Albert Yong Chang's Obituary
Albert Yong Chang, 54–Father, Litigator, Husband, Friend–Passed Away Suddenly on December 1, 2025.
Albert Yong Chang lived an extraordinary life as he was an extraordinary man. He is survived by his parents, Zhang Zhuliang and Chen Suiju, his wife and best friend Rebecca Jane Johnson, and his two daughters Selena Gotham Chang and Zaydah Califia Chang. Albert was born in Guangzhou, China on July 16, 1971. His parents named him Zhang Yongxiang, which means swimming and flying, a name of power, expressing an intention that he plunge to the depths of wisdom and soar to the heights of passion. When he took an English name, he chose Albert after Albert Einstein, conveying confidence that he would embody brilliance and make an impact, as did the famous physicist. While science was not Albert Chang’s specialty, he was a brilliant lawyer, and he made an impact through being a good father and having a unique way of connecting with people. His family and the legal community have lost an icon. In his life, Albert surmounted the impossible. After a challenging immigration to the US, he financed his way through college, married Rebecca Jane Johnson in 1997, became a US citizen, mastered the English language, and studied law at Indiana University. He loved Rebecca with passion, compassion, creativity, and wit; likewise, he loved the law.
Albert and Rebecca made a special team and liked adventure, lived in the Midwest, on the East Coast, settled on the West Coast, and gave birth to their two daughters at home. Albert proved to be a devoted family man, but he would often quote a law professor who once said, “the law is a jealous mistress.” Albert was admitted to the Bar in both New York and California. He clerked for two federal judges, Suzanne B. Conlon and Roger T. Benitez. Albert always repeated that having two daughters was the best thing that ever happened to him, and he loved spending time with his girls. He fed them, taught them, entertained them, challenged them and helped them grow into the kind and intelligent young women they are today. Working hard for his daughters, Albert loved presenting cases in courtrooms before federal judges. In his free time, he’d read the work of the justices of the US Supreme Court and listen to recordings of oral arguments. Albert loved to argue and loved the rule of law.
His deep appreciation for the US Constitution and the American legal system inspired his dedication to writing careful briefs. He took great pains and spent extra time to make his work product perfect, delighting in due diligence, research, document review, argument, case law, opinions, word choice, formatting, proofreading, and correcting typos. If there was ever someone who did his best to make legal writing sing, it was Albert Y. Chang. He was a formidable adversary who still wished for everyone’s highest good, integrity, and honor. Multiple mentors took Albert under their wings saying he was “like a son” to them. Adversaries extended professional courtesies with the highest respect. While he upheld dignity and fairness, Albert valued, above all, loyalty. As an attorney in private practice, his specialties included securities class action, shareholder derivative, merger and acquisitions litigation, and more. He showed rigorous dedication to his work, his family, and friends, offering the best of himself: a big, generous heart, searing intelligence, undivided attention, a big smile, and humor that could be silly, sardonic, inappropriate, disarming, or self-deprecating. Albert always made a strong impression on workers he’d encounter at airports, car rental desks, restaurants, dry cleaners, and hotels: they greeted him warmly by name because he gladly shared himself with new people. “Not all Chinese are good at math!” was his signature ice breaker. It worked to let people know that he didn’t take himself too seriously.
He savored experiences: fine food, fine whisky, fine conversation. Time slowed down when we nursed a good drink or lingered on a long walk. Time sped up when we frolicked in the snowdrifts of a late winter storm in NYC, rode at top speeds in his convertible Mazda Miata in sunny San Diego, or raced after balls on the tennis court. While he was able to laugh with others, he could also express deeply felt gratitude and sympathy. He’d offer comfort, best wishes, or heartfelt condolences through carefully crafted handwritten notes. His penmanship received widespread admiration. It was this interest in clear, effective expression that we might admire the most. He relished being a serious student of good writing. “I’m paid to think,” he said, and he was grateful for the opportunity to share his understanding. He stood out for practicing law with sincerity, dignity, and even kindness. He encouraged his daughters to write well, be kind and grateful. For fun, he played tennis with friends, colleagues, his wife and daughters. In recent weeks he had been enjoying refining what he referred to as an “explosive” tennis serve. He enjoyed sweating profusely. Likewise, he cultivated impeccable poise, wearing a suit and tie, holding open the door, bearing the burden, helping finish the job, offering advice, and making the difficult phone calls.
Albert showed love through preparing and sharing good food. Those who have had the privilege of feasting on Albert’s Hainan Chicken rice, salmon, pasta, lobster, mushroom, vegetable, and seafood dishes know all the food he prepared brought comfort and memorable satisfaction. He wore fedoras, shined his shoes, and could pull off wearing bow ties that he tied himself. He even taught Judge Benitez and everyone who worked in his chambers how to tie a bow tie. Albert collected Edward Hopper prints, reliable watches, fountain pens, tobacco pipes, and shelves of good books. He smelled like sandalwood, bergamot, black tea, oak, and leather. He brought so much liveliness spending time with his family, celebrating holidays, eating dim sum, visiting parks, traveling to Guangzhou, playing card games, Scrabble, Chess, Wordle, Mahjong, and Jenga. With dear friends, he cherished a recent flyfishing trip where he put his skills to use: patience, persistence, and precision to catch trout amongst the beautiful wilderness and brown bears of Alaska.
He was an adorable father who gave his daughters his favorite piece of advice: “go to law school.” His family lives on feeling blessed to have had such a good man as their hero. Albert will live on in our memories and hearts as one of a kind, forever irreplaceable, and an embodiment of all the admirable qualities of a quiet, remarkable legend. Albert died in his office at 5:46 pm on December 1, 2025. The cause remains unknown. Albert Yong Chang will be remembered and honored through our efforts to be good writers, our powers to uphold the US Constitution, and our intentions to be kind to one another. May his family reunite with him upon their passing.
A Celebration of Life will be held in Albert’s honor at the home of William and Michelle Lerach: 9776 La Jolla Farms Road, on February 1, 2026, from 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm.
What’s your fondest memory of Albert?
What’s a lesson you learned from Albert?
Share a story where Albert's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Albert you’ll never forget.
How did Albert make you smile?