The Asian Australian Lawyers Association is proud to officially launch our Queensland branch. 

Our patron, the Honourable Michael Kirby, flew into Brisbane last evening to deliver a keynote speech and ring in this new chapter for our organisation. Our launch was hosted by our national sponsor, Baker McKenzie, who put on a sensational event for us. 

Partner Aleisa Crepin opened the proceedings and celebrated the longstanding partnership between Baker McKenzie and AALA.

Our hosts for the evening, the Baker McKenzie team with Mr Kirby:

As part of our launch, we also held a panel session that discussed Asian Australian leadership in the Australian legal industry - what it looks like and, perhaps, what it could look like. Our panel comprised:

• Laina Chan  |  Barrister and Director of the Society of Construction Law Australia (SoCLA);
• Associate Professor Ann Black  |  Expert in the legal cultures of Asia at UQ and co-author of Law and Legal Institutions of Asia: Traditions, adaptations and innovations (Cambridge University Press 2011); and
• Nicholas Ng  |  President of the Queensland Branch of the AALA, Partner at Allens, and Board member of the Infrastructure Association of Queensland.
  

The panel was joined by Mr Kirby (who provided incredible commentary and responses to the reflections of our panel speakers), and was chaired by our National President, Tuanh Nguyen (Director, PwC).

We'd also like to introduce the committee for our Queensland Branch: (left to right) Tuck Chung (Baker McKenzie), Stephanie Tang (Allens), Leila Galung, Anand Shah, Nicholas Ng (Qld President and Partner, Allens), Catherine Chiang (Qld Secretary) and Brydon Wang (AALA National ExCo Member).

Thanks again to our national sponsor, Baker McKenzie.

We'd also like to thank our event sponsor, Leo Cussen: