Hispanic National Bar Association Hosts Record-Breaking Third Annual Midyear Corporate Counsel Conference

JERSEY CITY, N.J., April 5, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA), and its affiliate the Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey (HBA-NJ), would like to thank the over 800 sponsors, HNBA members, dignitaries, and guests who attended the 3rd Annual Midyear Corporate Counsel Conference last week in Jersey City, New Jersey!  The four-day super conference, which took place at the beautiful Westin Newport Jersey City, enjoyed record attendance at an HNBA Midyear Conference and was a resounding success.

"The HNBA's 2012 Midyear Conference was a landmark event that exceeded all of our already high expectations," said Benny Agosto, Jr., HNBA National President. "We were particularly excited to usher in our 40th Anniversary with an event that truly shows the wonderful growth and accomplishments of the HNBA, and I think the Midyear Conference did just that. The HNBA Board of Governors and I applaud Miguel Alexander Pozo, Nuris E. Portuondo, and the entire New Jersey Midyear Conference Leadership Team for their efforts and thank them for their extremely hard work to make this special event possible."

Among the numerous highlights, the HNBA offered a robust lineup of Continuing Legal Education (CLE) programs on the most relevant legal topics and featuring some of New Jersey's and the nation's top leaders and policy makers. Also integral to the success of the Midyear Conference were the abundant networking opportunities throughout the week, offering the chance to build relationships and facilitate business prospects between corporate and private legal professionals. Highlights included the HNBA Corporate Speed Networking and Corporate Connection Pilot Program; the General Counsel Discussion, "Diversity and Inclusion in the Legal Profession"; a panel on federal law enforcement priorities with three current U.S. Attorneys; the HNBA & HBA-NJ Women's Leadership Conference, co-sponsored by the Latina Commission; and the announcement of the 2012 HNBA Top Lawyers Under 40. 

"We wish to thank all of our sponsors, but in particular our Platinum Sponsors, AT&T, JPMorgan Chase, Prudential Financial, Lowenstein Sandler PC, Walmart, and Wells Fargo for their leadership and tremendous support," said Miguel Alexander Pozo, Esq., HNBA National Finance Director and 2012 HNBA Midyear Conference Co-Chair. 

The exciting agenda also featured a one-of-a-kind reception at the historic Ellis Island Immigration Museum, with a truly memorable keynote speech given by United States Senator Robert Menendez. The HNBA was also honored to have New Jersey Governor Chris Christie as the keynote speaker at the elegant Gala dinner at the conclusion of the Conference.

Other accomplished speakers throughout the Conference included Susan Blount, Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Prudential Financial; Carlos Ortiz, General Counsel of Goya Foods, Inc.; Sam Reeves, Senior Vice President and Division General Counsel of Walmart; SEC Commissioner Troy Paredes; U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Wifredo Ferrer; U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Paul Fishman; U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Carmen Ortiz; and many others. Please visit hnba.com to take a look at the complete agenda and list of panels and speakers.

"This milestone event would simply not have been possible without the continued support of our many sponsors who have joined us in our promise to deliver a record-breaking, dynamic conference," said Nuris E. Portuondo, HNBA Deputy Regional President and 2012 HNBA Midyear Conference Co-Chair. "We hope that you will join us in celebrating the HNBA's 40 years of serving as the national voice for the Hispanic legal community and community at large," said Anna Maria Tejada, Esq., HNBA Region III President and 2012 New Jersey Leadership Team Co-Chair.

In conjunction with the Midyear Conference, the HNBA and The HNBA Legal Education Fund (The Fund) also hosted the 17th Annual Uvaldo Herrera National Moot Court Competition, offering law students the opportunity to brief and argue a case pending in the U.S. Supreme Court before panels of distinguished federal and state court judges and experienced attorneys. The HNBA and The Fund awarded $20,000, the largest prize ever, in scholarships to the winners of the competition.

Finally, the Conference served as a platform for several community service and pro bono initiatives. First, as part of a "Year of the Advocate" initiative to give back to HNBA events' host communities, the HNBA led a volunteer community service project in the Jersey City Public Schools to promote careers in the law. A group of lawyer volunteers from the Young Lawyers Division of the HNBA and the Young Lawyers Committee of the HBA-NJ spent the afternoon with students, discussing education and career paths and teaching students about the legal profession. Following the program, at a press conference in the Westin hotel attended by members of the Jersey City School Board, the HNBA awarded a $10,000 check to the Jersey City Public Schools to assist with their pipeline initiatives. The HNBA, in partnership with Chase, also unveiled the "Su Casa" Program, an initiative to provide pro bono legal clinics themed around homeowner's education for the Hispanic/Latino population.

The HNBA thanks all who participated in the 2012 Midyear Conference, and hopes our members and partners will join us at our upcoming 2012 events. Save the date for the HNBA Advocacy Summit and Legislative Day in Washington, DC, May 8-10, 2012; and the 37th Annual Convention in Seattle, Washington, August 22-25, 2012. Please visit hnba.com for details on these and more HNBA events and news!

About the Hispanic National Bar Association
The Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) is an incorporated, not-for-profit, national membership organization that represents the interests of the more than 100,000 Hispanic attorneys, judges, law professors, legal assistants, and law students in the United States and its territories. From the days of its founding four decades ago, the HNBA has acted as a force for positive change within the legal profession. It does so by encouraging Latino students to choose a career in the law and by prompting their advancement within the profession once they graduate and start practicing. Through a combination of issue advocacy, programmatic activities, networking events and educational conferences, the HNBA has helped generations of lawyers succeed.

SOURCE Hispanic National Bar Association