AABANY Hosts 2025 Annual Dinner at Cipriani Wall Street 

On May 29, 2025, the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) hosted its 36th Anniversary Annual Dinner at the elegant Cipriani Wall Street, under the theme: “Together We Thrive: The Power of Us!” Held once again during Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, the event welcomed approximately 750 guests, including attorneys, judges, prosecutors, in-house counsel, government officials, and community leaders.

The evening began with an invitation-only General Counsel Reception, attended by nearly 50 General Counsels and many invited guests. We extend our deepest thanks to the General Counsel Reception sponsor, Groombridge, Wu, Baughman & Stone, for helping us launch the evening on a high note.

Simultaneously, guests gathered in the West Ballroom for the Cocktail Reception, where attendees reconnected, made new connections, and posed for photos at the step-and-repeat.

The program kicked off with a warm welcome by CeFaan Kim, returning as our Master of Ceremonies for the second year. He then invited Immediate Past President Joseph D. Eng Jr. to the stage. In his thoughtful remarks, Joseph reaffirmed AABANY’s commitment to empowering AAPI voices and encouraged the audience to uplift one another, noting, “The brightness of our futures depends not only on how we respond to challenges, but how we lift each other up in the process.”

Honoring Leadership and Service

AABANY proudly presented the 2025 Women’s Leadership Award to Professor Elaine Chiu of St. John’s University School of Law, recognizing her unwavering commitment to advancing inclusion and supporting students from marginalized communities. A moving tribute video chronicled her career and community service, including her leadership of AABANY’s Anti-Asian Violence Task Force and her role in publishing the landmark report, Endless Tide: The Continuous Struggle to Overcome Anti-Asian Hate in New York. In her speech,  Elaine acknowledged how nearly everyone in the room shared a respect for the law since “the law feeds and nourishes our families, but it also feeds and nourishes our beliefs about humanity, our country, and our identity as Americans.” She spoke about how, throughout her formative years and career, she always had wanted to help people and had faith and hope in the rule of law. She urged the audience to hold faith in the legal system and to “show up, stand up, and speak up.”

Next, Executive Director Yang Chen introduced the updated prologue to the documentary Voices Against Anti-Asian Hate, produced by AABANY’s Anti-Asian Violence Task Force. The documentary features interviews with survivors of anti-Asian hate crimes and community supporters. Yang announced that the documentary has been submitted to the Asian American International Film Festival and spoke of the film’s impact in sharing survivor stories and elevating awareness. With that, dinner was served. 

Celebration and Recognition

As guests enjoyed a delicious dinner, they took the opportunity to network and connect with fellow attendees. Yang Chen returned to the stage to recognize the many judges and dignitaries in attendance.

The Law Firm Leadership Award was then presented to Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP, in recognition of the firm’s outstanding commitment to cultivating legal talent and building a pipeline of future leaders. Partner Eric Huang accepted the award on behalf of the firm.

The evening’s final honoree, Henry Hadad, received the 2025 AABANY Corporate Leadership Award. A video tribute highlighted his impactful career in intellectual property law and his dedication to promoting diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. In his remarks, Henry honored role models like Sandra Leung and emphasized the role of IP law in the American Dream: The ability to protect your inventions, brands, and artistic creations is part of the American Dream. He closed with a powerful reminder: Whatever your politics, the erosion of the law threatens us all… . We must protect the integrity of our legal system, our government, our courts, our judges, and our colleagues.

Spotlight on the Don H. Liu Scholars

This year’s Don H. Liu Scholars—Chloe Guo, Mikka Vapor, and Teja Kim—were recognized for their achievements and potential. A short film highlighted the legacy of the program, followed by inspiring remarks from past Scholars Jin Kim and Manleen Singh, who shared the program’s lasting impact on their professional journeys.

Presidential Remarks and Closing

AABANY President Benjamin C. Hsing delivered his remarks with warmth and humor, acknowledging those who made the evening possible and recognizing the resilience of the legal profession in these challenging times. He spoke about the importance of providing “first chances”—opportunities that can launch careers and create lasting impact. He declared, Together, through the power of us, we can do that! 

Ben then welcomed President-Elect Varuna Bhattacharyya to close the evening. She encouraged attendees to become members, congratulated the honorees and Don Liu Scholars, and expressed her appreciation to the many sponsors, officers, Board members, and Committee Chairs who made the night possible.

Afterparty and Acknowledgments

The celebration continued at the Mezzanine afterparty, where guests mingled into the night until 11:00 PM.

We thank the 2025 Annual Dinner Planning Committee, all our volunteers, and President Benjamin C. Hsing for their tireless work in making the evening a success.

We are especially grateful to our generous sponsors, whose support enables AABANY to continue its vital work on behalf of the AANHPI legal community and the broader community we serve. Special thank-yous and acknowledgement to our Diamond, GC Reception, Platinum, and Gold Sponsors:

Diamond: Broadridge 

General Counsel Reception: Groombridge, Wu, Baughman & Stone

Platinum: Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer (f/k/a Kramer Levin)

Gold: 

Lastly, we thank everyone who attended the 2025 Annual Dinner for making our 36th anniversary so special and memorable. You can view the photo albums from the 2025 Annual Dinner at the links below.

2025 Annual Dinner Photos by J. McClinton

2025 Annual Dinner Photos by Karen Zhou

2025 Annual Dinner Photos by Gerald Pineda

NAPABA Condemns Executive Orders Undermining the Legal Profession

For Immediate Release:
Date: March 20, 2025
Contact:
Rahat N. Babar, Deputy Executive Director

WASHINGTON – The legal profession is of constitutional significance. The right to counsel is fundamental, and the judiciary as a coequal branch of government is charged with peacefully resolving disputes that inevitably arise in a vast and complex nation. Undermining the legal profession undermines democracy.

Over the past few weeks, the Administration issued executive actions against three law firms: Covington Burling LLP, Perkins Coie LLP, and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. These actions included the suspension of security clearances and a review and termination of government contracts. For two of the firms, the Administration limited their access to federal government buildings and interactions between the firms and government officials.

One executive order accused global law firms of having a role “in the destruction of bedrock American principles.” Another executive order described one of the law firm’s activities as “dishonest and dangerous.” The executive actions plainly expressed a displeasure with the firms’ representation of certain clients that the Administration disfavors. Some of the executive actions are now subject to litigation.

The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) condemns these attacks. From the founding of this Nation, lawyers have represented clients regardless of their stature in society. NAPABA is the national voice of the Asian Pacific American legal profession. We promote justice and equality. Members throughout our community zealously represent their clients each and every day, including those at the three law firms. When attorneys are unable to represent their clients free from intimidation and threats, our profession and justice system are jeopardized.

NAPABA also rejects the calls for the impeachment of judges simply because of their rulings. As Chief Justice John Roberts shared recently, “impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision. The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose.” We agree.

For the NAPABA community, we ask you to engage and express our collective voice. Become a member. Join us at NAPABA Lobby Day. Attend the NAPABA Convention. Your leadership is pivotal.

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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) represents the interests of over 80,000 Asian Pacific American (APA) legal professionals and nearly 90 national, state, and local APA bar associations. NAPABA is a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. Through its national network, 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 all backgrounds in the legal profession.