We are excited to announce that VABANC’s 28th Annual Gala Dinner will be on Friday, October 23, 2026 at San Jose City Hall Rotunda (200 East Santa Clara Street, San Jose, CA 95112).
The evening is a celebration of VABANC’s commitment to cultivating and nurturing relationships between Vietnamese American judges, legal professionals, law students, and the Vietnamese American communities of Northern California.
Our Gala Dinner will recognize recipients for the “Trailblazer,” “Community Impact,” and “Lifetime Achievement” Awards. Scholarships will be conferred to Bay Area Vietnamese American law students who demonstrate a commitment to serving the needs of the Vietnamese American community and intend on furthering their work in public interest.
Please note: Gala ticket sales will close on Friday, October 16, 2026, at 11:59 PM.
An Nguyen Ruda, CEO and Co-Managing Partner of Bartko Pavia LLP, is the Vietnamese American Bar Association of Northern California’s 2026 Trailblazer Award recipient. Arriving in America at age five as a refugee, her ascent to national law firm leadership is an extraordinary story of hard work and resilience.
Since taking the helm in January 2023, she has expanded the firm from a single San Francisco office to a bicoastal platform spanning Los Angeles and New York City. An practices in labor and employment and is widely recognized as one of California’s preeminent labor negotiators. In one of the largest healthcare bankruptcies in the country, she renegotiated seven collective bargaining agreements in 70 days to close a time-sensitive transaction. She mentors young lawyers with the same directness she brings to her clients.
An is a 2026 Women, Influence and Power in Law Awards dual finalist for Managing Partner of the Year and Mentor & Mentee Collaboration and has been recognized as a Northern California Super Lawyer each year from 2022 to 2026.
Anh Phoong, founder and CEO of Phoong Law, is the Vietnamese American Bar Association of Northern California’s 2026 Gala Dinner Keynote.
Recognized throughout California for the memorable “Something Wrong? Call Anh Phoong!” campaign, Anh has built a remarkable legal career and an unmistakable public presence. Born in San Jose and raised in Sacramento, her connection to both communities has shaped her personal values and professional mission.
Today, Anh represents clients across California and Nevada, with expanded advocacy serving individuals and families in Houston, Texas.
Anh earned her undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice from California State University, Sacramento, graduating with honors. She went on to attend Lincoln Law School of Sacramento, where she earned her Juris Doctor and graduated as valedictorian of her class.
Phúc Mập is an American content creator, television personality, and entertainer best known for his Vietnamese-language YouTube channel and his unique connection with Vietnamese culture.
Originally from the United States, he graduated from the University of Central Florida (UCF) with a major in Criminal Justice and a minor in Legal Studies before taking a very different path that eventually brought him to Vietnam.
After spending many years living in Asia, Phúc Mập became widely recognized for speaking Vietnamese, exploring local food and culture, and using humor to connect with audiences both in Vietnam and abroad. His YouTube channel features entertaining videos focused on Vietnamese food, language, travel, cultural experiences, and everyday life, helping him build a loyal audience across multiple platforms.
Beyond YouTube, Phúc Mập has appeared on Vietnamese television programs, movies and other media, where his personality, Vietnamese-language ability, and cultural knowledge have made him a memorable guest. He also has extensive experience as an emcee, hosting events and engaging audiences in both English and Vietnamese.
Blending comedy, curiosity, and cross-cultural storytelling, Phúc Mập has built a recognizable personal brand centered on bringing people together through language, food, travel, and shared experiences.
Proceeds will go towards providing scholarships for future Vietnamese American law students, and ensuring critical resources are available to continue the work of promoting professional development for Vietnamese Americans in the legal community. If you are interested in becoming a Gala Sponsor, please click here for our packet.
VABANC was formed to cultivate and nurture professional relationships between Vietnamese American judges, attorneys, law students, and the Vietnamese American communities in Northern California.
With your support, VABANC has accomplished so much in the last thirty years, including:
- Celebrating the appointment of numerous Vietnamese American judges to the bench in California, with the most recent being the appointment of the Honorable Judge Thanh Ngo;
- Raising over $50,000 in scholarship funds to support our next generation of lawyers, including law students from Berkeley Law, UC Davis School of Law, and UC Law San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings);
- Establishing the VABANC Law Foundation, a charitable arm of VABANC that offers a year-long public interest fellowship which has grown to $50,000 annually and has fostered the work of seven public interest attorneys working with various legal aid organizations to promote justice and access to legal services and resources for those in the community, particularly those from under resourced or underserved communities;
- Celebrating our ten years of pro bono legal clinics supporting hundreds of community members with in-language support through legal consultations, including establishing a legal clinic with the Vietnamese American Service Center in San Jose in 2023/2024;
- Elevating our mentorship program spearheaded by the Honorable Judge Jacqueline Duong where experienced attorneys are paired with law students and new/transitioning attorneys; and
- Launching the National Conference of Vietnamese American Attorneys (NCVAA), which will be celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
A big thank you to our sponsors for supporting the 2025 Gala Dinner!
Diamond Sponsors:
Gold Sponsors:
Silver Sponsors:
Bronze Sponsors:
We are grateful for the partnership in building a community of Vietnamese American legal professionals.
Check out event highlights and photos from our 2025 Gala here!
