Biography Akram A. Awad, Esq. Mr. Awad’s unique understanding of the intricacies of litigation and complex business matters stems from skills developed in the courtroom to his expertise in the boardroom and beyond. In the Courtroom As a litigator for over 15 years, Mr. Awad has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in diverse substantive areas including commercial/contract, real estate, employment, personal injury, family/divorce and criminal law. Mr. Awad started his legal career in 1992 as a deputy attorney general for the Department of Justice in Los Angeles, where he prosecuted approximately 200 felony appeals for the State of California. In 1999, Mr. Awad co-founded his law practice, Awad & Awad LLP, which has flourished into a full-service firm. In the Boardroom In addition to his extensive litigation experience, Mr. Awad’s legal practice extends outside of the courtroom and into the boardroom, serving as corporate counsel to numerous clients. Mr. Awad is also a businessman himself, as a real estate broker managing a successful commercial and residential brokerage and property management firm. Mr. Awad’s business know-how makes him uniquely qualified to mediate complex real estate, employment and contractual disputes. In the Community Together with his late brother, Mr. Awad co-founded Coptic Legal Foundation, a non-profit legal aid organization. Mr. Awad has contributed countless pro bono hours providing legal counsel and advocating for those who cannot afford legal resources. Mr. Awad is also a member of the Glendale Kiwanis Club, the UCLA, Loyola Marymount University, Harvard University Alumni associations, the Arab American Lawyers Association of Southern California, and the Los Angeles County and Glendale Bar associations. In the Classroom After graduating from Hoover High School in Glendale, California, Mr. Awad went on to earn a degree in Philosophy from UCLA (1988) and a Juris Doctorate from Loyola Law School (1992). In 1998, Mr. Awad earned a Master in Public Policy degree from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. In the Beginning Mr. Awad was born in Cairo, Egypt. He and his family moved to the U.S. when he was 3 years old to settle down in Maryland before moving to Glendale, California in 1977, driving across country with all of their belongings in a VW Bug. Although Mr. Awad and his family assimilated to the American culture quite naturally, his dual-cultural upbringing has been an asset in his ADR practice as it has proven quite helpful in resolving cross-cultural matters and dealing with deep-rooted cultural dynamics that often factor into negotiations. Mr. Awad is conversational in Arabic. In his Spare Time Mr. Awad and his wife, Rana (also an attorney), spend their free time traveling, restoring vintage cars, rooting for local collegial and professional sports teams, and savoring fine food and wine.