News Releases

Schiff Hardin LLP Hosts Opening Reception for the North American South Asian Bar Association's Fifth Annual Convention

June 27, 2008

On Thursday, June 26, Schiff Hardin hosted the opening reception for the North American South Asian Bar Association's (NASABA) Fifth Annual Convention, aptly themed "Reaching New Heights," at the Metropolitan Club in the Sears Tower, Chicago. The event was attended by over 200 attorneys and featured guest speaker Jay Lazar, U.S. General Counsel for Arcelor Mittal Steel, which is the largest steel company in the world. A number of awards were presented including the Enterprise Award to the General Electric Company, Public Service Achievement Award to Hate Free Zone and Cornerstone Awards to Judges Rena Van Tine and Sanjay Tailor.

NASABA will hold their Fifth Annual Convention from June 26-29. NASABA is the national association of South Asian attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students, providing a national network for its members and affiliates. NASABA advocates for the legal needs and interests of the South Asian community and represents the interests of over 24 local South Asian bar associations, including local South Asian bar chapters in Ottawa, Vancouver and Toronto, with a variety of attorneys practicing in solo practices to large firms, corporations, legal services organizations, non-profit organizations, law schools, and governmental agencies.

Sailesh K. Patel, a partner in Schiff Hardin's Intellectual Property Group, is a member of NASABA's Board of Directors and is Chairman of NASABA's Intellectual Property Section.

Since its inception in 2003, NASABA has been advocating on behalf of the South Asian community in national and local activities in the areas of domestic surveillance, immigration, hate crimes and racial profiling. NASABA also monitors legislative developments and judicial appointments, promotes South Asian political leadership and builds coalitions within the legal profession and the community at large.