Amir El-Aswad is a member of the firm’s Commercial Litigation and Labor & Employment practices.
Amir advocates for corporate clients in complex commercial and employment disputes across state and federal courts, as well as in arbitral forums. His practice spans a broad range of matters, including restrictive covenant enforcement, trade secret misappropriation, trademark infringement, antitrust litigation, cyber fraud, business torts, commercial real estate, and contract and warranty disputes. Amir is adept at motions practice and oral advocacy, regularly drafting and arguing dispositive motions, preliminary injunctions, and other high-impact filings. He is also experienced in managing large-scale e-discovery, negotiating favorable settlements, and structuring tailored dispute resolution agreements.
Before joining Foley, Amir served as a law clerk to the Honorable David M. Lawson of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. During law school, he was a summer associate in Foley’s Chicago office and a student advocate in the University of Chicago Law School’s Supreme Court and Appellate Clinic, where he contributed to merits and amicus briefs filed before the U.S. Supreme Court. Amir also gained exposure to constitutional and criminal law through judicial internships with the Honorable David McKeague of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and the Research Division of the Michigan Court of Appeals. Amir began honing his oral advocacy skills well before law school, competing at the national level in undergraduate mock trial, and later earning the highest grade in Trial Advocacy at the University of Chicago Law School.
Amir is deeply committed to advancing equal access to justice. He serves as the Co-Director of the Federal Bar Association – Detroit Chapter’s Diversity Committee and maintains an active pro bono practice, including ongoing collaborations with the Detroit Bar Association’s Legal Services Clinic and Lakeshore Legal Aid, where he provides legal assistance to underserved individuals facing housing, family, criminal, and consumer issues.
Awards and Recognition
- Recipient, Outstanding Young Lawyer Award – Barrister’s Pro Bono Award, Detroit Bar Association (2025)
Community Involvement
- Dedicated to pro bono efforts, including prisoner civil rights and clemency
- Co-director, Federal Bar Association Diversity Committee, Eastern District of Michigan Chapter
Amir El-Aswad Receives Outstanding Young Lawyer Award
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