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The Hellenic Lawyers Association (HLA) celebrated their 20th anniversary Annual Gala Dinner with a record number of invited guests from the tri-state area. The event was held recently at The Pierre in New York City.
Over 300 guests gathered to celebrate the momentous occasion, to honor their Hellenic roots and pay homage to distinctive individuals in the legal profession. Special guests included NY State Assemblyman Michael Gianaris and the Honorable Nicholas Tsoucalas, Senior Judge of the U.S. Court of International Trade, who is also one of the founding members of HLA. Among the guests were members of the judiciary including federal, appellate division, state court, and prominent attorneys from the New York metropolitan area.
The HLA outgoing president, attorney John Saketos, proudly reflected on HLA’s achievements, on his two-year tenure as president, and presented five scholarships to deserving law students, the most ever given by HLA. “We have taken the Association to the next level and have received recognition from the highest reaches of the legal community. This year, we are proud to have offered five scholarships. Under the guidance of our incoming president, Mamie Stathatos-Fulgieri, we are certain to exceed all our expectations,” said John Saketos.
The 2008 HLA honorees included the Honorable Justice Michael A. Chagares of the Court of Appeals, Third Circuit, and George A. Tsougarakis, Esq. of Hughes Hubbard and Reed, as Attorney of the Year.
The swearing-in installation of Mamie Stathatos-Fulgieri as the new president of the HLA was conducted by Judge Nicholas Tsoucalas. The new president recalled standing before HLA and its members 15 years earlier and accepting the only scholarship offered to a law student that year. Stathatos-Fulgieri described how far the HLA had come from their early humble and modest beginnings in Queens County, NY, with only a few lawyers to now boasting over 450 members from many county lines.
“My hope is that the Hellenic Lawyers Association will continue to expand in numbers and high esteem in the Greek American legal community, so that the next generation of our lawyers will have an exceptional foundation to forge ahead and take this organization to even greater heights,” said Stathatos-Fulgieri, Senior Attorney of Shaub, Ahmuty, Citrin & Spratt, LLP.
The Hellenic Lawyers Association is a premier organization of legal professionals of Greek descent. The organization promotes professional excellence, cultural awareness, community service and civic involvement.
In addition to hosting lectures, continued legal education seminars and networking opportunities, the Hellenic Lawyers Association provides scholarships to deserving law students. More information is available at: www.helleniclawyersassociation.org. |