BASF member David Tsai, Vinson & Elkins, serves as the 42nd President of the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area (AABA) and recently presided over the organization’s annual gala. At the gala, the  AABA celebrated meeting its 20×20 challenge, set forth in 2015, to place 20 Asian-American General Counsel at Fortune 500 companies by 2020.

BASF member Paul Henderson was unanimously confirmed as Director of the Department of Police Accountability (DPA) by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors on March 20, 2018. Henderson has been serving as Interim Director in this role since July 2017 and was appointed by Mayor Mark Farrell. Prior to his appointment, Henderson served as Deputy Chief of Staff and Public Safety Liaison for Mayor Ed Lee.

The following BASF members were recognized by the Daily Journal with California Lawyer of the Year (CLAY) Awards in specific categories:

Consumer Protection: Elizabeth Cabraser, Kevin Budner, Wilson Dunlavey, and Phong-Chau Nguyen, of Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein; Disability Rights: Lisa Ells, Michael Nunez, and Andrew Spore, all of Rosen Bien Galvan & Grunfeld; Immigration: Cody Harris and Daniel Purcell of Keker, Van Nest & Peters; Municipal Law: Brian Goldman, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe.

BASF Board Member Lisa Mak, Minami Tamaki, was honored with the Asian American Bar Association’s Joe Morozumi Award for Exceptional Legal Advocacy for her advocacy on behalf of employees, including a $3.5 million verdict in 2016 on behalf of four female Sacramento Sheriff’s Department officers, and her commitment to serving the community.

Joe Morozumi was one of the first Asian American trial lawyers in the Bay Area and a role model of zealous advocacy for the poor and the powerless. In 1997, the Morozumi Award was established to recognize Asian American attorneys who exemplify his spirit of uncompromising legal advocacy in matters of conscience.

Managing Intellectual Property recognized BASF Leader Circle firm Fenwick & West with several honors at its 2018 Americas IP Awards. The awards are presented to firms, individuals and companies behind the most innovative and challenging IP work of the past year, as well as those driving the international IP market. Fenwick was named U.S. Patent Prosecution Firm of the Year; U.S. Transactional Firm of the Year; and Patent Prosecution: West Firm of the Year

BASF Leader Circle firm Vinson & Elkins was recognized in Lex Machina’s recently released Patent Litigation Year in Review 2017 as one of the top national law firms for representing defendants, by cases filed in 2017.

David W. Fermino, Kasowitz Benson Torres, began his tenure as Chair of the Judicial Nominee Evaluation (JNE) Commission for the State Bar of California in April. He has been a member of the commission since 2014 and served as JNE Vice Chair in 2017.