Tag: real estate

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Thank You to Our Volunteers at the October Manhattan Pro Bono Clinic

Many thanks to the Asian American Law Fund of New York (AALFNY), Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE), and AABANY’s Pro Bono & Community Service (PBCS) Committee, as well as our dedicated volunteers for joining our Manhattan Pro Bono Clinic on October 21, 2026.

PBCS volunteers, comprising volunteer attorneys and law students, met with 20 clients and provided guidance on a variety of legal issues, including housing, immigration, real estate property, trusts and estates, family law, public benefits, and civil litigation.

Positive feedback from the clients included: “Productive! Helpful.” and “Thank you for this service! Really appreciate it!!“

Thank you to the following volunteers for attending the Manhattan Pro Bono Clinic:

Attorneys:
Jingjuan (Max) Guo
Kevin Hsi
Beatrice Leong
Arthur Lin
Carrie Nie
Ahseon Park
Gary Yeung

Interpreters/shadowers:
Helen Ding
Cheri Chaibut
Kaleah Haddock
Nandar Win Kerr
Alexandra Ly
Pan Pan
Renato Pangan
Ellyse Ramos
Jingjing Wang
Suzie Yu
Wendy Zeng
Kangjie Zheng
Nathan Zou

Special thanks to those who stayed late to consult on the last-minute housing case!

We invite you to continue supporting our community by joining us at our upcoming Pro Bono Clinics:

  • October 27th [Woodside Queens pop-up clinic link here] from 6:30-8:30pm, Assemblymember Steven Raga’s Office (Cellar), 60-14 Queens Blvd, Woodside, NY 11377
  • November 14th [Brooklyn link here], from 12:30 – 3:30pm, CPC Brooklyn Community Services, 4101 8th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11232
  • November 18th [Manhattan link here] from 6:30-8:30pm, AAFE Community Center, 111 Norfolk Street, NY, NY 10002
  • December 2nd [Queens link here], from 6:30 – 8:30pm, AAFE One Flushing Community Center, 133-29 41st Ave, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355

To learn more about the Pro Bono & Community Service Committee, visit probono.aabany.org.

We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming clinic sessions.

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AABANY’s Real Estate Committee Presents Fall Harvest Moon Festival Networking Event

On September 29th, 2026, AABANY’s Real Estate Committee welcomed attorneys, bankers, title professionals, brokers, and other real estate professionals and industry colleagues to M&T Bank in Midtown Manhattan for a special Fall Harvest Moon Festival Professional Networking Event. 

The event brought together professionals from across the real estate, banking, and legal industries for an opportunity to meet new colleagues, build new relationships, reconnect with longtime friends, while celebrating the traditions of the Harvest Moon Festival.

And let it be known– there was absolutely no shortage of food to get the conversations going. 

Upon entering, guests were greeted by tables filled with sweets, chocolates, and desserts, alongside an abundance of mooncakes to celebrate the Harvest Moon Festival. A table of beverages offered a variety of refreshments, while the main spread featured an array of sushi. The festive spread quickly turned into a gathering point as guests began mingling and getting to know one another. 

Conversations sparked from every corner of the room. Bankers from M&T compared notes with attorneys on where their services could overlap, title professionals swapped perspectives with brokers and other members of the real estate industry, while business cards exchanged hands through the course of the evening. 

Soon after, Margaret Ling offered remarks and thanks to all those in attendance. A longtime, active AABANY member and former Co-Chair of the Real Estate Committee, Margaret is deeply involved in the AAPI legal community and the city’s broader legal community. She spoke about the connections she has built over the years and about why events like this matter, especially when paired with a celebration like the Harvest Moon Festival. 

She also shared with attendees what the holiday means. Celebrated when the moon is at its fullest, the festival, also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival, is a time for reunion, gratitude for the harvest, and abundance. Mooncakes, with their round shape symbolize togetherness, a fitting celebration for an evening focused on building and expanding community. 

Margaret then invited AABANY’s current Real Estate Committee Co-Chairs, Jameson Xu and Jason Ganfer, to say a few words. Each thanked the guests for coming, spoke about the value of the relationships to come, and reflected on the meaning of the festival. 

Then Margaret did something that truly brought the room together: she asked all 20+ attendees to go around the room, introduce themselves, and share what they do. It was a warm, slightly out-of-comfort zone icebreaker that melted away any shyness and gave everyone a sense of who to talk to next. 

Guests returned to mingling with buzzing energy and, later, the evening came to a wonderful close. 

AABANY’s Real Estate Committee thanks AmTrust Title and the Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York (KALAGNY) for co-sponsoring this event; M&T bank for hosting; and everyone for attending. To learn more about the Real Estate Committee, go here. 

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In the News: AABANY’s President Spotlighted as One of the 2026 Women in Commercial Real Estate by the New York Real Estate Journal

On August 25, AABANY’s very own President, Varuna Bhattacharyya was featured as one of the 2026 Women in Commercial Real Estate by the New York Real Estate Journal (NYREJ).

NYREJ asked Varuna questions about her commercial real estate practice, such as her most rewarding project in the past year and what upcoming commercial real estate trends she sees on the horizon. When reflecting on her most important leadership lesson to date, Varuna emphasized authenticity, finding that “the most effective leadership comes from embracing your own values, strengths, and perspective.”

Please join AABANY in congratulating President Varuna Bhattacharyya on being spotlighted in NYREJ.

To read the full article, click here.

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AABANY Real Estate Committee Hosts Real Estate and Mortgage Fraud – Red Flags

On July 20, 2026, the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) Real Estate Committee hosted a timely and informative Continuing Legal Education (CLE) program focusing on one of the most pressing issues facing today’s real estate industry: the growing threat of real estate and mortgage fraud, wire fraud, and deed theft.

The program brought together attorneys, title professionals, lenders, real estate agents, and law students to examine how increasingly sophisticated fraud schemes are impacting residential and commercial transactions across New York. As technology continues to evolve, so do the tactics used by fraudsters, making education, vigilance, and collaboration among industry professionals more important than ever.

The CLE featured presentations by Margaret Ling, New York State Agency Underwriting Counsel and Education Director at AmTrust Title Insurance Company, and Jason Ganfer, Partner at Goldberg Segalla and Co-Chair of AABANY’s Real Estate Committee. Drawing from their extensive experience, the speakers provided practical guidance on recognizing fraud schemes, understanding emerging trends, and implementing best practices to safeguard clients and transactions.

The presentation emphasized that preventing fraud requires more than simply reacting to suspicious activity—it requires proactive communication, strict verification procedures, and a culture of cybersecurity awareness throughout every stage of a transaction.

The AABANY Real Estate Committee extends its sincere appreciation to Citizens Bank and AmTrust Title Insurance Company for generously sponsoring this CLE program. Their continued support makes it possible to provide meaningful educational programming that benefits both legal professionals and the communities they serve.

Special thanks also go to Margaret Ling and Jason Ganfer for sharing their knowledge and practical insights, and to everyone who attended and contributed to an engaging discussion.

To learn more about AABANY’s Real Estate Committee, click here.

– Written by Jameson Xu, Co-Chair of AABANY’s Real Estate Committee

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Thank You to the Volunteers at the Queens Pro Bono Clinic in June

Thanks to the Asian American Law Fund of New York (AALFNY), Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE), Pro Bono & Community Service (PBCS) Committee and our dedicated volunteers for your collaboration and contribution to the success of our pro bono legal clinic on June 3, 2026.

At the clinic, our volunteers met with 12 clients and provided guidance on a range of legal issues, including housing, immigration, medical fraud, real estate, and labor and employment matters. The collective efforts of our volunteers ensured that each client received personalized support and answers to their pressing legal questions. We are deeply grateful for everyone’s presence and contributions, and look forward to continuing this important work together!

Volunteer attorneys:
Wendy (Wen-Hsien) Cheng
Helen Ding
Richard In
Grace Ouyang
Shirley Luong
Johnny Thach
May Wong
Gary Yeung

Interpreters/shadowers:
Nathan Cao
Haotian (Victor) Chen
Tiffany Jin
Nandar Win Kerr
Victoria Elise Sogueco
Wendy Zeng

We invite you to continue supporting our community by joining us at our upcoming Pro Bono Clinics:

  • June 17 [Manhattan link here] from 6:30-8:30pm, AAFE Community Center, 111 Norfolk Street, NY, NY 10002
  • July 11 [Brooklyn link here], from 12:30 – 3:30pm, CPC Brooklyn Community Services, 4101 8th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11232
  • August 5 [Queens link here], from 6:30 – 8:30pm, AAFE One Flushing Community Center, 133-29 41st Ave, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355

Thanks to all our volunteers for attending the Pro Bono Clinic.

We look forward to your participation in our future clinics!

To learn more about the Pro Bono & Community Service Committee, visit probono.aabany.org.

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Thank you to our Volunteers at the May Pro Bono Clinic in Brooklyn

Thank you to the Asian American Law Fund of New York (AALFNY), AABANY’s Pro Bono & Community Service (PBCS) Committee, the Chinese-American Planning Council, our incredible volunteers, and our community partners for your support at the Pro Bono Clinic in Brooklyn on May 9th. Our volunteers met with 23 clients to address legal matters involving family, real estate, criminal, housing, and labor law.

These clinics not only answer legal questions but also focus on training law students and young attorneys to identify legal issues and explain legal concepts in everyday language. We value your willingness to listen to our clients’ stories and provide them with a safe space to be heard.

We would like to extend our gratitude to the following volunteers who dedicated their time and expertise to make this Clinic a success:

Alexandra LyHaotian Chen
Andrew SunHelen Ding
Angie LiaoKaren Yau
Anna BaoKeli Huang
Arthur LinMay Wong
Elaine OuyangNandar Kerr
Gary YeungWendy Zeng

If you are interested in continuing to support our community, we invite you to join us at our upcoming Pro Bono Clinics:

  • May 20th in Manhattan from 6:30-8:30pm at AAFE 111 Norfolk St.
  • June 3rd in Queens from 6:30 – 8:30pm at AAFE One Flushing Community Center.
  • July 11th in Brooklyn, from 12:30pm-2:30pm at CPC Brooklyn Community Services, 4101 8th Ave.

To learn more about the Pro Bono & Community Service Committee, please visit probono.aabany.org.

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Thank You to Our Volunteers at the Brooklyn Pro Bono Clinic in March

On Saturday, March 14, 2026, the AABANY Pro Bono & Community Service (PBCS) Committee held another successful legal clinic in Brooklyn, with a special collaboration with the South Asian Bar Association of New York (SABANY). This event also marked a major milestone: our 100th in-person Pro Bono Clinic since returning from the pandemic!

Thank you to the Asian American Law Fund of New York (AALFNY), CPC Brooklyn, our community partners, and Rachna Agarwal (SABANY Pro Bono Chair).  A special thank-you goes to all the volunteer attorneys and law students who stayed late to ensure every client was seen.

Our volunteers assisted 27 clients with matters including identity theft, wills and trusts, employment, family, matrimonial, housing, and real estate. 

In addition to providing vital legal guidance, Pro Bono Clinics serve as a training ground for law students and young attorneys to practice communicating complex legal concepts in layman’s terms. We appreciate our volunteers for taking the time to listen to clients’ stories and giving them a space to be heard. The dedication of our volunteers continues to bridge the justice gap in our community.

Finally, at the Pro Bono Clinic, we celebrated the birthday of AABANY member and long-standing Pro Bono Clinic volunteer, May Wong! May was also the AABANY 2022 Member of the Year. Happy Birthday, May!

Volunteer attorneys:

  • Vishal Chander
  • Natalie Moulton-Levy
  • Rachna Agarwal
  • Wendy Zeng
  • Kwok Kei Ng
  • May Wong
  • Sanketh Bhaskar
  • Olivia Mao
  • Francis Chin
  • Helen Ding
  • Arthur Lin
  • Minyao Wang
  • Beatrice Leong

Law students:

  • Sam Chen
  • Eva Zhou
  • Yining Pan

– Written by Kwok Kei Ng, AABANY PBCS Committee Co-Chair

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Thank You to Our Volunteers at the September 7th Pro Bono Legal Clinic in Brooklyn

Thank you everyone for joining us at the Brooklyn Pro Bono Legal Clinic on September 7, 2024, co-sponsored by CPC-Brooklyn at their 4101 8th Avenue location. Thanks also to the following co-sponsors: Community Service Committee, Councilman Justice Brannan, State Senator Iwen Chu, Council Member Alexa Avilés, the Parent-Child Relationship Association, the South Brooklyn Community Coalition, Homecrest Community Services, the United Chinese Association of Brooklyn, New York Team Up, and the United Chinese Americans Organizations. We met 16 clients who had questions about real estate, consumer fraud, and immigration issues.  Hope you all had a wonderful time learning from one another and informing the community about current laws! 

During the pandemic, many people were experiencing difficulties in canceling their gym memberships. Even worse, some clubs would close with limited notice or no notice at all to their customers. Due to reports of deceptive practices in health clubs, the New York State legislature passed the New York Health Club Services Act in 2023 to protect consumers. One of our clients came in to discuss such deceptive practices and the sudden closure of a spa. Under this Act, to protect members who prepay for their memberships, health clubs must file a bond or other type of financial security with the Secretary of State in case the club closes:

  • Clubs must mention this bond in all their contracts and must post about the bond in their facilities.
  • Clubs do not have to meet this requirement if they do not offer pre-paid memberships, or if payments do not exceed $150, memberships do not exceed one year, and the contract does not contain an automatic renewal provision.

Any contract that does not comply with the New York Health Club Services Act is void and unenforceable. If the health club violated the act, the customer can sue in small claims court and seek treble damages and reasonable attorney’s fees. For information about small claims court, visit https://www.nycourts.gov/courts/nyc/smallclaims/index.shtml .

Thank you to the following volunteers:

Volunteer Attorneys
Anna Chen
Chenyi Wang
Francis Chin
Gary Yeung
Kwok Kei Ng
May Wong
Interpreters & Shadowers
Albert Tong
Chenyi Wang
Jaymark Hawlader
Junjie Wang
Nandar Win Kerr
Wendy Zeng
Xiang Li
Xing Yang

Thank you again and please join us at the next clinics:

Manhattan Pro Bono Clinic on September 18th, 2024 at AAFE Community Center, 111 Norfolk St, New York, NY 10002. Sign up here – https://forms.gle/SD2VMY8X6yE4vsxW9

Queens Pro Bono Clinic on October 2nd, 2024 at AAFE One Flushing Community Center, 133-29 41st Ave, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355. Sign up here – https://forms.gle/5PjG8A73EE1XENyV9

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AABANY Real Estate Committee Holds CLE Program on Matrimonial and Domestic Relations in Real Estate

On June 22, 2023, AABANY’s Real Estate Committee organized a highly informative CLE program over Zoom, entitled “Matrimonial & Domestic Relations in Real Estate,” featuring speakers Margaret T. Ling from Amtrust Title Insurance Company and Jackie Harounian from Wissleman, Harounian, & Associates. The program sought to shed light on the complex dynamics surrounding real estate disputes in cases of matrimonial and domestic relations. Wendy Yu from Yu Law, P.C. served as moderator.

Magaret T. Ling commenced the session by sharing various scenarios and real-life cases of divorced couples who found themselves entangled in real estate disputes. Following Margaret’s remarks, Jackie Harounian offered insights into the key considerations individuals should keep in mind when navigating the intersection of divorce and real estate. She emphasized the critical role of prenuptial agreements in establishing clear guidelines and protecting both parties’ rights. The presentation served as a valuable opportunity for attendees to gain a better understanding and foundation regarding proactive measures required in matrimonial and domestic relations when real estate is involved.

AABANY thanks Flushing Bank, Wissleman, Harounian, & Associates, Amtrust Title Insurance Company, and Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York for co-sponsoring this event. We also thank Margaret T. Ling and Jackie Harounian for sharing their expertise. Thanks to all the attendees for taking time out of their day to learn and support.

To learn more about the Real Estate Committee and how you can get involved, click here.

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AABANY Member Lisa Lim Recognized by The New York Real Estate Journal in its Women in Commercial Real Estate Spotlight

On November 9th, 2021 Akerman partner Lisa Lim and AABANY member was honored by New York Real Estate Journal in its Women in Commercial Real Estate Spotlight. A graduate of Wellesley College and Fordham Law School Lisa is a go-to resource in the city’s complex and dynamic market, Lisa’s practice focuses on real estate finance and development, economic development, and affordable housing. Lisa focuses her practice in real estate finance and development, economic development, and affordable housing. Her transactional experience includes representing borrowers, lenders, and government agencies in the structuring, negotiation, and closing of complex transactions. Lisa is a Fellow for the American College of Real Estate Lawyers (ACREL) and was recently ranked again by Super Lawyers Magazine in New York for real estate, a distinction she has held since 2015. 

Please join AABANY in congratulating Lisa Lim on this well deserved honor. To read the full feature click, here

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