Partner, Executive Committee Member, and Co-Chair of the Attorney DEI Committee Tom Chen was featured in by Managing IP, offering his perspective on DEI, mentorship, and how firms can uplift AAPI attorneys. Read an excerpt below:
When Tom Chen, partner at Haynes Boone in California, was growing up, he attended a predominantly white high school in Southern California.
“We had about 300 to 400 students in my class, and I was about one of four Asians. I felt very self-conscious about that. When people asked me to say something in Chinese, I’d say I didn’t know Chinese. I would try to hide my identity because I wanted to fit in,” he says.
Chen, who is now co-chair of Haynes Boone’s Attorney Diversity and Inclusion Committee, is speaking to Managing IP to commemorate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage (AAPI) month. AAPI month is recognized in the US during May.
The lawyer adds that his father, who has a Ph.D. in physics, also experienced discrimination. His father bought a motel to run in Southern California but was treated poorly by customers.
To read the full article on Managing IP, click here.
