Profi les: NAPABA’S BEST LAWYERS UNDER FORTY Byung
“BJay” Pak
BYUNG “BJAY” PAK is a partner in the white-collar defense group of Schiff Hardin LLP. As a CPA and former assistant U.S. attor- ney, he specializes in handling complex fi nancial cases, internal investigations, and high-stakes litigation. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Illinois College of Law and was inducted to the Order of the Coif. Pak serves as a state represen- tative in the Georgia House of
Representatives. He is the fi rst Korean-American elected to the General Assembly in Georgia’s history. He is married to Sandra Pak, an attorney, and is the proud father of two young daughters and a baby that is due in the spring of 2012.
Proloy K. Das
PROLOY K. DAS is a part- ner at Rome McGuigan, P.C. in Hartford, Connecticut, where he practices specialized litigation and appeals,
representing corporations, associations, private individu- als, and governmental institu- tions. He has argued over 50 appeals before the Connecticut Supreme and Appellate Courts and has advanced several new legal doctrines in a multitude of areas ranging from large-scale tort and contract actions to felony prosecutions and grand jury investigations. His practice includes declaratory judgments, injunctive relief petitions, and extraordinary writs seeking to resolve disputes over interpreta- tions of statutes, regulations, and contracts. Attorney Das was the fi rst assistant state’s attorney of South Asian descent appointed in Connecticut. He received his undergraduate degree from Boston College and his law degree from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law.
Pauline Yeung-Ha
PAULINE YEUNG-HA is a partner at Grimaldi & Yeung LLP concentrating in estate planning, elder law, and special needs planning. Yeung-Ha serves as 2nd District Delegate and vice-chair of the Trusts and Estates Administration Committee in the elder law section of the New York State Bar Association. She is chair of the Small Practice and Solo Firm Committee of the Asian American Bar Association of
New York and is a board member and counsel for the Chinese American Alzheimer’s Coalition of New York City. Yeung-Ha is fl uent in Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese. She graduated from Vassar College and St. John’s University School of Law, and is admitted to practice in both New York and New Jersey.
Kay K. Wakatake
MAJOR KAY WAKATAKE begins work this January at the Pentagon as the JAG Corps’ Budget Offi cer. She received a B.A. from the University of
Notre Dame, J.D. from Pepperdine University, and L.L.M. from the JAG Legal Center and School. Major Wakatake was a prosecu- tor in Korea, then the Chief of Legal Assistance at Ft. Lewis, Washington. Her offi ce received the coveted Army Chief of Staff Award for Excellence. Later she ran the Army’s largest law center in Europe, receiving awards for excellence in legal assistance and claims service. In 2010 she deployed to Iraq and directed her brigade’s rule of law opera- tions. Major Wakatake is the fi rst female and the youngest person on the Executive Committee of the Japanese American Veterans Association. In 2007 she was appointed to the ABA Standing Committee on Armed Forces Law, and she is Co-Chair of NAPABA’s Military and Veterans Affairs Committee.
Vivian Lee Thoreen
VIVIAN LEE THOREEN is a litigator, partner, and experienced trial attor- ney whose practice—both in Superior Court and in the California Courts of Appeal—
focuses on complex trust, estate, conservatorship, and guardianship matters. She represents individuals, families, charities, and fi nancial institutions in cases including will and trust disputes, contested con- servatorships and guardianships, breach of fi duciary duty matters, and elder abuse matters. Whether the matters can be resolved by mediation or require trial, Thoreen’s clients benefi t from her deep personal commitment and nuanced grasp of law and often byzantine facts. An active member of the community, she serves on the board of governors of the Korean American Bar Association and the board of directors of the Los Angeles County Bar Foundation. She has the ongo- ing pleasure to provide pro bono services through her relationships with Public Counsel and the Alliance for Children’s Rights.
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2012 DIVERSITY & THE BAR®
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