Speakers

 Michelle Thompson is the CEO of Resistant Vision Coaching and Consulting. She works with women in big law firms who work 70-90 hours per week to increase pleasure, improve health, and reengage in their communities for well-being. Her approach is based on the belief that if you can’t figure out how to dial into what you enjoy, you will develop stress-related medical problems and be one of those miserable lawyers who are disconnected from the people you love and cherish. With almost 3 decades in law and academia and over 5 years of experience as a professional coach, Michelle helps her clients achieve professional sanity with a variety of embodied techniques that combine left and right brain strategies, from emotional freedom techniques (tapping) to strategic planning.

https://resistantvision.com/

Jaimie L. Nawaday is the Head of Seward & Kissel’s Government Enforcement and Internal Investigations Practice and a partner in the Litigation and Investigations Group. Prior to joining the Firm, Jaimie was chair of the White Collar, Investigations and Compliance practice group at another New York City law firm. Jaimie leverages years of public and private sector experience to provide strategic advice to companies and executives in sensitive government investigations and regulatory matters. She advises public and private companies, boards of directors, and senior executives in federal criminal and civil cases involving financial fraud, securities fraud, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, campaign finance violations, the False Claims Act, asset forfeiture, and Bank Secrecy Act and AML issues. She has obtained written declinations of all charges from DOJ and the SEC, even in cases in which DOJ has executed search warrants. Jaimie also conducts internal investigations for companies and advises on crisis response and media relations, and appears on CNN, MSNBC, and other networks to explain and comment on developing issues in federal criminal law.

As an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York (SDNY) for seven years, Jaimie served in both the Criminal and Civil Divisions and successfully led both civil and criminal jury trials. Jaimie’s broad experience in handling large, complex cases on both the civil and criminal sides gives her a unique perspective in guiding clients through parallel government investigations and defending high stakes litigation.

As a member of the Civil Division’s Civil Fraud Unit, Jaimie spearheaded groundbreaking fraud cases, notably, the Bank of America fraud trial, the first case the Department of Justice tried under FIRREA and the first trial by the Department of Justice against a major financial institution in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. In 2015, Jaimie received the Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award in connection with negotiating a global settlement of federal and state civil fraud actions.

As a criminal prosecutor, Jaimie served as co-lead trial counsel in a month-long RICO conspiracy trial that involved securities and health care fraud and money-laundering schemes, and was co-lead trial counsel in a civil asset forfeiture trial—the first such case that the government tried in more than seven years. Jaimie was also a member of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Forfeiture Unit, where she investigated and prosecuted international money laundering, Bank Secrecy Act and asset forfeiture matters.

Jaimie clerked for the late Honorable M. Blane Michael, United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Charleston, West Virginia.

Jaimie is a member of the Women’s White Collar Defense Association and a board member of Beat the Streets, a nonprofit that furthers wrestling opportunities for all children in NYC and advocates for the growth of girls’ wrestling.

Anden Chow is a former federal prosecutor who assists companies and individuals in complex domestic and cross-border criminal, regulatory, and asset forfeiture investigations. He advises on U.S. economic sanctions, anti-money laundering (AML) regulations, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), cryptocurrency issues, and asset tracing. He also represents clients in high-stakes civil litigation.  

Over nearly a decade as an Assistant United States Attorney in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, Mr. Chow investigated, litigated, and resolved federal matters ranging from: a wide variety of fraud; international financial transactions, including sanctions evasion, FCPA violations, money laundering through both traditional and cryptocurrency platforms; to other federal criminal matters including trade secrets theft, racketeering, extortion, international narcotics trafficking, and murder. During his time as a federal prosecutor, Mr. Chow tried more than ten cases to verdict, and he briefed and argued multiple appeals before the Second Circuit.

Prior to his work for the Department of Justice, Mr. Chow was an associate with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. He served as a law clerk to the Honorable Stephen A. Higginson of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the Honorable Lance M. Africk of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

Dr. Nguyen is the Chair of Pediatrics at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC)
and an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She
practices integrative medicine, a whole-person approach to healing, incorporating all
aspects of lifestyle (mind-body-spirit, nutrition, sleep) in partnership with her patients and families. She is passionate about integrative mental and physical wellbeing for her patients, their families, and her physician colleagues.

As a co-chair of the Mental Health Committee of the Maryland Chapter of the American
Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), she is the Maryland AAP Ambassador for Youth Suicide
Prevention and Trauma-Informed Care. She serves as faculty of the AAP Anxiety and
Depression ECHO, educating pediatricians on pediatric mental health. She also co-
chairs the AAP Section on Integrative Medicine Education Subcommittee. Dr. Nguyen is the founding chair of the GBMC Medical Staff Wellness Committee. She volunteers with the Walk with a Doc program through Baltimore’s Backyard Basecamp.

She helps parents find joy and thrive in their parenting journey through her biweekly
Practical Parenting Podcast. She provides private coaching to parents as they transition
and launch their young adults into adulthood (Resilientmd.org). She has published two
TEDx talks; “Why Young Adults Don’t Need Your Advice” was a TEDx Eitor’s Pick. Dr.
Nguyen’s pediatric and wellness expertise has been featured on local and national
television and print media (CNN, NBC Nightly News, NPR, WBFF Fox 45, Baltimore
Sun). She has been recognized as a Baltimore Magazine Top Doctor, GBMC Women of
Impact Leadership Award and Maryland’s Top 100 Women Award.

Dr. Nguyen graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a degree in biomedical
engineering. She received her medical degree and master’s degree in health policy
from New York University. Dr. Nguyen completed her pediatric residency and Robert
Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars fellowship at Johns Hopkins University. She trained in
Integrative Medicine at the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona. Dr. Nguyen is an innovative physician leader with skills in integrative wellbeing, health policy and civic engagement. She enjoys yoga, trail walking, flower arranging, creating art, reading, playing and eating in community.

https://www.resilientmd.org

Gavin Alexander is an experienced and passionate advocate and thought leader in the areas of mental health, well-being, and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the legal profession and beyond. He is a licensed attorney and Certified Corporate Wellness Specialist, and he currently serves as the Well-Being Director of Jackson Lewis P.C., a law firm with over 1,000 attorneys and 60 offices across the United States. Before joining the firm, Gavin served as the first-ever Fellow of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) Standing Committee on Lawyer Well-Being. Gavin shared his own personal experiences with depression and near-death by suicide in the Boston College Law Review, Thomson Reuters Practical Law, and the ABA’s Law Practice Today, and he most recently authored “Influencing Lawyer Well-Being with Collaborative Clarity,” for PLI Chronicle. He regularly speaks at law firms, law schools, conferences, courts, bar associations, and other institutions.

Gavin graduated from Harvard Law School magna cum laude in 2012. After law school, Gavin clerked for Justice Ralph D. Gants at the Massachusetts SJC, and from 2013-2020, Gavin practiced as an associate in the corporate department of a global law firm.

Gavin was appointed by Governor Maura Healey in 2023 to serve on the Massachusetts Judicial Nominating Commission, and he also presently serves as a member of the Massachusetts SJC Standing Committee on Lawyer Well-Being, the ABA Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs DEI Committee, the Institute for Well-Being in Law DEI Committee, the Boston Bar Association DEI Section Steering Committee, the Board of Pride in Our Workplace, and the Advisory Committee of the Chief Justice Ralph Gants Fund for Racial Equity and Access to Justice. Gavin previously served as Co-Chair of the Massachusetts LGBTQ Bar Association, and on the Boards of The National LGBTQ+ Bar Association, Lawyers Depression Project, and Leadership Brainery.

Gavin was named one of the “Best LGBTQ Attorneys Under 40” by The National LGBTQ+ Bar Association in 2017, selected as one of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly’s 25 “Up & Coming Lawyers” for 2019, featured on the Massachusetts Super Lawyers “Rising Stars” list for 2018-2020, and inducted as a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation in 2020. In 2021, he received the Massachusetts Association of Hispanic Attorneys’ Leadership Award, and in 2022, he received the Kevin Larkin Memorial Award for Public Service from the Massachusetts LGBTQ Bar Association.

Tanya A. Bovée is a principal in the Hartford, Connecticut, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. Tanya is an experienced employment attorney with over 20 years of advising employers across a wide range of industries, including life sciences, retail, automotive, manufacturing, and hospitality.

Tanya is adept at navigating complex employment laws, ensuring multi-state compliance, conducting comprehensive training sessions for executives, management and employees, and defending clients in federal and state courts and state agencies. She is recognized for her practical, goal-oriented approaches to resolving employment law issues and enhancing organizational compliance and risk management.

Tanya has a proven track record in providing advice and strategy for diversity, equity, and inclusion risk assessment and compliance.

Additionally, Tanya has been a board member of the Connecticut Asian Pacific American Bar Association for over 20 years and has served as its president twice.

Pema Sherpa is a speaker, meditation teacher and the co-author of The Daily Buddhist. Born and raised in Nepal, Pema has been training in mindfulness principles for over two decades.  Her intellectual exploration of mindfulness shaped her academic journey of studying psychology and philosophy and achieving a Master’s degree from Harvard University. Her work at Harvard revolved around studying the effect of practical mindful thoughts and actions in sharpening clarity and focus. Focusing on the benefit of mindfulness in helping employees peak their wellbeing, performance, creativity and inclusion in the workplace, she founded Pema Solutions. She combines her background in psychology and philosophy to provide mindfulness informed performance, wellbeing and bias training to corporations.

Website: https://thepemasolution.com/about-pema/

Ben Hsing is a highly skilled trial lawyer renowned for his experience in patent litigation spanning diverse technological domains, including biopharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals, medical devices, and memory chips. With a proven track record of delivering favorable outcomes for prominent pharmaceutical, chemical, and technology firms in a multitude of high-profile cases, Ben excels in navigating complex legal landscapes. Furthermore, Ben has led teams in post-grant contested proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), showcasing his ability to advocate effectively in administrative proceedings.

Beyond his litigation practice, Ben provides strategic counsel to clients on matters pertaining to generative artificial intelligence, leveraging his deep understanding of emerging technologies. Moreover, Ben conducts comprehensive intellectual property due diligence investigations to facilitate seamless acquisitions and licensing deals, ensuring clients make informed decisions in today’s dynamic market. With a commitment to excellence and a passion for innovation, Ben consistently delivers tailored legal solutions that drive success for his clients.

Vivia Chen now writes the Ex-Careerist column on Substack. Previously, she wrote Bloomberg Law’s “Unfiltered” column. And before that, she authored the Careerist column at The American Lawyer.

She writes about the collision of work and life, often focusing on gender, race, and mental health issues. Her writing is incisive, snappy and often irreverent. Readers have described Vivia’s writing as “honest,”“infuriating,” and “fabulously grumpy.”

Vivia’s opinion writing has won accolades from the Jesse H. Neal Awards, The Society of American Business Editors and Writers (SABEW), The American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE), and the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ).

Vivia frequently speaks at law firms, corporations, law schools, and professional organizations.

Born in Taiwan, Vivia immigrated to the U.S. at the age of six. Raised in Houston, she graduated from Williams College and New York University School of Law.

Karen Kim is Senior Counsel at QBE North America, part of QBE Insurance Group Limited, an international insurer and reinsurer headquartered in Sydney, Australia. Karen is part of the Business Unit Support legal team of QBE North America, headquartered in New York, and counsels the programs business and loss control on a variety of legal, regulatory, and underwriting compliance issues. She is a member of the QBE Women’s Initiative Network (WIN) Business Resource Group and previously oversaw the QBE Legal Summer Internship Program.

Karen first became active with the Asian American Bar Association (AABANY) in 2012, as co-chair of AABANY’s Litigation Committee. She helped organize AABANY’s first Trial Advocacy Program (TAP), served as Recording Secretary, and participated and volunteered in various AABANY programs and events, such as the Mentorship Program and Fall Conference.

Karen is also a former President of AABANY. During her term, her focus was on prioritizing wellness and well-being in the legal profession. She created annual wellness-focused events, including Wellness Day and the Pre-Holiday Multi-Association Gathering.

She was also active with the Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York (KALAGNY), where she held a variety of leadership roles, including chair of the Women’s Committee, Treasurer, VP of Membership and President.

Karen served on the New York County Democratic Committee’s Supreme Court Independent Judicial Screening Panel. In addition, she was an active member of the International Association of Korean Lawyers (IAKL), where she served as Northeast Regional Governor, and she was a member of the Minorities in The Profession Committee with the New York City Bar Association of New York. Karen also served on the Committee on Character and Fitness for the Second Judicial Department.

Karen obtained her B.A. with Honors from The University of Chicago and J.D. from Brooklyn Law School. She received the Queens Woman in Business Award from the Star Network, the Distinguished Alumni Award from Brooklyn Law School’s Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, and the Cornerstone Award from Lawyers Alliance for New York, for her pro bono work.