AABANY’s In-House Counsel Committee and Corporate Law Committee Present 2024 Winter Soiree at Le Chalet at Saks Fifth Avenue

The In-House Counsel Committee and the Corporate Law Committee of AABANY held the 2024 Winter Soiree on Thursday, January 25, 2024, at Le Chalet in Saks Fifth Avenue. This annual event was set against the stunning backdrop of an elegant indoor space and the breathtaking midtown skyline from the balcony, providing a perfect setting for a night to remember.

This Winter Soiree marks the first time we held it in-person, having held a virtual Winter Soiree during the pandemic in 2022. We also moved this event from summer to winter during AABANY’s 2024 fiscal year, so that we did not follow the AABANY dinner in May 2023 with another major event in June, the traditional time when we held our annual soiree for in-house counsel and law firm attorneys.

The Winter Soiree was an invite-only event, open to in-house counsel, law firm attorneys and sponsors of AABANY’s 2023 Annual Dinner and the 2024 Winter Soiree. The event enjoyed the attendance of numerous senior in-house lawyers, including many General Counsels, as well as senior attorneys and partners from law firms, making it an ideal opportunity for networking, reuniting with friends, and making new connections. The diverse group of attendees represented several companies across various industries and top global and regional law firms. We are grateful for the participation of many companies, including the following non-exhaustive list, encompassing a broad range of industries:

  • AIG
  • Bloomberg
  • Christian Dior Couture
  • Con Ed
  • JPMorgan Chase
  • Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corp.
  • Morgan Stanley
  • Neuberger Berman
  • Pfizer
  • Sanofi
  • Taco Bell
  • Televisa/Univision
  • The Walt Disney Co.
  • Tiffany & Co.
  • Zurich American Insurance Co.

The event began at 6:30 pm. Guests enjoyed an array of hors d’oeuvres, drinks, wines, and cocktails, accompanied by engaging conversations. Discussions at the soiree covered a wide range of topics, from potential referrals and collaborations to personal interests and hobbies. About an hour into the event,  AABANY’s In-House Counsel Committee Co-Chairs Anushree Bagrodia, David Sohn, and Kazuko Wachter, gave welcoming remarks and spoke about the work of the In-House Counsel Committee and AABANY to advance the legal profession and the AAPI community. Dennis Hopkins, Partner at Perkins Coie, a Platinum sponsor of the Winter Soiree, also addressed the crowd and spoke about the firm’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and the long relationship Perkins Coie has had over the years with AABANY. 

AABANY thanks all the Winter Soiree sponsors for helping to make the event possible:

Platinum

  • Broadridge 
  • Perkins Coie

Gold

  • Baker & McKenzie LLP
  • Davis + Gilbert LLP
  • Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP
  • Haynes and Boone LLP
  • Jenner & Block LLP
  • Littler Mendelson P.C.
  • Milbank LLP
  • Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
  • Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
  • Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP

Silver

  • Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
  • Groombridge, Wu, Baughman & Stone LLP
  • Herrick Feinstein LLP
  • Linklaters LLP
  • Rupp Pfalzgraf LLP
  • Wilson & Chan LLP

AABANY also thanks our 2023 Annual Dinner sponsors that make our year-round programming, including marquee events like the Winter Soiree, possible. For a full listing of all our 2023 Annual Dinner sponsors, go here.

We also appreciate the efforts of the Corporate Law Committee’s Co-Chairs Tracy Feng, Alice Hsu, Edward J. Lee, Vice Chair Ashley Wong, and the student volunteers for their invaluable assistance in helping us before and at the soiree.

Thanks to all who attended, and we hope to see you at next year’s Winter Soiree. To see more photos from the event, go to https://photos.app.goo.gl/UvrKhxuNYV4rE1aj8.

For more information about the In-House Counsel Committee, please visit https://www.aabany.org/page/149. For more information about the Corporate Law Committee, please see https://www.aabany.org/page/128.

In-House Counsel Committee Hosts Winter Soiree to Network over Wine and Trivia

On Wednesday, January 26th, AABANY held a virtual Winter Soiree featuring a lively sommelier-led wine tasting and trivia games. Organized by the In-House Counsel Committee, the event brought together more than 50 senior in-house lawyers and corporate law firm attorneys. Companies represented included Mastercard, MetLife, Google, and Goldman Sachs. Attendees streamed in from a variety of locations across the United States, from California to New York.

The evening was full of fun, excitement, and laughter as Brooklyn Winery guided attendees through a Chardonnay and Cuvée Noir tasting. Attendees received tasting kits ahead of the event, which included bottles of wine, a bottle opener, tasting glasses, “make your own wine label cards” and virtual wine games instructions. There were two rounds of trivia, the first focusing on wine and winemaking, the second on wine and pop trivia. Attendees also mingled in breakout sessions after each round to get to know each better or to catch up.

Susie Dare from Marsh & McLennan won the trivia games and was gifted a tasting kit from Brooklyn Winery – congratulations, Susie!

Social media post by attendee featuring wines tasted and activity sheet.

The event was made possible by our headline sponsors:

We would also like to thank our sponsors 

Thank you to all our attendees, and we hope to see everyone again at next year’s soiree (which we hope will be in person). To learn more about the In-House Counsel Committee go to: https://www.aabany.org/page/149