Christopher D. Jagel, CEO of Harris Beach PLLC, has been named to the 2020 Power List by Lawyers of Color, a national non-profit organization that promotes diversity in the legal profession.

The annual LoC Power List honors the most influential minority attorneys and their allies across the country. The annual list includes general counsel from Fortune 1000 companies, law school deans, legal media and leaders of non-profit organizations. Chris was named an Ally for Minority Attorneys along with about 15 other  senior leaders from law firms around the nation. View the full list of honorees here.

Since becoming CEO in 2017, Chris has focused on advancing the culture at Harris Beach and increasing support of programs that further diversity in the legal profession. Part of that focus involves an expanded commitment to inclusion and diversity at the firm and industry-wide.

To that end, under Chris’ leadership, the firm has:

• Expanded support for aspiring undergraduate and law students of color statewide through programs that provide opportunities for networking and professional development.
• Built relationships with and hosted events, retreats and workshops for Black Law Students and Latin American Law Students’ Associations throughout the state.
• Collaborated and sponsored events with professional organizations that support practicing attorneys of color.
• Increased funding for scholarships, benefitting both undergraduate students and law students of color.
• Established advisory committees at the firm that provide young lawyers and professional staff with a greater voice on subjects such as work/life balance and benefits.
• Expanded the role of the Council on Inclusion and Diversity and continued education at the firm with programs such as “Understanding Diversity and Eliminating Unconscious Bias in the Legal Profession.”

The Lawyers of Color Power List is the only comprehensive collection of its kind recognizing leaders on inclusion and diversity in the law profession, said Lawyers of Color’s executive director, Yolanda Young. She added: “We began collecting this data because representation and role models are extremely important as legal organizations seek to reach diversity goals and expand the diversity pipeline.”