Hon. Christine Byrd (Ret.)

Hon. Christine Byrd (Ret.) is an arbitrator, mediator and discovery referee with JAMS, handling complex business and family law matters. She joined JAMS in 2023 after serving 13 years as a judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court in the Family Law Division.

During her tenure on the court, Judge Byrd was assigned to long cause family law trials, where she handled complex disputes involving custody, support, business and real estate valuations, characterization and division of assets and debts, and international property issues.

Before her appointment to the bench, Judge Byrd practiced law for 35 years, focusing on complex business and patent litigation, where she was esteemed for her jury trial experience and skills after having spent five years as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, trying a variety of cases, including one of the earliest money laundering cases in the country. She also acquired significant ADR experience during her years of law practice, serving as a neutral arbitrator in dozens of business disputes, both domestic and international.

In 2004, in recognition of her combination of trial and ADR experience, she was selected as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and also selected as a Fellow of the College of Commercial Arbitrators.

As a mediator, Judge Byrd takes great care to prepare adequately and tailor her approach to the personalities and issues in each case. As an arbitrator and discovery referee, she works with the lawyers to define the process early on and then is decisive in moving the process forward to conclusion.

alieu@jamsadr.com 310-392-3044 https://www.jamsadr.com/byrd