Tag: Vishal Chander

Posted on

AABANY Solo and Small Firm Practice Committee Co-Hosts: How to Utilize NYC Small Business Services Benefits as a Solo or Small Law Firm

NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) joined the AABANY Solo and Small Firm Practice Committee on June 28 for an information session on how to utilize SBS services. The event took place at the SBS offices at One Liberty Plaza in the Financial District. The Department of SBS’s current commissioner is Kevin Kim, a former Board Officer of AABANY. The twenty AABANY participants in attendance were impressed by SBS programs targeted towards small business owners, which include law firm owners, and could help lawyers assist their small business clients.

“We spent over $20 billion in contracts with minority and women-owned businesses last year,” shared Kitty Chan, Deputy Commissioner of the Division of Small Business Services.  Ms. Chan encouraged all AABANY participants to sign up for M/WBE certification to receive opportunities for contracts directly with the city.  “The team at SBS is here to help you set up your profile and identify opportunities that work for you or your clients,” added Anna Yakubova, Assistant Commissioner of M/WBE Recruitment and Eligibility.

Other programs discussed by Ms. Chan, Ms. Yakubova, and Michael Fong, Executive Director of Government Navigation, were NYC Business Express Service Team (BEST), NYC Small Business Month, Commercial Lease Assistance, Workforce1 Career Centers, and other programs to help businesses with training, financing, and legal assistance.

“SBS is an amazing resource for solo and small law firms and we look forward to our AABANY members actively engaging with SBS going forward,” said Yen-Yi Anderson, Co-Chair of the AABANY Solo and Small Firm Practice Committee, after the event.

“We are all very grateful that SBS spent their valuable time educating us about the many benefits of their programs,” added committee Co-Chair Vishal Chander.

After the event, the speakers and participants networked and enjoyed a spread of samosas and chai provided by East Village’s Desi Galli restaurant.

Thank you to the speakers, participants, and the Solo and Small Firm Practice Committee for a fruitful discussion and an engaging event. Click here to learn more about the Solo and Small Firm Practice Committee and how to get involved. 

Posted on

AABANY Members Visit Capitol Hill for NAPABA Lobby Day

On May 22 and 23, 2023, AABANY members Yen-Yi Anderson, Vishal Chander, Chris Kwok, Rachel Lee, and Nandar Win Kerr converged on Washington D.C. for National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) Lobby Day. Each year, NAPABA organizes the event to educate members of Congress on issues of importance to the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community. NAPABA Lobby Day is scheduled to coincide with AANHPI Heritage Month in May of each year.

AABANY members met with the legislative staff of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies, Congressman Jerrold Nadler, and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. They discussed issues such as support for the LGBTQ+ community, protection of the right to counsel in immigration, mental health support for AANHPI and other diverse communities, profiling persons of Chinese ancestry, state passage of alien land laws, and AANHPI judicial and executive nominees.

Rachel Lee, an associate at Allen & Overy LLP, shared, “I am happy to have participated in NAPABA Lobby Day this year. It was an educational and eye-opening experience to learn about different issues impacting the AANHPI community and be able to advocate for our community on Capitol Hill at various congressional offices with fellow NAPABA members. I highly recommend the program and would participate again in the future.”

NAPABA is the nation’s largest Asian Pacific American membership organization representing the interest of 60,000 attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students. NAPABA Lobby Day activities include a 3-Part Training Event, Congressional office visits, and an AANHPI Heritage Month Congressional Reception.

Written By: Vishal Chander, active AABANY member and Co-Chair, Solo & Small Firm Practice Committee

Posted on

AABANY Members Gather for the Very Big Very Asian Comedy Festival on April 29

On Saturday, April 29, 2023, AABANY members celebrated AAPI Heritage Month (a few days early) with a night of laughs at the Very Big Very Asian (VBVA) Comedy Festival at the Broadway Comedy Club on West 53rd Street. Nearly 30 AABANY members and friends enjoyed a hilarious and wildly entertaining lineup of standup comedians of Asian descent. As was the case for the VBVA Festival in 2022, the jokes continued to be “Very Big” and “Very Asian.”

Shoutout to James Han, the VBVA team and Broadway Comedy Club for putting together a great show and giving AABANY front row seats. Broadway Comedy Club regularly hosts special comedy events featuring AAPI comedians throughout the year – please check them out.

Congrats to Vishal Chander on winning the raffle, a swag bag of items featuring various AAPI vendors! Besides being an active AABANY member, Vishal is serving as a Co-Chair of the Solo and Small Firm Practice Committee this year.

After Broadway Comedy Club, the attendees enjoyed ramen and conversations at Hide-Chan Ramen next door.

Thanks also to Membership, Issues and Prosecutors Committees for organizing a great outing for AABANY. Be on the lookout for upcoming AABANY events here.