with their committees.
Attendees were encouraged to network, enjoy food and drinks, and meet with the chairs of 23 committees that were present at the Open House. New and recent members were given the opportunity to participate in a raffle where two winners won either a Zoom or coffee meet-and-greet with former AABANY Presidents Andy Hahn (2004) or Brian Song (2019). Congratulations to Tian Chi Ma who won the raffle to meet Andy and to Stephanie Lu who won the raffle to meet Brian.
Thank you to King & Spalding LLP for hosting AABANY’s Membership Open House, and thank you to former AABANY Presidents Andy Hahn and Brian Song for volunteering for the new member raffle! Thank you to Co-Vice Presidents of Programs & Operations Joseph Eng, Jr. and Beatrice Leong, and Membership Director Christopher Bae for putting together this successful event!
We look forward to seeing everyone at the next Open House in October. In the meantime, if you have any questions about how to get more involved in AABANY and maximize your membership experience, feel free to reach out to the Membership Committee at [email protected].
3 Months Until the 2022 NAPABA Convention! #NAPABA22
Are you ready to join us this November in Las Vegas for the largest annual gathering of Asian American and Pacific Islander legal professionals? This unforgettable event is the opportunity to discover meaningful insights, grow your network, and bolster your legal knowledge alongside diverse thought leaders.
Early Bird Prices End in Two Weeks
Register for the NAPABA Convention by August 23 at 11:59 pm ET for the lowest rate possible and save up to $150 off the cost of the advance registration rate.
To put you in control of your Convention experience, the Plenary Luncheons and the Gala Dinner are available for purchase a la carte–add these ticketed events to your registration cart for an additional fee.
Registration and housing are now connected: unique booking links to NAPABA’s available room blocks are provided in your confirmation email AFTER you register for the Convention.
The NAPABA Convention offers one of the best values among legal education conferences. To further support our membership, scholarships are available to defray registration, airfare, lodging, and/or ground transportation expenses. Members are urged to apply for scholarships by August 9 at 8 pm ET. Law student scholarships are also available and applications are due September 30.
NAPABA committee and network events are a great way to engage with members in your network and practice areas. NAPABA committee and network leaders welcome you to their business meetings, receptions, and dinners. Events are open to all Convention attendees unless otherwise noted.
Thursday, Nov. 3 | NAPABA Committee/Network Social | 3:45–4:45 p.m. Kick off the Convention by meeting with NAPABA committee/network leaders and active members to learn how to maximize your NAPABA membership through involvement in a NAPABA council, affinity network, substantive law committee, and/or service committee. For a full listing of committees and networks, click here.
Joint International & Entertainment Law Committees Dinner
Solo & Small Firm Network Dinner (generously supported by Met Life)
Women’s Leadership Network Dinner
Young Lawyers/First Time Attendee Dinner
Friday, Nov. 4 | Business Meetings | Various times (see schedule)
Bankruptcy, Restructuring & Creditors’/Debtors’ Rights Committee
Civil Rights Committee
Corporate Transactions Committee
Government Enforcement & Compliance Committee
Insurance Law Committee
Pro Bono & Community Service Committee
Real Property Committee
Regional Conference Committee
Trusts & Estates Committee
Friday, Nov. 4 | Receptions | 5–6 p.m.
In-House Counsel Reception (generously supported by Prudential)
Insurance Law Committee
Joint Corporate Transactions, Real Property, and Bankruptcy, Restructuring & Creditors’/Debtors’ Rights Committees
Real Property Committee
Solo & Small Firm Network
Women’s Leadership Network
Friday, Nov. 4 | Dinners | 8–10 p.m.
Judicial Council Dinner (Private event open only to bench officers)
Partners/In-House Counsel Dinner (Private event only open to Partners Directory Members and in-house attorneys. Registration information will be available in August.)
Saturday, Nov. 5 | Business Meetings | Various Times (see schedule)
Diversity and Inclusion Committee
Intellectual Property Committee
International Law Committee
Judicial Council
Leadership Advisory Council
Mass Torts Committee
Partners Network
Solo & Small Firm Committee
Women’s Leadership Network
Young Lawyers Network
Saturday, Nov. 5 | Receptions | 5–6 p,m.
Intellectual Property Committee (generously supported by Mayer Brown and IMS ExpertServices)
International Law Committee
Click here for a full schedule of committee/network events and all Convention events.
Early-bird registration for the 2016 NAPABA Convention closes on Aug. 26. NAPABA members save an additional $200 off the non-member rate. Not a member? Become a member today and save!
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On March 28, the Asian American/Asian Research Institute and the Asian-American Entrepreneurs Network presented “The Next Big Thing: Economic Empowerment Conference” at CUNY Graduate Center. AABANY contributed a speaker, Julia Cheng, to the Monetizing IP workshop. Julia is the Founding Principal of her own firm, CyberlawStudio, and a member of AABANY’s IP Committee. She is among those interviewed in this Sinovision piece about the conference.
