Chris is an associate in the Minneapolis office, specializing in environmental and natural resources litigation, environmental review, and administrative proceedings. He has focused on environmental litigation arising under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and a variety of state statutes as well as contractual environmental indemnity provisions. He has also worked with numerous federal and state administrative agencies on behalf of clients, including the EPA and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. In litigation matters, Chris specializes in factual development and analysis, including discovery motion practice, depositions, document collection and review, and trial preparation.
Prior to joining Faegre Baker Daniels, Chris worked as a McCleary law fellow with the Human Rights Campaign and as a legal and policy associate with Workplace Flexibility 2010, a policy initiative of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and Georgetown University. Before beginning his legal career, Chris was executive director of Neighbors Helping Neighbors Food Drives, an organization that collected food for Twin Cities food shelves. Chris is the recipient of the Eleven Who Care Award, Jefferson Award, and the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Award for Outstanding Public Service Benefiting a Local Community.
Chris has also served as an instructor of business law for Masters of Business Administration (MBA) students at the College of St. Scholastica.
Representative Litigation
Some of Chris' relevant experience includes the following:
- Oklahoma v. Tyson Foods, Inc., et al., U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma. Member of the trial team that represented Cargill, Incorporated and Cargill Turkey Production, LLC in a five-month-long bench trial in one of the largest natural resources cases in the nation. Plaintiff State of Oklahoma brought CERCLA, RCRA, state statutory, and state and federal common law claims against Defendants. A number of preliminary rulings have been favorable for Defendants, including the exclusion of all compensatory and punitive damage claims as well as the Plaintiff's RCRA claim.
- Friedland v. TIC-The Industrial Company, United States District Court for the District of Colorado. Member of the litigation team that represented TIC – The Industrial Company in a CERCLA contribution action involving the cleanup of a Colorado Superfund site. The district court granted summary judgment for TIC (2008 WL 185693 D. Colo. 2008). The United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit affirmed, and the United States Supreme Court refused to review the appellate court decision (Friedland v. TIC-The Industrial Co., U.S., No. 09-551, certiorari petition denied 1/11/10).
- Represented prior owner of a fuel storage and distribution facility in Michigan in a six-day arbitration involving breach of contract claims, including breach of environmental indemnity provisions, against a subsequent owner.
- Represented a software company in a matter involving contractual indemnity cross claims. After pre-trial discovery, the matter was resolved pursuant to a settlement agreement.
- Child Custody
- Civil Rights
- Best LGBT Lawyers Under 40 Award, National LGBT Bar Association, 2010
- Minnesota State Bar Association's Section of Environmental, Natural Resources and Energy Law, council member
- Minnesota Lavender Bar Association
- American Bar Association's Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources Mining Committee, vice chair
- Minnesota Private College Fund Phillips Scholars Selection Committee
- City of Saint Paul Human Rights and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, commissioner
- College of St. Scholastica, trustee
Related Practices
Environmental
Environmental Counseling
Environmental Litigation
Litigation & Advocacy
Toxic Tort Litigation
Related Industries
Energy
Energy, Resources & Clean Technology
Food & Agriculture
Media Mentions
08-February-2011 - Faegre & Benson Pro Bono Client Writes About Experience on National Center for Lesbian Rights Website
31-January-2011 - Washington Post Reports: Lesbian Students Enter to Cheers at Pep Fest
Education
Georgetown University Law Center
J.D., Dean's List (2006)
College of Saint Scholastica
B.A., summa cum laude (2001)
Legal Updates
03-August-2011 - Environmental Impacts of a Government Shutdown
11-July-2011 - Environmental Permitting in Minnesota Stalled by State Shutdown
25-January-2011 - Minnesota Governor Aims to Accelerate Environmental Permitting
News
06-March-2012 - Pro Bono Team Announces Resolution of Anoka-Hennepin School District Harassment Lawsuits
31-January-2011 - Faegre & Benson Helps Restore LGBT Couple's Rights in "Snow Days" Civil Rights Lawsuit
27-August-2010 - Christopher Dolan Named Best LGBT Lawyer Under 40 Honoree
Bar Admissions
Minnesota
Court Admissions
U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
Representative Matters
Won Supreme Court Decision in Favor of Client TIC-The Industrial Company