Judge Byrd is a highly experienced arbitrator, having begun serving as a neutral in the 1990\"s while also practicing law. She helped develop the American Arbitration Association’s (AAA) mediation and arbitration Procedures for Large, Complex Commercial Disputes, and she helped with the earliest arbitration training programs for the ABA. Her significant ADR experience earned her selection as one of the founding fellows of the College of Commercial Arbitrator in 2004 and she was one of the contributors to the College\"s first edition of its Best Practices handbook. In 2010, she was appointed a judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court, where she served for 13 years. In 2023, she returned to the field of ADR, where again she is in high demand as a neutral in complex commercial disputes.
Experience
Judge Byrd has served as a neutral arbitrator in complex business disputes, both domestic and international, involving healthcare, entertainment, manufacturing, waste management, energy (oil field rights, natural gas distribution, wind park development, power purchase and power exchange agreements) , cannabis, real estate, and consumer lending.
Work History
2023 - present: JAMS 2010 - 2023: Judge, Los Angeles Superior Court 1996 - 2010: Partner, Irell & Manella LLP 1987 - 1996: Partner, Jones Day 1982 - 1987: Assistant U.S. Attorney, Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney\"s Office for the C.D. of California 1976 - 1982: Associate, Jones Day 1975 - 1976: Law Clerk to the Hon. William P. Gray, U.S. District Court, C.D. of California
License(s)
State Bar of California, 1976 - present
Education
J.D. 1975, Univ. of Virginia School of Law B.A. 1972, Stanford University
Publications
The Future of the United States Multinational Corporation, Swent and Unterman, eds. (Univ. of Virginia Press 1975) The College of Commercial Arbitrators Guide to Best Practices in Commercial Arbitration, First Ed. , von Kann, et al.
Awards
Family Law Judge of the Year, Southern California Chapter, American Inns of Court, 2018 Super Lawyers Southern California, 2004, 2008, 2009 California’s Top Women Litigators, 2007, 2008, 2009 Top 50 Women Lawyers in Southern California, 2008 Southern California’s Best Lawyers, 2009
Associations
Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers, 2004–2024 Fellow, College of Commercial Arbitrators, 2004–2024 Member, American Bar Association (Dispute Resolution Section, Co-Vice Chairman, Committee on ADR Advocacy in Litigation, 2003–2004; Faculty, ABA Arbitration Training Institute, 2004, 2009); Los Angeles County Bar Association; Century City Bar Association; Beverly Hills Bar Association; Life Member, Women Lawyers Association Los Angeles Former Member; Technology Committee, Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee and Local Rules Committee; Los Angeles Superior Court Director, Ninth Judicial Circuit Historical Society, 1986–2024 (President, 1997–2002; Vice President, 1993–1996; Board Emeritus, 2010-2024) Director, American Arbitration Association, 1999–2010 Director, Century City Bar Association, 2001–2005 Editorial Board, AIPLA Quarterly Journal, American Intellectual Property Law Association, 2008–2010 Board of Governors, Association of Business Trial Lawyers (ABTL), 1996–1999 Commissioner, California Law Revision Commission, 1992–1997 (Chairperson 1996-97) Super Lawyers Southern California, 2004, 2008, 2009 California’s Top Women Litigators, 2007, 2008, 2009 Top 50 Women Lawyers in Southern California, 2008 Southern California’s Best Lawyers, 2009
