Tag: program of the year

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AABANY Holds 2026 Annual Meeting of Members at King & Spalding on February 11th

On Wednesday, February 11th, 2026, AABANY held its Annual Meeting of Members at King & Spalding. The evening reflected on the accomplishments of the past year and looked forward to electing leadership for the new fiscal year ahead. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to King & Spalding for generously hosting us in their stunning new space, which was modern and spacious.

AABANY President Benjamin Hsing called the meeting to order shortly after 7 pm and established a quorum. Ben explained the voting procedures and encouraged everyone present to cast a vote, even if they had voted online before the meeting.

Once all ballots were filled out and collected, Ben called up Board Director Katherine Loanzon and President-Elect Varuna Bhattacharyya to serve as the Tellers to tally up the votes. They departed to a separate room to perform that task, counting up the votes cast in person at the Annual Meeting and via electronic voting beforehand. While the votes were being tallied, Ben invited the Membership Director, Alysha Naik, to present the Membership Director’s report. He then invited Assistant Treasurer H. Anthony Park to give the Treasurer’s Report, sharing information about AABANY’s financial performance during the past fiscal year.

Next, during the Annual Report of the Board, Ben presented a look back at major events in 2025, reflecting on AABANY’s remarkable year, guided by the theme “Together We Thrive: The Power of Us.” He highlighted the year’s signature events, including the Winter Soiree, AAPI Heritage Month celebrations, and the Annual Dinner at Cipriani Wall Street, which drew over 750 attendees. He also noted the 16th Annual Fall Conference, which featured CLE programming, a Career Fair, a Trial Advocacy Program, and the presentation of the Norman Lau Kee Trailblazer Award to Hon. Judy Kim, the first Korean-American judge elected to the New York State Supreme Court. He celebrated AABANY’s first-ever Diwali Dinner as a milestone that reflected the community’s diversity.

Executive Director Yang Chen then gave the Annual Report of the Committees. He introduced AABANY’s 2025 Year End Report, noting that this was the first time it had been published since the COVID-19 pandemic. He expressed his sincere gratitude to Deputy Executive Director Carrey Wong, emphasizing that the Year End Report would not have been possible without her diligence and many hours of work behind the scenes. He further explained that the hiatus was not due to any slowdown in AABANY’s activities. In fact, quite to the contrary, AABANY’s membership and programming have continued to grow at an impressive pace, reflecting the organization’s strength and momentum over the past few years.

Yang also presented highlights from the 26 Committees, expressing his gratitude to the Vice Presidents of Programs and Operations, Pei Pei Cheng de Castro and Tai Chien, as well as all the Committee Chairs, for their dedication and hard work throughout the year. He shared key accomplishments and standout events from various Committees, then concluded with the presentation of the Committee of the Year, Program of the Year, and Member of the Year awards.

Committee of the Year: Issues Committee

The Committee of the Year Award was presented to the Issues Committee in recognition of its outstanding contributions and impact over the past year. When asked for his reflections on receiving the honor, Co-Chair Vishal Chander shared that he and Co-Chair Rachel Lee view the Committee’s mission as deeply significant and timely. He noted that they felt a strong responsibility to meet the moment and lead with purpose, striving to uphold the Committee’s important work with utmost dedication and integrity.

Program of the Year: Dumplings and Discussion Series

The Program of the Year Award was presented to the Dumplings and Discussion Series hosted by Jeffrey Mok. The Dumplings & Discussion series has been a welcoming forum for prominent, industry-leading attorneys to share their stories and have a candid dialogue over delicious dumplings. Speakers in 2025 included Alan Chang of the New York Yankees, Michelle Lee of MediaCo, Christopher Chan of JLL Technologies, Sonia Low of the Javits Center, Liz Nie of Acorns, Stephen Mar of Odeko, and Osamu Watanabe of Moelis.

Member of the Year: Jeffrey Mok

The Member of the Year Award was presented to Jeffrey Mok for his exceptional dedication and contributions to AABANY over the past year, including his outstanding work as the Co-Chair of the IP Committee and organizing many popular and worthwhile events, such as Board Games Nights and the Dumplings & Discussion series. 

When asked about receiving both the Program of the Year and the Member of the Year awards, Jeffrey reflected that the past year had been truly inspiring and energizing in deepening his involvement with AABANY. Praising AABANY’s work with the Pro Bono Clinics and the Issues Committee, he shared that being part of such a passionate and dynamic community made all the effort worthwhile. He expressed gratitude for the opportunity to contribute, even in a small way, and said he looks forward to continuing the work and participating in more impactful events in the year ahead.

After presenting the awards, President-Elect Varuna Bhattacharyya announced the election results. The following officers were elected to serve a one-year term for the fiscal year beginning April 1, 2026, and ending March 31, 2027 (the “2027 Fiscal Year”):

Officers

John Hwang
President-Elect 

Pei Pei Cheng de Castro
Vice President, Programs and Operations

Taiyee Chien
Vice President, Programs and Operations

H. Anthony Park
Treasurer

S. Yan Sin
Secretary

Francis Chin
Membership Director

Gilyana Jones
Development Director

The following candidates were elected as Directors to serve two-year terms beginning on April 1, the first day of the 2027 Fiscal Year:

Directors

Henry C. Chan
Vishal Chander
Joseph Eng
Kelly Koyama-Garcia
Rachel Lee
Beatrice Leong
Alysha Naik
Diana Wang
Jennifer Wu
Kevin Yam
Dwight S. Yoo

Looking ahead, President-Elect Varuna Bhattacharyya shared her vision for the coming year. When asked about her plans for her term, she spoke about the importance of rising to meet the challenges of the future while intentionally cultivating the next generation of leaders. With mentorship as a central focus, she is committed to strengthening the pipeline of Asian American attorneys and ensuring that AABANY continues to empower and uplift tomorrow’s leaders today.

Special thanks go to AABANY Immediate Past President Joseph Eng, Partner at King & Spalding, and the wonderful staff at King & Spalding for hosting AABANY’s 2026 Annual Meeting.

We thank everyone who attended the Annual Meeting and everyone who voted, whether by proxy or in person. Congratulations to all the award recipients and the newly elected Officers and Directors. 

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AABANY Holds its 2025 Annual Meeting of Members at King & Spalding on February 11th

On Tuesday, February 11th, 2025, AABANY held its Annual Meeting of Members at King & Spalding. President Joseph Eng called the meeting to order and established a quorum. The main order of business was conducting the election for the 2026 Fiscal Year Board of Directors and Officers. 

Once all ballots were collected, President Eng called up President-Elect Ben Hsing and Immediate Past President Karen Kim to receive them as the Tellers. They departed to a separate room to count up the votes cast, both at the Annual Meeting and via electronic voting prior to the Annual Meeting.

While the votes were being tallied, President Eng invited the Membership Director, Alysha Naik, to present the Membership Director’s report. He then invited Treasurer Jasmine Ball to give the Treasurer’s Report, sharing information about AABANY’s financial performance during the past fiscal year.

President Eng then gave the Annual Report of the Board, summarizing AABANY’s major events for the past fiscal year, covering April 1, 2024, to date.  He thanked the Board members for their service during the past year and asked those present in the room to stand and be recognized.

Executive Director Yang Chen then gave the Annual Report of the Committees, giving thanks to the Vice Presidents of Programs and Operations Ashley Shan and Jeffrey Mok, and the Committee Chairs for their hard work. Yang also went over a few highlights from committee events over the past year. Yang then presented the Awards for Committees of the Year, Program of the Year, and Member of the Year. 

Committee of the Year: Professional Development Committee

The Committee of the Year Award was presented to the Professional Development Committee for their many years of volunteer service to the association, accreditation of numerous continuing legal education programs over the years that benefited our members and the profession, and making sure that the association complies with New York State CLE board rules, along with other programming to support professional development.

Program of the Year: Pre-Holiday Multi-Association Gathering

The Program of the Year Award was presented to the Pre-Holiday Multi-Association Gathering for bringing together numerous bar and judicial associations to promote wellness and well-being in the legal profession during a time of the year that may prove challenging for many.

Member of the Year: Gary Yeung 

The Member of the Year Award was presented to Gary Yeung for his many years of active and dedicated involvement, participation, and leadership in service to the association, to its members, and to the wider community.


After the presentation of the awards, Joseph announced the election results. The following officers were elected to serve a one-year term for the fiscal year beginning April 1, 2025, and ending March 31, 2026 (the “2026 Fiscal Year”):

Varuna Bhattacharyya

President-Elect

Pei Pei Cheng de Castro

Vice President, Programs and Operations

Tai Chien

Vice President, Programs and Operations

P. Bartlett Wu

Treasurer

David Mou

Secretary

Alysha Naik

Membership Director

Beatrice Leong

Development Director

The following candidates were elected as Directors to serve two-year terms beginning on the first day of the 2026 Fiscal Year:

Glenn D. Magpantay
Katherine Loanzon
Jeffery Mok

The night concluded with a bittersweet goodbye to Deputy Executive Director, Alice Biagini. February 11 was Alice’s last day at AABANY. She accepted a position as a business development and marketing manager at a law firm. During her eight months with us, she made a great impact on our operations and activities and supported our Board members and Committee Chairs as well as our membership. Alice will be missed by everyone she has touched. Yang presented her with some parting gifts from AABANY, which included a cookbook entitled The Woks of Life as well as a personalized apron with the AABANY logo. We wish her well in her future endeavors and hope to continue seeing her at AABANY events, as a participant.  

We thank everyone who attended the Annual Meeting and everyone who voted, whether by proxy or in person. Congratulations to all the award recipients and the newly elected Officers and Directors.

Special thank you goes out to AABANY President Joseph Eng and the wonderful staff at King & Spalding for hosting AABANY’s 2025 Annual Meeting.

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AABANY Holds its 2023 Annual Meeting of Members at Paul, Weiss on February 15

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.

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AABANY Hosts 2022 Annual Meeting of Members

On Tuesday, February 8, 2022, AABANY held its Annual Meeting of Members for the second time on Remo. President Terrence Shen called the meeting to order and established quorum. The main order of business was conducting the election for the 2022 Board of Directors and Officers.

President Terrence Shen presented the Annual Report of the Board and thanked the Board members for their service during the past year. Treasurer William Hao and Membership Director Beatrice Leong presented the reports for their respective offices. 

Executive Director Yang Chen presented highlights from the Committee Reports. 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 Sapna Palla and President-Elect William Ng tallied the votes.

The following awards were presented:

Committee of the Year: The Membership Committee

The Membership Committee received the Committee of the Year Award for its outstanding contributions in promoting AABANY’s membership engagement and in recruiting new members. The Committee successfully transitioned from virtual mixers to in-person events. The most popular events include a visit to Little Island (New York’s newest public park attraction), live stand-up comedy as part of the Asian American International Film Festival, and a screening of “Shang Chi – Legend of the Ten Rings” in a private theater in Times Square. 

Program of the Year: Turning the Tide (T3) Project

The Program of the Year Award was given to the Turning the Tide (T3) Project, a joint project of AABANY and AALFNY, for providing a holistic and practicable action plan to address anti-Asian hate and violence. AABANY established an Anti-Asian Violence Task Force, composed of leadership from several AABANY committees, to leverage diverse skills and talents towards turning back the rising tide of hate and violence against AAPIs. 

Member of the Year: May Wong

The Member of the Year Award was presented to May Wong, for her prodigious contributions, not just but especially, this past year to further the mission of AABANY through the Pro-Bono and Community Service Committee as well as her collaboration with other AABANY Committees. At a time when committees were unable to plan regular events due to the COVID surge, May was forging ahead to come up with new ways for the PBCS Committee to successfully continue to serve and assist the AAPI community with their legal needs. As Vice-Chair of the Committee, she initiated many projects, liaised with law students and firms, led planning meetings, and often was the first to show up and the last to leave. 

Congratulations to all the honorees for the recognition of their achievements and hard work during the 2022 fiscal year.

After the presentation of awards, Terry announced the election results. The following officers were elected and will begin their term one-year terms on April 1, 2022:

Karen Kim

President-Elect

Joseph Eng

Vice President, Programs and Operations

Beatrice Leong

Vice President, Programs and Operations

Evelyn Gong

Treasurer

Shirley Bi

Secretary

Christopher Bae

Membership Director

Anna Mercado Clark

Development Director

The following candidates were elected as Directors to serve two-year terms starting on April 1, 2022:

Grace Fu

William Hao

Gigio Ninan

Won Shin

Kazuko Wachter

Lawrence Wee

After the election results were announced, all the attendees were invited to stay and network in Remo. 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 2023 fiscal year that begins on April 1, 2022.

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AABANY Hosts 2021 Annual Meeting of Members on Remo

On Tuesday, February 9, 2021, AABANY held its Annual Meeting of Members on Remo. President Sapna Palla called the meeting to order and established quorum. Elections were held for the 2021 Board of Directors and Officers.

President Sapna Palla presented the Year in Review and Executive Director, Yang Chen, presented the report of the Committees. 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 Brian Song and President-Elect Terrence Shen tallied the votes.

The following officers were elected and will begin their term on April 1, 2021:

William Ng
President-Elect

Cynthia Lam
Vice President, Programs and Operations

Joe Eng
Vice President, Programs and Operations

Margaret Ling
Development Director

William Hao
Treasurer

Christopher Bae
Secretary

Beatrice Leong
Membership Director

The following candidates were elected as Directors to serve two-year terms starting on April 1, 2021:

Jasmine Ball
Jeff Ikejiri
Suzanne Kim
Chris Kwok
David Sohn
Bart Wu
Karen Yau
Andy Yoo

Congratulations to all the Officers and Directors who were elected to the Board.

The following awards were presented:

Committees of the Year: The Pro Bono and Community Service Committee and the Student Outreach Committee

For the numerous initiatives they organized to support the community during COVID-19, including Know Your Rights webinars, COVID Rent Relief Program application drives, and postering and social media campaigns to promote the Remote Pro Bono Legal Clinic and other community programs.

Program of the Year: Weekly Membership Mixers

For hosting more than 30 weekly mixers on Zoom and Remo since April 1, 2020 to provide an open space for members and non-members to share their feelings, see old friends, and make new connections.

Member of the Year: Bart Wu

For his outstanding work with the Legal Referral and Information Service, which he helped launch, and his work reviving the Solo and Small Firm Practice Committee.

Congratulations to all the honorees for the recognition of their achievements and hard work during the 2021 fiscal year.

Congratulations to the Officers and Directors elected to the Board to serve during fiscal year 2022 which commences on April 1, 2021.

We would also like to thank our members for attending and participating in the annual meeting.

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Allen & Overy Hosts AABANY’s 2020 Annual Meeting of Members

On Tuesday, February 11, 2020, AABANY held its Annual Meeting of Members at Allen & Overy. President Brian Song called the meeting to order and established quorum. Elections were held for the 2020 Board of Officers and Directors, along with a vote on bylaw revisions to clarify and extend term limits.

President Brian Song presented the Year in Review while Executive Director, Yang Chen, presented the report of the Committees. After the reports, awards were presented to honor AABANY leaders and committees for their dedication to AABANY over the past year. While these presentations were occuring, Immediate Past President James R. Cho and President-Elect Sapna Palla tallied the votes.

The following officers were elected and will begin their term on April 1, 2020:

Terrence L. Shen
President-Elect

Tiffany Miao
Vice President, Programs and Operations

David Sohn
Vice President, Programs and Operations

Margaret Ling
Development Director

William Hao
Treasurer

Christopher Bae
Secretary

Beatrice Leong
Membership Director

The following candidates were elected as Directors to serve two-year terms starting on April 1, 2020:

Jasmine Ball
Una A. Dean
Edward Y. Kim
Naf Kwun
Won Shin
Kazuko Wachter

Congratulations to all the Officers and Directors who were elected to the Board.

The bylaw revisions were passed.

The following awards were presented:

Committee of the Year: The Young Lawyers Committee

For their outstanding contributions in promoting AABANY’s mission and their service to our members and the community at large.

Program of the Year: The AABANY Trial Reenactments Project under the auspices of the Professional Development Committee 

For enhancing and contributing to public understanding and awareness of major contributions by Asian Americans to the social, political and legal history of the United States.

Member of the Year: Beatrice Leong

For her contributions to the growth of AABANY’s membership under her leadership as Membership Director.

Congratulations to all the honorees for the recognition of their achievements and hard work during the 2019 fiscal year.

We would like to thank our members for attending and participating in the annual meeting, and we also thank John Hwang and Allen & Overy for hosting the meeting in a beautiful space, treating us to a delectable selection of food and drinks.

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