Tag: Sylvia Chin

Posted on

AABANY Hosts 2024 Annual Dinner at Cipriani Wall Street to Celebrate our 35th Anniversary

On Wednesday, May 22, 2024, AABANY hosted its 2024 Annual Dinner with the theme “Building a Strong Foundation for a Brighter Future” at Cipriani Wall Street. Celebrating the 35th Anniversary of AABANY, the event was hosted again during Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Month with over 700 attorneys, judges, prosecutors, in-house counsel, government officials, and dignitaries who came out to celebrate with us at the Annual Dinner.

The event began with an invite-only General Counsel Reception which was attended by 40 General Counsels and numerous sponsor guests. We thank our General Counsel Reception sponsor, Groombridge, Wu, Baughman & Stone for helping us start off the night strong! To see the full list of General Counsels who accepted AABANY’s invitation, please click here.

The General Counsel Reception occurred simultaneously with a Cocktail Reception in the West Ballroom where numerous guests mingled, caught up with each other, made new connections, and took photos at the step-and-repeat.

After the Cocktail Reception, the dinner and program began with CeFaan Kim as the night’s excellent host and charismatic Master of Ceremonies. First course was already plated as CeFaan kicked off the program. He invited to the stage Karen Kim, Immediate Past President, to deliver her remarks as the outgoing President. She was followed by our first honoree, Iris Lan, Esq., recipient of AABANY’s Public Service Award.

Iris began her speech by praising AABANY for its work in preventing AAPI Hate, as well as its support for the AAPI legal community. To close out, Iris told a story attributed to United States Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson. The story was centered around three stone basins: “Each stone basin represents a judge or a lawyer,” Iris stated. “Some see their work as merely a way to earn a living. Others perhaps view their work as applying legal precedent molding their decision.” Iris then described the third stone basin as one that builds a “cathedral,” representing the building of a path for others to walk through. She thanked AABANY, as an embodiment of this third basin, for “building the cathedral of the future.”

After Iris received her reward, a short video was shown, celebrating 35 years of AABANY. It discussed the birth of AABANY as an organization established to support the community of AAPI legal professionals and the wider AAPI community. It then chronicled AABANY’s growth from a small group that would host social events to an organization with a wide-reaching mission and membership. It also delved into how AABANY contended with the COVID-19 pandemic and the uptick in anti-Asian hate, and the birth of the anti-Asian Violence Task Force. 

Following the 35th anniversary video, White & Case LLP was presented with the Law Firm Diversity Award for its dedication to improving diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal field. Sylvia Chin accepted the award on behalf of the firm. Congratulations to White & Case on this well-deserved honor. To read more about the award, read the press release here.

After a brief time for guests to continue networking, AABANY was proud to honor the Honorable Denny Chin, United States Circuit Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, with AABANY’s Impact Leadership Award

Judge Chin delivered a powerful speech on the importance of resilience and highlighted some of his most memorable career moments, such as sentencing Bernie Madoff in 2009.   

In addition, we presented the 2024 class of Don H. Liu Scholars: Felicia Hou, Grace Koh and Yangji Sherpa. Read more about the program here. Before this year’s class of DHL Scholars was presented, a short film celebrated the tenth anniversary of this program and its many accomplished and worthy recipients.

The dinner ended with a short trailer for the documentary, Voices Against Anti-Asian Hate, produced by the AABANY Anti-Asian Violence Task Force. The film featured numerous victims and survivors of anti-Asian hate, including Justin Go, father of Michelle Go, who spoke eloquently about her murder in January 2022. After the trailer played, CeFaan Kim stated, “Do not be afraid, and make sure you are heard.”

Next, AABANY President Joseph Eng made closing remarks, celebrating community leaders, former presidents of AABANY, and founders in attendance, as well as discussing the “next 35 years” of AABANY, expressing the hope that the paths those leaders and founders had forged would become familiar ones for success. He envisioned a future where “exceptional is the norm,” where AAPI voices are strong and heard throughout the legal community and beyond, and where young AAPIs are encouraged and inspired to enter the profession. He finished by again congratulating the night’s award winners, thanking the sponsors, and finally thanking his wife, Alejandra. 

After the dinner, attendees who wished to extend the celebration went up to the Mezzanine for the afterparty, which continued until midnight.

We thank the AABANY 2024 Annual Dinner Planning Committee and volunteers for their hours of hard work to organize this annual dinner and making it a celebration to remember. Thank you to AABANY 2024 President Joseph Eng for his leadership of the 2024 Annual Dinner Planning Committee.

We gratefully acknowledge all our sponsors whose generous contributions allow us to continue our work of supporting the AANHPI legal community and the AANHPI community as a whole. Thank you to our top sponsors: 

Lastly, we thank everyone who attended the 2024 Annual Dinner for making our 35th anniversary so special and memorable. You can view the photo albums and videos from the 2024 Annual Dinner here. 

Please save the date for the 2025 Annual Dinner taking place on May 29, 2025. 

Posted on

AABANY and AALFNY Celebrate Recipients of the 2024 Public Interest Scholarship at FTI Consulting

On Monday, June 24,  the Asian American Law Fund of New York (AALFNY) gathered with members of the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) to celebrate the recipients of AALFNY’s 2024 Public Interest Scholarships at the AALFNY-AABANY Summer Reception at FTI Consulting, held at their offices at 1166 Avenue of the Americas.

Upon arrival, attendees chatted with one another, enjoying a grazing table, pizza, and drinks. The program began with the sound of clinking bottles, drawing everyone’s attention to Sylvia Chin, President of AALFNY. Sylvia presented introductory remarks about AALFNY and thanked Jason Sabot, Senior Managing Director at FTI Consulting, for generously providing the venue for the gathering. Yang Chen, Executive Director of AABANY, also spoke, touching on the origins of AALFNY and its prior incarnation as the AABANY Foundation, the charitable arm of AABANY. He reminded the lawyers present of their shared ethical and moral obligations to perform pro bono legal services and emphasized the importance of good works done by AABANY’s Pro Bono Clinics, highlighting the significance of giving back to the community. 

Sylvia then presented the 2024 Public Interest Scholarship award to Ranjana Venkatesh. Ranjana attends CUNY School of Law, and shared that this summer she will be interning at The Bronx Defenders’ Criminal Defense Practice under the Adolescent Defense Project. Ranjana noted that the Bronx is a historically under-represented  borough, but with The Bronx Defenders, she hopes to represent low-income residents through a holistic approach.

Jessica Chan, the other recipient of the scholarship, unfortunately could not attend the reception. Jessica, an AABANY member, attends New York Law School and will be interning with the Legal Aid Society in its Criminal Defense Practice. She is looking forward to using her experience in criminal defense work to build bridges between communities of color.

Thank you to all who attended the Summer Reception at FTI Consulting to not only celebrate the recipients of the 2024 Public Interest Scholarship, but also the value and importance of public interest work. To learn more about AALFNY, please click here.

Posted on

AABANY Celebrates Founders’ Day with Gov. Hochul

On October 28, 2021, AABANY’s Membership Committee, together with the Career Placement Committee and IP Committee, hosted the first annual Founders’ Day at Broadridge’s New York office in midtown Manhattan. Surrounded by dramatic views of the New York skyline, the event celebrated AABANY’s thirty-second year as an association serving AAPI legal professionals and the AAPI community. This celebration honors the founders who helped form AABANY in 1989. Hon. Doris Ling Cohan, Hon. Marilyn Go, Sylvia Chin and Rocky Chin joined the party as honorees. Approximately 50 members and friends gathered together to connect and re-connect over food and drinks. President Terry Shen was joined by many Board members and Committee Chairs for the occasion. Towards the end of the party, the Governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, made a special appearance and gave remarks commending the achievements of AABANY over the past three decades, including fighting Asian hate and serving the AAPI community. As the first female Governor of New York state, she encouraged more women to enter public service. 

We hope to establish Founders’ Day as an annual event. Thanks to Governor Hochul, the Founders, and the AABANY leadership for attending and making this first Founders’ Day a memorable one. Thanks also to AABANY’s Diamond Sponsor, Broadridge, for making this event possible at their beautiful space. To see more photos of the event, go to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/CmBvkiEJTY7TeSLYA

The Membership Committee’s next big event is a Night at the Opera to see “Turandot” at the Met. Please register now: https://www.aabany.org/events/event_details.asp?legacy=1&id=1564041. Tickets are going fast.

Posted on

AABANY’s Membership Committee Holds its 56th and Final Online Weekly Mixer

After a year of online mixers due to the pandemic, the Membership Committee held its 56th and final Online Weekly Mixer on Zoom, on Friday, June 25, 2021.

The beginning of the mixer featured a celebration of the Asian American Law Fund of New York (AALFNY) Public Interest Scholarship Recipients, hosted by Sylvia Chin, President of AALFNY. The awardees were: Amanda Jimenez (CUNY School of Law, Class of 2022), Evelyn (Meng) Lin (Syracuse University College of Law, Class of 2022), and Shelley Wu (Cardozo School of Law, Class of 2023). AALFNY also honored the recipient of the AALFNY-SABANY Public Interest Fellowship: Dawa Lhamo (CUNY School of Law, Class of 2023), who will be interning with Catholic Migration Services. AALFNY awards Public Interest Scholarships each year to law students with a demonstrated commitment to the Asian American community. Congratulations to the recipients for their good work!

During the mixer, AALFNY held a Give Lively text to pledge fundraiser to support the Turning the Tide Project and nearly raised $1000. Thank you to everyone who donated! We are continuing to take donations via Give Lively and if you would like to donate, text “TIDE3” to 44-321. (A copy of AALFNY’s latest annual report may be obtained from P.O. Box, 161, 41 Purdy Ave, Rye NY 10580  or from the NY Attorney General’s Charities Bureau website www.charitiesnys.com. Information may also be obtained from us at [email protected] or the NYS Attorney General at 212-416-8686.)

After the AALFNY presentation, AABANY members went around the Zoom Room for the mixer portion. The participants introduced themselves, and answered the icebreaker question: “How will you change your lifestyle now that the city has reopened?” Participants told the group their various plans, including “adjusting their commute to work from home on most days,” “going back to travel internationally” and “going back to attend large gatherings.”

The weekly mixers had a core group of attendees, including Barry Kazan, Sylvia Chin, William Lim, Francis Chin, and Kevin Hsi, all of whom regularly attended the weekly mixers. In particular, Barry Kazan, a Partner at Mintz & Gold LLP, was awarded “MVP” (Most Valuable Participant) of AABANY’s Online Membership Mixers.

Membership Committee Mixers held various theme nights, including a trivia night, a Show & Tell night, a Talent show with dancing, guitar playing and Comedian, a Halloween Costume Contest, a Virtual Tour through Japanese Mountains, and Founder’s Night.

The participants expressed gratitude that there was a weekly outlet to connect, talk and share their thoughts every week, and appreciated that the mixers allowed people to form friendships through video. A few members requested that the mixers continue. 

Membership Committee plans on meeting in person beginning in July; please stay tuned for the announcements. The Committee is looking to host a cruise later this summer. Be on the lookout for the survey!

Thanks to everyone who attended the final mixer and to our members and friends who joined us for one or more mixers over the past year! Thanks to Beatrice Leong, Membership Director, for being such a gracious host.

We look forward to seeing everyone in person for future Membership Committee events. 

Posted on

AABANY Hosts Weekly Membership Mixer Featuring Founders of AABANY on March 26

On March 26, 2021, the Membership Committee hosted their weekly virtual Membership Mixer, with 47 participants in attendance. This special mixer featured some founders of AABANY: Hon. Marilyn Go, Hon. Doris Ling-Cohan, Sylvia Chin, and Rocky Chin.

The Founders told stories of how they met each other, what was happening at the time of the creation of the association and what they want to see for the future of AABANY. 

The Membership Committee previously hosted Monthly Mixers at bars, ballparks, stadiums, operas, etc, but due to COVID, we have moved online to offer members a weekly outlet to share their feelings, see old friends, and make new connections. Mixers start at 6:30pm on Friday and the main event ends at 7:30pm but many often stay on after 7:30pm for smaller breakout groups.

Membership Committee will continue to host weekly virtual mixers until it is safe to gather together again in person. 

Please join us this week on April 2, 2021 in the Remo Room. Register by Thursday, April 1, at https://www.aabany.org/events/event_details.asp?legacy=1&id=1420357.

Posted on

Congratulations to Sylvia Chin and White & Case on Pro Bono Award from Women’s World Banking

AABANY congratulates White & Case and Sylvia Chin on being recognized by Women’s World Banking for their pro bono work on behalf of the organization over four decades, since its founding. The award was presented on April 4 at Women’s World Banking’s 40th anniversary celebration in New York.

According to the media release, “In 2018, White & Case’s global pro bono practice provided more than 120,000 hours of legal services focused on access to justice, promoting the rule of law, and serving organizations with social and environmental missions. Women’s World Banking has been a recipient of White & Case’s pro bono legal services since our founding.”

For more information, visit White & Case’s website at 
https://www.whitecase.com/firm/awards-rankings/award/womens-world-banking-honors-white-case-and-sylvia-chin-pro-bono-work

Sylvia is a Past President of AABANY (1994-96) and is current President of AALFNY, AABANY’s 501(c)(3) affiliate. Please join us in congratulating Sylvia and White & Case on their well-deserved honor and recognition for their pro bono work on behalf of women across the globe.

Posted on

Asian American Bar Commends Trailblazer

Asian American Bar Commends Trailblazer

A lovely photo of 2016 Norman Lau Kee Trailblazer Award Recipient Sylvia Fung Chin, alongside Executive Director Yang Chen and AABANY President Susan Shin, was featured in New York Law Journal. Thank you to Rick Kopstein for taking this photo at the 2016 AABANY Fall Conference held at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, where the award was presented during the Cocktail Reception.

Named for Norman Lau Kee, a revered legal and community pillar of New York City’s Chinatown for decades, this Trailblazer Award honors an accomplished leader in the legal profession who is of Asian Pacific American descent or has demonstrated dedication to APA issues in the community. This award honors an individual who has carved a path for others to follow, served the community as a mentor and role model, and has made a lasting impact on the APA community through his or her dedication and commitment.

AABANY could think of no individual more deserving than Sylvia Fung Chin. Sylvia has continuously given back to the APA legal community in countless ways. Among the founding board members of AABANY in 1991 and President of AABANY from 1994-1996, she led and built AABANY from the ground up and has served as a role model and friend to several leaders in the profession. 

Thank you to Sylvia for all that she has done for our community, and thank you to New York Law Journal for capturing this beautiful moment.

Posted on

Press Release: Asian American Bar Association of New York Honors Sylvia Fung Chin as 2016 Norman Lau Kee Trailblazer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 13, 2016

Contact: Yang Chen, Executive Director
(718) 228-7206

NEW YORK – The Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) is proud to announce that Sylvia Fung Chin is the recipient of the Norman Lau Kee Trailblazer Award this year at AABANY’s Seventh Annual Fall Conference on September 24, 2016, held at the offices of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP.

Named for Norman Lau Kee, a revered legal and community pillar of New York City’s Chinatown for decades, this Trailblazer Award honors an accomplished leader in the legal profession who is of Asian Pacific American (APA) descent or has demonstrated dedication to APA issues in the community. This award honors an individual who has carved a path for others to follow, served the community as a mentor and role model, and has made a lasting impact on the APA community through his or her dedication and commitment.

Sylvia Fung Chin, Partner Of Counsel at White & Case LLP, has risen to the summit of the profession and all the while has lifted up others as she rose. Elected to White & Case’s partnership in 1986, Sylvia has created a pipeline of leadership for women and minority attorneys. An accomplished corporate attorney who has practiced for nearly four decades, she has excelled in navigating complicated transactions and proposing creative solutions for unique situations. In addition to her current legal practice at White & Case, Sylvia also teaches as an adjunct associate professor at Fordham University School of Law and frequently lectures on the UCC, legal opinions, ethics and various other corporate finance topics. Sylvia’s continued excellence, perseverance, positivity, and creativity are unparalleled.

Sylvia has continuously given back to the APA legal community in countless ways. Among the founding board members of AABANY in 1991 and President of AABANY from 1994-1996, she led and built AABANY from the ground up and has served as a role model and friend to several leaders in the professional. For decades, Sylvia has opened the dialogue about minority advancement in the legal profession and created training programs for associates and young partners to build business and develop leadership skills.  Sylvia has brought to fruition several initiatives to serve the APA community, including the Asian Crime Victims Project, which offered help to crime victims at a time when resources were limited, and the AABANY Foundation, now known as the Asian American Law Fund of New York, which provides scholarships and internship opportunities for APA and South Asian law students in New York. Sylvia founded and co-chairs the White & Case Asian Affinity Group and has been instrumental in producing two videos entitled Kicking Glass from the Courtroom to the Boardroom and Kicking Glass: Two Decades and Counting, which explored the experiences and perspectives of Asian American women attorneys.

Sylvia serves as Co-Chair of the First Judicial District of the New York Bar Foundation, President of the Asian American Law Fund of New York, President-Elect of the American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers, a director of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) Law Foundation, a trustee of the Fordham Law Alumni Association and on the governing Council of the ABA Business Law Section and the governing board of the ABA Center for Racial and Ethnic Diversity.  She is a member of the American Law Institute, the ABA Legal Opinions Committee, the Tribar Opinions Committee, and the Association Advisory Board of the Working Group on Legal Opinions.  She also served as Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee of the ABA Business Law Section, President of the American College of Investment Counsel, President of AABANY, President of the NAPABA Law Foundation, Board Secretary of Women’s World Banking, Treasurer of NAPABA, and a Director of the New York County Lawyers Association.

“Sylvia Fung Chin, a trailblazer, founding Board member and Past President of AABANY, represents the very best of our profession,” says Susan Shin, President of AABANY. “She has achieved tremendous professional and personal success, yet she has never faltered in her loyalty and service to our community. She is a shining example for generations of lawyers to follow and emulate. AABANY, its members and numerous attorneys have benefited greatly from her leadership, guidance and mentorship. We proudly recognize Sylvia Chin as our 2016 Norman Lau Kee Trailblazer Award honoree.”

For more information, please contact Yang Chen, AABANY Executive Director, at (718) 228-7206, or direct any inquiries to [email protected].

The Asian American Bar Association of New York is a professional membership organization of attorneys concerned with issues affecting the Asian Pacific American community.  Incorporated in 1989, AABANY seeks not only to encourage the professional growth of its members but also to advocate for the Asian Pacific American community as a whole.  AABANY is the New York regional affiliate of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA).

Additional information about AABANY is available at www.aabany.org

Follow our blog at www.blog.aabany.org

Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/aabany

Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/aabany

Find us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/aabany

Proudly powered by WordPress