Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month: The Great Shift: Lawyers Who Pivoted into Business Roles
To commemorate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Blank Rome LLP is proud to host a timely discussion among business, legal, and social justice thought leaders about the skills needed to excel in the legal and business industry, the evolution of legal and business roles, and how their ethnicities have shaped their professional experiences. Our esteemed panelists will generously share their expertise, observations, and strategies for creating versatile career paths and gaining the necessary skills to trailblaze career-pivoting decisions.
MODERATOR
- Diana M. Eng, Partner, Blank Rome LLP
PANELISTS
- Bonnie Chong, Chief Executive Officer, Anthony & Sylvan Pools
- Michael B. Chaisanguanthum, Managing Director, Credit Suisse Asset Management
- Vanessa Chandis, VP, Business & Legal Affairs, NBCUniversal Content Distribution
About the Speakers:
Bonnie Chong serves as Anthony & Sylvan Pools’ president & CEO and as a member of the company’s board of directors. Operating in more than 15 states, Anthony & Sylvan Pools is the largest single pool builder, renovator, and servicer in the United States. Bonnie began her career in private practice before going in-house in the oil and gas, then medical devices and safety equipment industries. She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and the George Washington University Law School.
Michael Chaisanguanthum joined Credit Suisse in 2007 and is the head of restructuring, focusing on workouts, restructurings, and stressed and distressed credits. Prior to joining Credit Suisse, he was an associate with Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. Michael holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley, and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.
Vanessa Chandis is lead legal counsel for the distribution of NBCU’s content with several key cable and telco partners as well as vMVPDs. She negotiates, drafts, analyzes, and enforces agreements for the distribution of NBCU’s diverse portfolio of NBC and Telemundo broadcast stations, cable networks, regional sports networks, and the Olympics, as well as NBCU’s Peacock app on connected-TV devices and smart TVs. Prior to joining NBCU, Vanessa was an Associate at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. She earned a degree in political science from Brown University and her JD and Master’s in Bioethics from the University of Pennsylvania.
Moderator:
Diana Eng concentrates her practice in consumer financial services litigation representing mortgage loan servicers, lenders, and debt collectors in all aspects of litigation and disputes, as well as appeals and contested bankruptcy matters, across multiple jurisdictions. She received her BA from Barnard College, summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, and her JD from Columbia Law School.
Contact Evan Richard if you have questions about the event.