Chris Dolan Recognized as an Outstanding Diverse Business Leader

The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal has selected Christopher Dolan, an environmental partner at Faegre Baker Daniels, as one of 20 Diversity in Business Award winners for 2015.

The Diversity in Business Awards recognize exceptional minority business owners and leaders for their outstanding contributions to the Twin Cities business community.

Dolan’s practice focuses on complex environmental and natural resources litigation, environmental review, administrative proceedings, permitting, compliance matters and environmental counseling. He has defended top agriculture, food, energy and manufacturing companies in environmental matters and serves as director of environmental and sustainability issues for the North American Meat Institute.

Dolan has dedicated hundreds of hours of pro bono legal work to advancing and defending the civil rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. In 2011, he helped lead a team defending the right of two female students at Champlin Park High School to walk in a traditional couples’ processional for the royalty court at a school event. In 2012, Dolan helped represent five students in filing a federal gender and sexual orientation harassment lawsuit against the Anoka-Hennepin School District. The resulting consent decree created new protections designed to prevent harassment of students who are or are perceived to be LGBT and gender non-conforming or who have friends or parents who are LGBT. Prior to joining FaegreBD, Dolan worked as a McCleary Law Fellow with the Human Rights Campaign in Washington, D.C.

At FaegreBD, Dolan is heavily involved in the firm’s diversity and diversity recruitment efforts. He is a member of the Minnesota Lavender Bar Association, serves as a trustee and vice chair of the College of St. Scholastica Board of Trustees, and is a former commissioner of the City of Saint Paul Human Rights and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Dolan and 19 other winners were honored at reception on July 23, 2015, and were profiled in the MSPBJ on July 24. Read Dolan’s profile.