NAPABA’S BEST LAWYERS UNDER
40 For Jason Leung, Ridout & Maybee LLP in
Toronto, Canada, a foundation for support was not always there, so he helped build one. Leung is a founding member and past president of the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers (FACL), NAPABA’s only Canadian affi liate. “Since FACL was founded in 2007, its membership has grown to almost 250, and it has established itself as a strong public advocate for the Asian Canadian community,” says Leung, who is also the fi rst Canadian lawyer to serve on the NAPABA Board of Governors.
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WORDS OF ADVICE BU40 honorees did not get to where they are in their careers by doing it alone. Most credit a network of peers and mentors who have pushed and encouraged them to take risks. Although the idea of having a mentor seems customary or even expected, fi nding one is not always easy. “Don’t be afraid to seek out a mentor,” says Ho, a child of immigrant parents who could not always help her navigate her academic and career paths. “I had to seek out my own mentors and had to build the confi dence to do just that.” Building a network of
“ DON’T BE AFRAID TO SEEK OUT A MENTOR. I HAD TO SEEK OUT MY OWN MENTORS AND HAD TO BUILD THE CONFIDENCE TO DO JUST THAT.” —Melissa Ho
mentors is only one of the several ways BU40 honorees have succeeded. But what also makes a successful BU40 candidate is his/her ability to stand out, and for James Derry, associate general counsel and chief IP offi cer at Arbitron, Inc., that meant being authentic. “It is very easy to try and mold your attitude and personality to conform with your work environment,” Derry says. “I’m not suggesting that one act in an unprofessional manner, but you have to be
‘true’ to yourself and stand by what you believe in, not what others tell you to believe in.” Anyone can attest that being the best is hard
work. But hours at the offi ce and with clients really do not matter if there is no balance between the professional and personal. “Work your tail off when you are at the offi ce, but try your best to get back home and have dinner with your family as
DIVERSITY & THE BAR® JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013
PROFILES
often as possible. T e work will always be there, but your kids won’t always be kids,” says Leung.
REACHING MONUMENTAL HEIGHTS T e NAPABA BU40 Award aims to highlight the careers of rising APA lawyers. Past honorees have gone on to establish incredible careers. T is year’s class joins a distinguished group of past BU40 honorees that include Honorable Jacqueline H. Nguyen of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the fi rst Vietnamese American federal judge and fi rst APA woman federal appellate judge; and Frank Wu, current dean of the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, the fi rst APA to teach at Howard University Law School, and the fi rst APA dean of Wayne State University Law School. T ere is no doubt that this year’s class will
follow in the footsteps of their predecessors and blaze trails for those to come. It will be interest- ing to see what these young lawyers have in store in their prospering careers. NAPABA congratu- lates the 2012 class of BU40 as they continue to move mountains, break barriers, and reach monumental heights.
HANASONO MARK
MARK HANASONO is a senior trial attorney and team leader for the Los Angeles County Alternate Public Defender offi ce. He represents indigent clients in felony cases, including capital murder, and supervises a team of attorneys in APD’s central
offi ce. Hanasono was also a deputy public defender for the Los Angeles County Public Defender. Over his career, Hanasono has tried 85 jury trials. He was a law clerk for District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Stephanie Duncan Peters, and an extern for U.S. District Judge Robert Takasugi. Mark serves as secretary for the Japanese American Bar Association, and was appointed to the State Bar Criminal Law Section Executive Committee. He graduated from Georgetown University Law Center, and summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from University of California Berkeley.
MCCA.COM
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