About the firm · A short memoir

On why this firm exists.

In which the counsellor explains, in his own voice, the practice and the principles that brought it into being.

I started writing code before I understood I would also write briefs. The two felt like separate disciplines for a long time — engineering on weekdays, the law on long evenings — until they didn't anymore. The work that turns out to matter most happens in the place where the two languages translate each other.

The firm exists for that work. The cases that go badly almost always go badly for the same reason: counsel who cannot speak credibly to the technical substance, paired with engineers who cannot speak to the legal one. A bilingual desk is rare. One that practices both disciplines in the same hand is rarer still. That's the practice.

What the work looks like.

M&A in which the diligence is performed at the same desk as the legal opinion. Venture rounds where the term sheet is modeled before it is signed. Technology litigation in which the brief is written by counsel who has read the repository. Securities and quant work that reads the backtest before the PPM.

"The contract is one description of the same problem the code is solving."

What I will not do.

I will not bill for emails that should have been a paragraph. I will not staff matters with associates who are learning on your dime. I will not take work where the client is buying advice they have already decided not to take.

How to start.

The first conversation is free. The first matter is fixed-fee where possible. The relationship is built on the assumption that you will refer the next one if I get this one right. That has been the working model since the firm was founded; it has worked.

Respectfully submitted,
David Awad, Esq.
Awad Law P.C., MMXXVI

Pro Bono

Beyond client work, the firm contributes to organizations advancing technology law and the public interest. More on the pro-bono practice →

Policy Work

As part of IEEE-USA, contributed to federal AI and technology-standards legislation:

  • S.1558 — Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act (AI-IA); core provisions enacted via the National AI Initiative Act, NDAA FY2021, Title LI.
  • S.1363 — AI in Government Act of 2019.
  • H.R.7139 — Ensuring American Leadership over International Standards Act of 2019 (enacted as NDAA FY2021, Sec. 9414).

Infrastructure & Privacy

Client data is encrypted at rest and in transit. Sensitive communications are best sent via GPG-encrypted email — public key and fingerprint on the contact page. AI-assisted drafting and research, where used, runs on software the firm controls.

Colophon

Curious about the tools behind this site? See the colophon for the full stack — framework, fonts, hosting, analytics, AI.

Transparency Report · 2026

What we were asked, and what we held.

Published May 19, 2026. Updated annually.

Government & Law-Enforcement Requests

Requests for client data, communications, or records from any government body, law-enforcement agency, or court — excluding matters where Awad Law P.C. is itself a party or counsel of record.

TypeCount (2026)
Subpoenas0
Search warrants0
National Security Letters0
FISA orders0
Other informal requests0

Attorney-client privilege imposes independent legal constraints on disclosure beyond firm policy. Client communications are protected under Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 6068(e) and Cal. Evid. Code § 954.

Data Practices

  • AI processing. AI-assisted work runs on private self-hosted compute maintained by the firm.
  • Storage. Client files are encrypted at rest and in transit. All storage infrastructure is under direct firm control.
  • Email. GPG-encrypted email is available and encouraged. Key and fingerprint on the contact page.
  • Retention. Client matter files are retained for 5 years post-engagement per California State Bar guidelines, then securely destroyed.
  • Third parties. Client data is not sold, shared with advertisers, or used for any purpose other than legal representation.

Security Incidents

No data breaches, unauthorized access events, or security incidents to report.