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MNAPABA Executive Board Meetings - All Are Welcome!
- The board typically meets the 2nd Tuesday of every month. See the event list for information about the next board meeting. If you would like to view a copy of the minutes from a given meeting, please contact our Secretary.
Executive Board
Nicole Dailo JisonPresident |
| Nicole is Senior Corporate Counsel at Life Time, where she advises business leaders and human resources partners on employment issues. Nicole previously worked as an employment associate at Nilan Johnson Lewis and as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Julia W. Brand in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California. In the Twin Cities legal community, Nicole has served as a pro bono asylum attorney with the Advocates for Human Rights and a mentor for the University of St. Thomas School of Law Mentor Externship Program. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Southern California (USC) in 2011 and earned her J.D. from the USC Gould School of Law in 2014. |
Yida (Oliver) LiPresident-Elect |
| Oliver is an associate attorney at Hamre, Schumann, Mueller & Larson, P.C., where he practices general intellectual property law. Particularly, his practice focuses in handling patent applications across multiple jurisdictions. Prior to law school, he was an engineer in the medical device field. Oliver graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from University of Minnesota and a J.D. from Mitchell Hamline School of Law. |
Christopher JisonImmediate Past President |
| Chris is Counsel at Wells Fargo, where he advises business leaders on employment issues. He graduated from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration with a minor in economics. He earned his law degree from the University of St. Thomas where he was also involved with MNAPABA throughout all three years of law school. Prior to law school, Chris was a compliance analyst with expertise in TSA air freight compliance, cargo security best practices, and interstate trucking compliance. |
Richard RamonesTreasurer | Rich Ramones is Senior Legal Counsel at CHS Inc., where he currently advises business, operational and safety leaders on litigation, employment, investigation and environmental, health and safety matters. Rich has also served as counsel, business leader and project manager for commercial, M&A, regulatory, engineering, construction and real estate matters that have a direct impact on various industries, including the agriculture, energy, transportation and rail. Prior to moving to the Twin Cities, Rich lived in the New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York area and previously served on the Board of Directors for APALA-NJ and APABA-PA. Rich also served as co-chair of the NAPABA Environmental Law committee. |
Karl JohnsonSecretary |
| Karl Johnson is an attorney with Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP. Karl has represented debtors and secured and unsecured creditors in bankruptcy cases under chapters 7, 11, 12, and 13. He has also represented trustees in bankruptcy cases under chapters 7 and 13. His clients include individuals, small and large businesses, and institutional creditors. Karl also has experience drafting loan documents, litigating creditor-debtor and inter-creditor disputes, debt collection, and defending FDCPA actions. |
Raoul ShahVP of Communications | Raoul is an Associate Attorney in the Personal Injury and Medical Malpractice group at Robins Kaplan LLP. He seeks justice and compensation for those who have been injured through no fault of their own, drawing on his the trial and litigation experience he gained in his prior career as a prosecutor. During his free time, Raoul enjoys outdoor activities, playing trumpet in a local brass band (B+ Brass), and spending time with his family. |
Navin RamalinganVP of Membership | Navin is an Associate Attorney in the Intellectual Property and Technology Litigation Group at Robins Kaplan LLP. He helps inventors, entrepreneurs, businesses, and IP owners protect and monetize their intellectual property. Navin was born and raised in the Great State of Tamil Nadu in southern India. During his free time, Navin likes to explore the Minnesota outdoors with his wife and two pups; read magical realism or historical fiction books; brush up his Deutsch; and ride his 2021 Royal Enfield Meteor 350. |
Aleya Champlin | Aleya is the Lead of IP Management at KWS Seeds. She has practiced in the areas of IP and corporate law for over three decades in the Twin Cities, counseling clients ranging from early stage start-ups to Fortune 500 enterprises. An avid community volunteer, she has served on the Board of Trustees of The Blake School and was a volunteer captain for Super Bowl LII. She is an alumna of the University of Minnesota Law School, and has mentored students and rising attorneys throughout her career. |
Valerie Narcy
|  | Valerie Narcy graduated from Mitchell Hamline School of Law in 2020, then went on to serve as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Kellie Charles in Ramsey County District Court and as an Assistant County Attorney at the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. Now, Valerie works as a personal injury attorney at Hall Law, P.A., where she gets to live her childhood dream of litigating and being a voice for people in need. Prior to her legal career, Valerie lived in South Korea for four years where she obtained her master’s degree in educational administration and higher education from the prestigious Korea University. Valerie brings her experience and love for food, travel, culture, and law to MNAPABA and strives to connect the legal community with the broader local community. |
Thomas LeeVP of Programming | Tom is an attorney at Hamre, Schumann, Mueller & Larson, P.C., where he practices intellectual property law focusing on trademarks and patents domestically and internationally. Prior to law school, he was an engineer for a number of years. Tom was born and raised in Richmond, Va. Prior to being a father of two girls, Tom enjoyed running and enjoying traveling and trying out new restaurants. |
MNAPABA PAST PRESIDENTS
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Christopher Jison, 2022-2023 Mayura Noordyke, 2021-2022 Sukanya Momsen, 2020-2021 Vincent L. Pham, 2019-2020 Melitta Drechsler, 2017-2018 Ben Kwan, 2016-2017 Greg Schwartz, 2015-2016 Irene Kao, 2014-2015 Veena Iyer, 2013-2014 Inchan Hwang, 2012-2013 Bryan Wong, 2011-2012 Rebecca Chaffee, 2010-2011 Judge Nicole J. Starr (formerly Kubista), 2009-2010 Alexander Kim, 2008-2009 Sumbal Mahmud, 2007 (Oct.-Dec.) Steven Reeves, 2006-2007 Ngoc Nguyen, 2005-2006 Judge Susan Burke, 2004-2005 Dan Lew, 2003-2004 Ash Mishra, 2002-2003 Ruby Dasgupta, 2001-2002 Tami Schroeder, 2000-2001 Sach Darji, 1999-2000 Linda Chung, 1998-1999 Melissa Wright, 1997-1998 Judge Regina Chu, 1996-1997 Jeff Eng, 1995-1996 Terry Louie, 1994-1995 Jeff Eng, 1993-1994 Jennifer Park, 1992-1993 Marianne Remedios, 1991-1992 Terry Louie, 1990-1991 |