AABANY Releases Second Report on Increased Anti-Asian Violence at Paul, Weiss-Hosted Press Conference

Paul, Weiss hosted a press conference with the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) to release the findings of AABANY’s second report on increased anti-Asian violence in New York City, updating its groundbreaking initial report in February 2021.

Paul, Weiss partner Loretta Lynch spoke about the urgent need to address anti-Asian violence. In addition to AABANY’s leadership and executive editors of the report, State Sen. John Liu, State Assemblyperson Ron Kim, City Councilperson Sandra Ung and Anti-Defamation League Regional Director Scott Richman delivered remarks.

During the press conference, Paul, Weiss client Eva Zhao, whose husband, Zhiwen Yan, was fatally shot on April 30 in Queens while delivering Chinese food, spoke out for the first time. “We have three children, and we all miss him very much,” she said through a translator. “He means everything for us. I want justice for my husband’s murder.”

Ms. Zhao is being represented by, among others, partners Loretta Lynch and Alan Halperin, counsel Josephine Young, associates Johan Tatoy, Renee Stern-Kaplan and Jennifer Kim; and pro bono attorney Pradine Saint-Fort.

The Paul, Weiss team participating in the AABANY report included, among others, counsel Johan Tatoy and associates Megan Gao and Jennifer Kim, alongside other law firm representatives; the final report reflects the views of the overall AABANY task force.