Page 9 - Phoenix Vol 11 No 3

My mom is Chinese but born in Vietnam,” Lu says. “ anks to a be- nevolent Mormon woman who sponsored my mom and grandmother to the United States, they were able to obtain asylum here as “Vietnamese Boat People” refugees. My dad grew up during the Mao era of re-education through labor in China and had to go to work on a farm instead of going to high school. As the third son, he usually wouldn’t have had the opportunity to leave China—usually those opportunities are reserved for rst sons only—but his brothers did not want to go, so my father came here to
go to school, and met my mom.”
DISCOVERING HER PATH
Her family moved from Utah to Phoe- nix when she was ve years old, where they owned and operated a Chinese restaurant. Working in the restaurant convinced Lu that taking over the family business would not be her path in life.
“I knew I didn’t want to work in a restau- rant and had to nd a career that could sup- port me and my interests,” she says. “In high school I had participated in mock trial and thought it was interesting at the time. As an undergrad I decided to pursue an economics degree thinking that I would work in business somehow or teach—but realized that I would rather be a lawyer than an economist a er do- ing well on the LSAT exam.”
With a bachelor’s degree in economics, a minor in Spanish, and a certi cate in inter- national business law, Lu’s choice to focus her practice in business and corporate law seemed a natural t. e decision proved to be the right one for the energetic and highly driven attorney. She has held the prestigious title of Super Lawyer’s Rising Star in mergers and acquisitions for seven years running—from 2012 to the present. In addition to bringing that expertise to the rm’s clients, she lends her knowledge in this area to committees for the American Bar Association’s and the Arizo- na State Bar’s Business Law Sections. Not only has Lu assisted in the legislation that created the Arizona Entity Restructuring Act, she is also actively involved in helping dra model short form purchase agreements. In addition, she brings her legal chops to the rm’s busi- ness divorce and corporate business planning and formations practices.
Lu came to work at Ti any & Bosco in 2008, a er working as law clerk for Judge Lawrence F. Winthrop of the Arizona Court of Appeals
following law school. During law school, she interned at the Pima County Attorney’s Of- ce and clerked at the Pima County Superior Court. She was also managing editor of the Arizona Journal of International & Compara- tive Law and had her note on e New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforce- ment of Foreign Arbitral Awards published. Lu’s initial experience working in the legal eld had come about earlier, however. While getting her undergraduate degree in college, Lu had supported herself by working as an intake specialist at the personal injury rm Goldberg & Osborne, also known as “ e Eagle” to Phoenix locals.
A PROBLEM SOLVER
Since her early years working in the law, Lu has achieved notoriety among the legal com- munity and her business clients for her acu- men in solving complex business problems and closing transactions. With strong com- munication skills that took root when she was a child helping her immigrant parents, and an organized and detail-oriented personality, she excels in working on cases that need organiza- tion and have a lot of moving parts.
“I especially enjoy helping clients buy and sell businesses,” she says. “I am known for being the ‘director of follow through’ to get transactions closed and I enjoy the challenge of getting to the nish line.”
“I especially enjoy helping clients buy and sell businesses,” she says. “I am known for being the ‘director of follow through’ to get transactions closed and I enjoy the challenge of
Lu also brings her energy and
expertise to giving back to the
legal profession and the local
community. She has been on the
Arizona Asian American Bar
Association’s (AAABA) board
of directors for several years
and is now its president. She
successfully chaired the sold-
out annual scholarship awards
banquet for AAABA held on
March 28, 2019. She serves as
the pro bono general counsel
for ACLU-Arizona. She volun-
teered with Arizona State Uni-
versity’s Sandra Day O’Connor
College of Law’s Business Legal
Assistance Program, for which
she was awarded the Outstanding Volunteer Lawyer honor for 2011. She also believes in the importance of mentorship and informally mentors law and undergrad students.
Knowing that to be a good mentor means also soaking up the knowledge and advice
getting to the nish line.
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