Lewis Brisbois Celebrates Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month

(May 2022) - As Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month begins, Lewis Brisbois looks forward to celebrating the culture and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans who have enriched our country’s history and who are integral to its success. Throughout the month of May, our Asian American and Pacific Islander American colleagues across the firm will be sharing their diverse experiences and perspectives in a series of spotlight posts.

We begin this series with a message from Co-Chairs of our Asian Pacific American Affinity Group, Los Angeles Partners Josephine Brosas and William "Billy" Sung, regarding Asian Pacific American leaders who have endured challenges to break institutional barriers throughout all levels of the legal profession. 

Learn more about diversity, equity, and inclusion at Lewis Brisbois here.

The first contribution in our AAPI Heritage Month spotlight series comes from Los Angeles Partner Billy Sung, who describes the importance of having a balanced legal career, which includes dedication to one’s clients, the firm, the community at large, and the legal profession. 

Billy is national co-chair of the Wage & Hour Class Action Practice, specializing in the defense of complex wage and hour class and PAGA representative actions in federal and state court. Learn more about his professional background here.

The next contribution in our AAPI Heritage Month spotlight series comes from Dallas Associate Christine Chasse, who describes her challenges in connecting with AAPI mentors after leaving the nursing profession to attend law school. Christine also expresses her gratitude for the members of the Dallas Asian American Bar Association, who have mentored and motivated her in her legal career.

Learn more about Christine’s professional background here.

As our AAPI Heritage Month spotlight series continues, we hear from Atlanta Associate Chae Mims, who discusses the privileges and challenges associated with living most of her life away from her motherland. She describes how an AAPI politician, along with other mentors, helped her develop confidence and her own identity. 

Chae is a member of Lewis Brisbois' Products Liability Practice and works with the firm’s Korean Business & Litigation Practice. She has delivered presentations on products liability and civil procedure in Seoul, South Korea. Learn more about Chae's professional experience here.

The next contribution in our AAPI spotlight series comes from Sacramento Partner John P. Yung, who shares the inspiring story of his grandmother and mentor who became one of the first licensed acupuncturists in California after immigrating to the United States. John describes his desire to mentor others in his legal practice and personal life, so that he may help move the needle forward, as his grandmother did, for future generations.

John is a member of Lewis Brisbois’ Corporate Practice and co-chair of the firm’s China Practice. He focuses on corporate, securities, and international business matters, with particular emphasis on assisting Chinese companies in accessing the U.S. capital markets. With more than a decade of experience in representing publicly-traded and private companies, John has handled a wide variety of financing transactions. He is also an executive director for the CalAsian, the largest statewide ethnic chamber in California.

Learn more about John's professional experience here.

As we move into the second half of AAPI Heritage Month, we hear from Los Angeles Associate Karyn Ihara, who describes how she views her mentors as role models and friends. Similarly, she notes that she learns important lessons from both her mentors as well as her mentees.

Karyn is a member of Lewis Brisbois’ Products Liability Practice and the Japan Practice Group. She focuses primarily on defending automotive companies in consumer actions in federal and state courts, as well as arbitration. Learn more about Karyn’s professional background here.

The next contribution in our AAPI Heritage Month spotlight series comes from Sacramento Partner Shane Singh, who describes how one of his first jobs driving a senior attorney to court and client meetings ultimately led to a meaningful mentor-mentee relationship that shaped his career. Shane also notes the difficulty in finding AAPI mentors in the legal community and explains the many ways in which he has endeavored to "pay it forward."

Shane is a member of Lewis Brisbois’ Labor & Employment and ADA Compliance & Defense Practices. He represents national retailers, local businesses, and emerging companies in a variety of matters, including disability discrimination, employment disputes, business litigation, real estate issues, and personal injury claims. Learn more about Shane’s professional background here.

As our AAPI Heritage Month spotlight series continues, we hear from Los Angeles Associate Jeck Dizon, who describes the importance of mentorship within Philippine culture. He also discusses how he learned from mentors at Lewis Brisbois when he worked as a docket clerk at the firm while simultaneously attending law school.

Jeck is a member of Lewis Brisbois’ Products Liability Practice where he focuses primarily on consumer warranty matters. Outside of his practice, he is an active member of the Philippine American Bar Association. Learn more about Jeck’s professional background here.

Next, in our Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month spotlight series, we hear from San Bernardino Associate Jennifer Hsu, who discusses how mentors within her family and at Lewis Brisbois have helped her to develop her own unique identity and professional abilities. In addition, she describes her desire for her children to connect with mentors who can similarly help guide them on their journeys.

Jennifer is a member of Lewis Brisbois' Healthcare Practice. She has significant experience representing hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare and long-term care professionals and organizations in all phases of civil litigation and appeals. Learn more about her professional background here. 

In our final Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month spotlight, we hear from Seattle Partner Jean Kang, who discusses the struggle of wanting to embrace one's ethnicity and be heard while finding one's place in a challenging profession. She also explains the importance of a strong mentor and maintaining a pipeline of diverse attorneys.

Jean is a member of Lewis Brisbois’ Products Liability, Toxic Tort Litigation, and General Liability Practices. She counsels companies in matters involving general product liability, wrongful death/personal injury, complex business, and commercial litigation. In addition, Jean represents a variety of manufacturers and other defendants in asbestos and toxic tort litigation. Learn more about her professional background here.

We close our celebration of this year's Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month with a message from our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee.