Corporate Law, Membership & Bankruptcy Committees Presents Summer Happy Hour Mixer at Maru

On July 25, 2023, the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) organized a successful Summer Happy Hour Mixer. Spearheaded by the Corporate Law Committee, Membership Committee, and Commercial Bankruptcy and Restructuring Committee, the mixer was sponsored by the renowned law firm, Allen & Overy. The event organization was effectively handled by Tracy Feng, a Structured Credit Partner at Paul Hastings; Ashley Wong, an M&A Associate at Sidley Austin; and Jinny Lim, a Summer Associate at Paul Hastings. Their meticulous planning resulted in a well-coordinated event that drew close to 50 attendees.

The environment encouraged the exchange of ideas and facilitated networking with experienced Partners and Associates from a variety of firms. The mixer provided a platform for attendees, which included Summer Associates from top law firms, in-house counsels, solo practitioners, and government attorneys, to engage in professional dialogues. As the event progressed, the atmosphere shifted from professional networking to shared entertainment, with karaoke serving as a fun conclusion. This shift emphasized the balance AABANY promotes between professional growth and community bonding.

The Summer Happy Hour Mixer effectively embodied AABANY’s commitment to community, professional development, and engagement. We extend our gratitude to the AABANY Committees and Allen & Overy for their contribution to this enjoyable event.

To learn more about the Corporate Law Committee, please click here.

To learn more about the Membership Committee, please click here.

To learn more about the Commercial Bankruptcy and Restructuring Committee, please click here.

AALFNY/AABANY Summer Reception at Paul Hastings LLP

On July 2nd, at Paul Hastings LLP, AABANY and AALFNY held their annual Summer Reception, featuring Hon. William Tong, Attorney General of the State of Connecticut, as the event’s distinguished guest speaker, and the recognition of AALFNY’s fellowship recipients. 

Sylvia Chin, President of AALFNY, delivered the opening remarks, introducing AALFNY’s board members and thanking all attendees for their support and contributions to both organizations. AABANY Executive Director Yang Chen followed up with the introduction of the AABANY board members as well as AABANY’s interns. 

After opening remarks, Sylvia recognized the recipient of AALFNY/SABANY Public Internship Fellowship, Vaishali S. Ramlal (New England Law School ‘20), who is working this summer with the Bronx Public Defenders.

AABANY also congratulates the law students who were selected for the 2019 Sonia and Celina Sotomayor Judicial Internship Program in the greater New York area. AABANY proudly supports the SCSJIP as a partner bar association. Many of this year’s SCSJIP interns attended the reception.

The event’s guest speaker, Hon. William Tong, is the first Chinese-American appointed attorney general in United States history. He delivered a heartfelt address that discussed his past and the future of immigration in the United States. He discussed his humble beginnings as a cook in his family restaurant. From his own personal experiences to the current state of immigration in the United States, AG Tong invited the audience to reflect on what was happening to immigrants trying to enter the country today. He asked, “What would have happened to my family if my parents came to the U.S. under today’s laws?” The right to claim asylum, he argued, should be given to anyone seeking the aid of the United States. 

The event concluded with attendees mingling over food and drinks provided by Paul Hastings. We thank Paul Hastings for hosting the annual Summer Reception and all the attendees for joining us for a memorable evening.

Asian American Law Fund of New York Summer Fellows Reception

Media release from the Asian American Law Fund of New York: 

New York, NY – The Asian American Law Fund of New York will hold its 2018 Summer
Reception on June 28, 2018 hosted by a leading international law firm, Paul Hastings,
LLP at its offices at 200 Park Avenue. Featured speaker will be the Honorable Toko
Serita
, who presides over the unique & innovative Queens Human Trafficking
Intervention Courtroom, the oldest and largest court in New York dedicated to serving
trafficking victims and survivors. Justice Serita and this impactful court are subjects of a
new documentary entitled “Blowin’ Up”. 

Justice Serita, a graduate of Vassar College & the City University of New York School
of Law, has been a longtime advocate for a coordinated judicial response to human
trafficking. She is the chair of New York’s Human Trafficking Working Group and is a
former co-chair of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF). A
respected member of the Asian American Bar Association of New York, Justice Serita
recently helped found the Asian American Judges Association of New York (AAJANY).
She is also a member of the statewide Criminal Jury Instructions Committee, the NYS
Judicial Committee on Women in the Courts and the National Association of Women
Judges (NAWJ). Justice Serita was selected as one of ten Japanese-American leaders
from the U.S. to be part of the 2014 Japanese-American Leadership Delegation (JALD),
sponsored by the Japanese Foreign Ministry. 

The Summer Reception will also recognize three outstanding law student recipients of
the Fund’s scholarship program: Henna Kaushal, Corinne Merdegia & Nishat Bella
Tabassum
. Over 50 law students have received stipends from the Fund since the
program was initiated in 1997. 

Henna Kaushal, whose immigrant father came to America from India seeking political
asylum from religious persecution, states in her essay: “my Sikh faith instilled in me a
deep commitment to community (sangat) and service (seva) and relentless optimism in
the face of adversity (chardi kala). Henna is interning at New York Civil Liberties Union.
After she graduates from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, she
intends to pursue her goals “as a public interest lawyer”. 

Corinne Merdegia shares her Filipino parents’ commitment to enable “Asian immigrant
families seeking to fulfill their American dreams”. Corinne is interning at the Legal Aid
Society’s Immigration Law Court. After she graduates from the Sandra Day O’Connor
College of Law at Arizona State University, she intends to return to New York City and
use her experience in immigration practice “to serve the needs of New York’s diverse
immigrant community and protect the interests of Asian American families that call new
York City their home.” 

Nishat Bella Tabassum is the 2018 AALFNY-SABANY (South Asian Bar Association
of New York) Public Interest Fellowship. She interning at the Kings County District
Attorney’s Office. After graduating from the City University of New York School of Law,
she looks forward to finding work in a law enforcement office. 

About the Asian American Law Fund of New York

The Fund (originally the “AABANY Foundation”) was founded in 1993 by leading
members of the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY). One of the
early projects funded by the Fund was the Asian Crime Victims Project. The Fund
promotes projects and programs to inform the public on issues of concern to Asian
Americans, to eliminate prejudice and discrimination and promote understanding among
and between different ethnic groups, and to encourage better community understanding
of government and legal processes. The Fund is currently working with the Asian
American Bar Association of New York to support the AABANY Pro Bono Legal Advice
Clinic. It has also funded outreach & other legal service-related programs for the New
York Asian Women’s Center, Advocates for Children of New York, Coalition for Asian
American Children & Families and the MinKwon Center for Community Action.