Haynes and Boone, LLP Partner Albert Tan was recently a speaker at two events relating to his Asian American legal community leadership.
On March 23, Tan served as the keynote speaker at the 2017 Annual Banquet for the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA) at Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law. In his speech, Tan shared his background and experience attending SMU for law school; his career as a lawyer at Haynes and Boone, including serving on the firm’s Board of Directors and leading efforts to open the firm’s first Asia office in Shanghai; and advice to students and young lawyers on promoting diversity and being leaders in their profession and community.
APALSA represents the interests of Asian Pacific American law students and provides advocacy, support, and career development opportunities for its members throughout the United States. Tan was a founding member of APALSA when he attended SMU, and served a one-year term as the organization’s president in 1992. He was also recognized by APALSA in 2009 with its Outstanding Attorney Achievement Award.
On April 6, Tan was also a speaker at the 22nd Annual Asian Pacific Interest Section (APIS) Conference held in conjunction with the National Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) Southwest Regional Conference in Austin, Texas. The event aims to bring together Asian Pacific American (APA) attorneys in the US Southwest region to network, develop leadership skills, share best practices and discuss diversity and inclusion initiatives that impact APAs in the legal profession.
As a member of the APIS advisory council, Tan served as a moderator for a “fireside chat” panel of in-house counsel and big-law practitioners who discussed the significance of diversity in the industry and provided advice on pursuing partnership and building a successful practice as a minority attorney. In 2015, APIS presented Tan with its highest honor, the Justice Wellington Chew Award, a distinction reserved for a lawyer who has paved the way for the advancement of other Asian Pacific American attorneys and made lasting contributions to the APA legal profession and community. Award recipients demonstrate vision, courage and tenacity in their practice, and are recognized for their outstanding professional achievements and leadership.
At the firm, in addition to serving on the firm’s Board of Directors, Tan co-chairs the Global Capital Commitment Financing Practice Group and the International Practice Group. He also previously served as co-chair of the firm’s Attorney Diversity and Inclusion Committee (ADIC). In his practice, Tan represents investment and commercial banks in connection with bank financings for private equity funds in Asia, Europe, Latin America and North America. He also counsels U.S. and Chinese corporations on foreign direct investment projects in China and the United States.