Anna Mercado Clark

President-Elect

  Contact Candidate by Email

Candidate Statement

In the service of others. More than my law school alma mater’s motto, this has been a guiding principle of my life. I humbly seek the opportunity to serve you and NAPABA as President-Elect.  

NAPABA Involvement 
In 2003, I attended my first NAPABA Convention as one of the Northeast Region Thomas Tang Moot Court finalists. As the first lawyer in my family, I was in awe of the number of AAPI lawyers in attendance, each with a unique story, many who were generous with their time and advice. I competed again the following year and received the National Best Oralist award, but more importantly, I formed friendships and mentor relationships that continue to flourish today. In the years that followed, I regularly attended the annual convention, where I served as a moot court mentor and judge, speaker on data security and privacy topics, and with the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) Trial Reenactment Team, presented annual trial reenactments of significant historical cases marking different chapters in Asian American history.   

In 2019, I had the opportunity to serve as a Northeast Alternative Regional Governor, and from 2020 to present, as Northeast Regional Governor. During my time on the NAPABA board, I have been involved in various efforts to promote transparency and standardization of leadership appointments and awards, serve as board liaison for various committees, support NAPALSA initiatives and pipeline programs, and tackle many challenging issues that faced the organization. I helped establish and continue to provide support to the Data Security and Privacy Committee. Perhaps more importantly, I formed deeper connections with many NAPABA members, board members, and NAPABA’s incredible staff. I gained a deeper appreciation for our membership’s diversity and the importance of honoring varying needs and perspectives whether based on geography, political and religious beliefs, practice area, or other factors.  

How I may be of service to NAPABA (relevant experience and skills) 
I have extensive experience serving on various local and national boards, for both new and established organizations. I was one of the founders of the Filipino American Lawyers Association of New York (FALA New York), and served as its inaugural Vice President and board member for many years. I helped formally establish the organization, including drafting bylaws, developed processes and procedures, facilitated formal incorporation, and organized dozens of programs (e.g., charity fundraisers, membership drives, social events, and CLE panels). I am also currently the Development Director for AABANY, one of the largest NAPABA affiliates, where I assist in planning, developing, implementing and managing the financial resources and efforts to fundraise and obtain sponsorships, and seek opportunities to increase AABANY’s financial resources, among other responsibilities. I also serve as an At-Large Trustee of the National Filipino American Lawyers Association (NFALA), where I helped develop its five-year strategic plan, and provide advice on various governance issues. I also serve as Chairperson of the NFALA Foundation and FALA New York Robin Mangaser Tizon Memorial Law Scholarship Committee, leading fundraising, publicity, and award selection efforts.  

At Phillips Lytle LLP, I serve on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, and led the design and implementation of an award-winning pipeline program, “Peace Out!,” which uses real-life cases to inspire middle and high school students from underserved communities to pursue a career in law.  

As a former criminal prosecutor who worked as a civil litigator at a large national law firm, and now as a partner at a mid-sized law firm and an adjunct professor of law, I am particularly sensitive to the ways that NAPABA can support members pursuing different paths. Although based in New York, my frequent travels and communication with affiliates highlight the various ways in which NAPABA may better support and represent our membership’s ethnic, geographic, and professional diversity.   

Vision 
If given the opportunity, I intend to support NAPABA’s advocacy work, particularly to combat continuing anti-AAPI conduct (both overt and implicit), pursue opportunities for appointment of AAPI judges and in government positions, and support affiliates’ similar efforts.  
I will strive to promote transparency of NAPABA governance and procedures, and promote affiliate engagement with NAPABA’s initiatives. 

I will also prioritize serving our diverse membership, affiliates and national associates, by finding ways to represent their full array of interests through programming, advocacy, membership outreach and other endeavors. 
To accomplish these goals and help identify additional ways in which NAPABA may serve its membership, I will: 1) engage directly with as many affiliates as possible, including through meetings and surveys to determine their needs, challenges, and goals, 2) schedule regular town hall meetings to surface needs and concerns, and communicate NAPABA’s mission and initiatives to its membership, 3) re-evaluate regional governor duties to increase affiliate interaction and input, and 4) explore development of programming and leadership pipeline programs for often-overlooked career paths or demographics, and to encourage affiliate members to participate in NAPABA leadership.    

The foregoing is in keeping with NAPABA’s strategic plan, which aims to promote membership engagement, strengthen mutually beneficial relationships within its community, be a compelling voice for the AAPI community, and optimize organizational excellence. 

Leadership style 
Through my various leadership positions, I learned to actively listen, be empathetic, and engage in frank but respectful dialogue. I am in favor of addressing issues head-on while working cooperatively to find common ground even when there are deep-seated disagreements. Service is a calling, not a vehicle to glory, accolades, or credit. I am just as happy to work in the background to achieve organizational goals as I am being at the forefront.  

I am committed to working on continuously evaluating my own blind spots and seeking counsel especially from those who have differing views or a different perspective. I am not ashamed to admit when I am wrong, or to correct course.  

It has been an honor to serve, and I hope to continue to contribute to NAPABA as a President-Elect.  

I am happy to answer any of your questions or to discuss your own suggestions or hopes for NAPABA.  

Candidate Bio

Anna Mercado Clark, Esq., CIPP/E, CIPP/US, CIPM, FIP is a partner at Phillips Lytle LLP, a full service law firm in the U.S. and Canada. She leads Phillips Lytle’s Data Security & Privacy and e-Discovery and Digital Forensic Practice Teams and is the co-team leader of the firm’s Cryptocurrency & Bitcoin Mining Practice Team. Additionally, Anna focuses her practice in the areas of business and commercial litigation and as a former district attorney, also handles white-collar criminal matters and investigations. She regularly counsels sophisticated clients on technology solutions, risk mitigation, data protection, and compliance strategies given the constantly evolving regulatory landscape, and speaks at national and international conferences as a subject-matter expert on these issues. Ms. Clark is an Adjunct Professor of Law at Fordham University, School of Law, teaching a course on data security and privacy, as well as fundamental lawyering skills.

Ms. Clark obtained her BA in Biology from Rutgers University and J.D. from Fordham University School of Law. She was recognized in Crain’s New York Business Notable Women in Law 2022 publication, named to The Responsible 100 list and the Above & Beyond Innovators list in City & State magazine, the Lawyers of Color’s Inaugural Nation’s Best List and is a recipient of the Hon. Denny Chin ‘78 Alumni Awardee for Excellence in the Legal Profession from the Fordham University School of Law Asian Pacific American Law Student Association, among other awards. She is also a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. Most recently, Ms. Clark was named a Ponemon Institute Distinguished Fellow and an IAPP Fellow of Information Privacy. 

Ms. Clark is a member of her firm’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee, where she designs and facilitates an award-winning diversity pipeline program titled, “Peace Out!” She is a founding member of the Filipino American Lawyers Association of New York (FALA NY), for which she was the inaugural vice president. Ms. Clark is also on the Board of the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) where she serves as Development Director and is the Northeast Regional Governor of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA).  

Endorsements

• Submit an affiliate endorsement here.
• Submit an individual endorsement here.
• Endorsements will be posted Monday, Wednesday, and Friday by 12 pm EDT.
  

NAPABA Affiliate Endorsements

• Filipino American Lawyers Association of New York 
• Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Pennsylvania
• Oregon Filipino American Lawyers Association
• National Filipino American Lawyers Association 
• Filipino American Lawyers Association of Chicago
• Filipino American Lawyers Association of Washington, DC
• Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association of New Jersey
• Asian American Bar Association of New York
• Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York

Individual Endorsements

*All work or organizational affiliations disclosed are for identification and disclosures purposes only, and do not constitute endorsements by those institutions.