GALA COMMITTEE
The Gala Committee is responsible for the planning and execution of our annual APABA Silicon Valley Gala. Traditionally held in the Fall, the banquet is APABA Silicon Valley’s signature event to raise funds for the many scholarships we award to deserving Bay Area law students. The Gala Committee is responsible for venue selection, speaker selection, sponsor coordination, and all other event logistics. It is a great way to get involved and meet great APABA Silicon Valley members! If you are a Bay Area law student or practicing attorney and would like to get involved with APABA Silicon Valley, this would be a great way to start.
For inquiries about event information, please contact the co-chairs at gala@apabasv.com.
CO-CHAIRS
Rajy Banerjee
Rajy Banerjee serves as a Corporate Counsel at NetApp, specializing in commercial contracts, including software services, SaaS and cloud hybrid agreements data privacy issues, supporting small, midsize and enterprise transactions and privacy matters. Rajy has accumulated valuable experience through her tenure at renowned companies such as Vodafone, Pinterest, and CaptivateIQ, a tech startup. Rajy is also a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US).
Iris Chiu
Iris regularly litigates wage and hour class cases, single-plaintiff actions, and Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) matters. She represents employers in disputes involving allegations of discrimination, retaliation, harassment, and unfair competition.
Clients seek her practical counseling on human resources issues, including hiring, discipline and termination, leaves of absence, wage and hour issues, employment agreements, confidentiality agreements, restrictive covenants, and employee handbooks. She also develops and delivers training to managers and employees on employment issues, policies, and practices.
Additionally, Iris is a Certified Information Privacy Professional by the International Association of Privacy Professionals who has counseled clients on issues relating to state and federal data protection laws, such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act. Clients also value her advice on such matters as surveillance of employees' electronic communications, workplace investigations and searches, and the protection of trade secrets and confidential information.
Thi Tran
Thi Tran is the Director of Development at San José Spotlight, a digital publication covering policy, government, and business issues across Silicon Valley. In this capacity, he establishes community relationships, develops programmatic events, and plans the fundraising strategy which ensures a wider geographic market reach.
As the former Director of Alumni Relations & Annual Giving at Santa Clara University School of Law, Thi orchestrated the School of Law’s record breaking 24-hour fundraising campaign, reintroduced its annual gala following a hiatus, facilitated active involvement across the younger alumni base, and secured substantial attendance growth at consecutive alumni reunions. Prior to his tenure at the law school, Thi represented the City of San Jose as a Council Staffer. His policy areas consisted of constituent services, economic development, and public safety. He formerly served on the board of Associated Students as Director of Internal Affairs.
Thi graduated magna cum laude from San José State University, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Corporate Accounting & Finance and a minor in Public Administration and Policy. He earned his Juris Doctor from Santa Clara University School of Law.
