2022 OCBA SECRETARY CANDIDATE STATEMENT
Dear Colleagues, Members and Friends,
I am honored to be one of the two nominees for the 2022 OCBA Secretary position. It has been a privilege to serve on the Board of Directors of the OCBA for the last six years, and on various committees and task forces for over twelve years. I am also overwhelmed by the support I have received from leaders in our Bar who have already endorsed my candidacy — including former OCBA Presidents, retired judicial officers, former OCBA board members, committee and section leaders, and affiliate and affinity bar leaders, among many others. I look forward to the opportunity to continue my service to the OCBA and the profession. I hope to have your vote.
Why Am I Running?
For 120 years, the OCBA has lived by the mission to enhance the system of justice, to support the lawyers who serve it, and to assist the community served by it. Our profession is facing very challenging times. All the traditional rules seem to be up in the air, ranging from how we work, who we are (in the face of State Bar changes), to our generational differences, and even to how we connect with each other. The OCBA has been tackling these challenges head on, and I am proud to be part of those efforts. I am running to continue to help lead our organization address these challenges.
I am also running because I know firsthand how much the OCBA can give us in terms of knowledge and opportunities to expand our horizons. It provided a community for me when I moved here 15 years ago. The OCBA also led me to Umberg/Zipser LLP, a firm steep with a rich history of community service and participation, where I am a partner practicing intellectual property. I want the OCBA to work for you, too. I will listen to your concerns and act on them so that the OCBA can better serve you.
Why Am I Qualified to Lead?
Having been in the profession for almost 20 years. For the last 15 years, I have been heavily involved with the OCBA, with extensive experience in leadership roles, including the following in addition to my six years on the OCBA Board:
- Co-chairing the Diversity and Inclusion Committee for the last three years
- Leading and generating OCBA programs (see webinars below)
- Chairing the Raise Your Glass Event with the OCBA Charitable Fund
- Raising tens and thousands of dollars for the OCBA Charitable Fund
- Chairing the Intellectual Property and Technology Section
- Contributing articles on various topics for the OC Lawyer Magazine over the years
- Contributing to and serving as a member of a host of committees and task forces, including the Racial Justice Task Force, Intergenerational Task Force, Mentoring Committee, Lawyer Well Being Committee, and Mommy Esq.
In addition to my service to the OCBA, I have held significant roles in a variety of affiliate and other Orange County professional organizations, including Community Legal Aid of SoCal, where I am currently the President-Elect and chair its Fund Development. I am also proud to be a member of Orange County Women Lawyers Association, Orange County Asian Bar Association, Hispanic Bar Association, Thurgood Marshall Bar Association, Lavender Bar, ABTL, and a volunteer for the Constitutional Rights Foundation of Orange County
Perhaps most importantly, besides my extensive experience with the OCBA and our local organizations, I am passionate about lawyers and the values our profession holds, such as civility, honor, professionalism, and kindness. Being a Chinese immigrant who came to this country at the age of 13, have learned how to adapt and evolve. I will lead our OCBA to adapt and evolve with your voices being heard. I hope I have earned your vote to help me lead.
Shirin Forootan is also running for this position and I have had the pleasure of serving with her on the OCBA Board for the last few years. Regardless of the outcome, I am honored to have this opportunity and I know the OCBA will be in good hands.
Please note that the election will start on Wednesday Sept 1, 2021 and end on Sept 21, 2021 and the OCBA will send you an email with details on how to vote.
Cheers,
Mei

Past OCBA Presidents & Retired Judicial Officers
Proud to be endorsed by
Orange County Attorneys Association
Orange County Korean American Bar Association
Millar, Richard (FSA Lawyers) (Past OCBA President)
Moberly, Judge Jamoa (Ret.)
Judge Guilford, Andrew (Ret.)
Judge Andler, Gail (Ret.)
Castaldi, Catherine (Brown Rudnick)(Past OCBA President)
Judge Miller, Franz (Ret.)
Connor, Ed(Connor, Fletcher, and Hedenkamp LLP) (Past OCBA President)
Dhanidina, Justice Halim (Retired) (Umberg Zipser)
Aitken, Ashleigh (Aitken Aitken Cohn)
Hueston, John (Hueston & Hennigan) (Past OCBA President)
Price, David (DP Mediator) (Past OCBA President)
Gazin, Michael (Phillps Whisnant Gazin Gorczyca & Curtin LLP) (Past OCBA President)
Past OCBA Presidents & Retired Judicial Officers
Proud to be endorsed by Orange County Attorneys Association
Millar, Richard (FSA Lawyers) (Past OCBA President)
Moberly, Judge Jamoa (Ret.)
Judge Guilford, Andrew (Ret.)
Castaldi, Catherine (Brown Rudnick)(Past OCBA President)
Judge Andler, Gail (Ret.)
Connor, Ed(Connor, Fletcher, and Hedenkamp LLP) (Past OCBA President)
Dhanidina, Justice Halim (Retired) (Umberg Zipser)
Gazin, Michael (Phillps Whisnant Gazin Gorczyca & Curtin LLP) (Past OCBA President)
Judge Miller, Franz (Ret.)
Hueston, John (Hueston & Hennigan) (Past OCBA President)
Price, David (DP Mediator) (Past OCBA President)
Aitken, Ashleigh (Aitken Aitken Cohn)
OCBA and Affiliate Bar Leaders
Ahn, Mimi (Kahan Feld)
Aitken, Darren (Aitken Aitken Cohn)
Baker, David (Law Offices of David Christopher Baker)
Brewer, Michael (Criminal Justice Attorney)
Brosnan, Tiffany (Snell & Wilmer)
Brown, William (Brown & Wegner)
Bunker, Jared (Knobbe Martens)
Campbell, Darren (Aitken Campbell Heikaus Weaver LLP)
Carbone, Javier Rivera (RCPC Employment Law)
Casero, Jason (Callahan & Blaine)
Cha, Jessica Esq.
Chai, Min (MKC Law Group)
Chukiat, Tiffany (Tyson & Mendes)
Clarkson, Paula (Merhab Robinson & Clarkson, Law Corp.)
Darmer, Roman (Jones Day)
Davidson, Doug (OC-Mediation)
Dean, Ryan (Umberg Zipser)
Djang, Caroline (Best Best & Krieger)
Eng, Nancy (Eng Law)
Ermer, Michael (Irell & Manella)
Evanson, Blaine (Gibson Dunn)
Finkelstein, Mark (Umberg Zipser)
Giglia, Erin (Montage Legal Group)
Green, Andra (Irell & Manella LLP)
Grochow, Lauren (Troutman Pepper)
Hahn, Caroline (Hahn Attorneys, LLP)
Hankin, Marc (Hankin Patent Law Group)
Jalili, Eemaan (Jalili Law)
Ji, Josh (O’Melveny)
Johnson, Casey (Aitken, Aitken, Cohn)
Kahf, Baraa (Knobbe Martens)
Kaplan, Phil (Umberg Zipser)
Kim, Christian (Law Offices of Christian Kim)
Kim, Mincheol (K &L Gates)
Kwok, Daniel (Haynes and Boone LLP)
LaSalle, Kimberly
Lim, Chang (Knobbe Martens)
Lin, Charles (Procopio)
Lukoschek, Monica (US Immigration Law Group)
Marticello, Robert (Smiley Wang-Ekvall, LLP)
McNeil, Rick (Crowell & Moring)
Minyard, Mark (Minyard & Morris)
Mittal, Vibhav (US Attorney’s Office)
Nelson, Lisa (A. Lavor Taylor LLP)
Nguyen, Teddy (Liberty Dental)
Oh-Kubish, Sharon (Smiley Wang-Ekvall, LLP)
Okula, Yoko (Home Depot)
Pak, Angela (Ogletree Deakins)
Paris, Andrea (Andrea Paris Law)
Phukan, Dr. Priti (Umberg Zipser)
Reagan, Carole (Umberg Zipser)
Safari, Asal (Western Digital)
Schlatter, Ed (Knobbe Martens)
Shin, Jonathan (Shin Law Group)
Sivakumar, Arjun (Brown Rudnick)
Slater, Alan
Smith, Todd (Umberg Zipser)
Stearns, Maria (Rutan & Tucker LLP)
Steinberg, Jordon (Kaufman and Steinberg)
Stephens, John (Stephens Friedland LLP)
Stowell, Adina (Umberg Zipser)
Syrengelas, Niky (Crockett Crockett)
Tejani, Jason (Umberg Zipser)
Tennant, Jennifer (Alorica)
Tennant, Robert (Tennant Law)
Tran, John (Rhema Law Group PC)
Umberg, Tom (Umberg ZIpser)
Usahacharoenporn, Proud (Rutan & Tucker LLP)
Valenzuela, Lucia (MGO CPA)
VandeWoude, Vikki (Umberg Zipser)
Vernick, Ashley (Rutan & Tucker LLP)
Wang, Tony (O’Melveny)
Wegner, Matt (Brown & Wegner)
Wexler, Mitch (Fragomen)
Williams, Ako (Ushio America Inc.)
Williams, Meredith (Rutan & Tucker LLP)
Wilson, Mark (Klein & Wilson)
Wolfe, Stuart B. (Wolfe & Wyman LLP)
Wu, Chares (Wu & Reddy)
Yanez, Bettina
Zeppos, Demosthenis Alex (Zeppos Law Group LLP)
PHOTO GALLERY
- CRF Gala
- Thurgood Marshall Annual Gala
- OCWLA Event
- AAAJ Angels Day
- OCBA Diversity Social
- OCWLA Summer Mixer
- OCBA Raise Your Glass Volunteer Day Auction Wrap
- OC Lawyer Raise Your Glass
- OCBA Diversity Summer Social
- OCBA Diversity Summer Social
- HBA End of Summer Mixer
- Legal Aid Annual Gala
- Lady Bird Event
- AAAJ OC Gala
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Orange County Bar Association (Board Member)
Orange County Bar Association Charitable Fund (Board Member)
Orange County Bar Association Diversity & Inclusion Committee (Co-Chair)
Community Legal Aid SoCal (President Elect)
Women In Technology International (Member & Contributor)
Corporate Minority Counsel Program (Member)
Orange County Asian American Bar Association (Member)
Hispanic Bar Association of Orange County (Member)
Thurgood Marshall Bar Association (Member)
International Trademark Association (Anti counterfeiting Committee Member)
Orange County Women Lawyers Association (Member)
Constitutional Rights Foundation (Member)
OCBA WEBINARS PRODUCED BY OR FEATURING MEI TSANG
CONTACT
Please let me know what is important to you and how I can better serve The Orange County Bar Association.