#CovAPAHistory: Heng Gong

#CovAPAHistory: Heng Gong

May 25, 2021

Heng Gong is special counsel in the firm’s Patent Litigation and Intellectual Property groups and is based in the New York office.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to be an ally to the API community?

It has been a turbulent and difficult year for the API community. My advice would be to reach out to members of the API community around you and listen to their stories and concerns—they may be your colleagues, neighbors, or friends. From my personal experience, I know that people tend to look to legal professionals for advice, guidance, and help for these issues. On some level, the difficulties and prejudices faced by the API community are shared by other minority communities at large. As legal professionals, we can seek to work on pro bono matters that help the API community, including those relating to immigrants’ rights, voting rights, and anti-discrimination.

What inspired you to get involved in the API Affinity Group?

My main inspiration is to seek a sense of community and support. As a more junior lawyer, I found it inspiring to work with and learn from senior API lawyers whom I considered role models—it is good to observe that people with a similar background as myself excel in the legal profession and the firm. As I become a more senior lawyer, I look forward to mentoring others to share my experience and insights as an immigrant and a member of the API community.