Chris Jagel Email & Phone Number

I am the chief executive officer of Harris Beach, a full-service regional law firm with clients across New York State and the nation. In this role, I lead more than 500 people, including more than 200 attorneys, in providing diverse legal and professional services to companies, individuals, non-profits, municipalities, school districts and other organizations. We’ve been recognized as one of the country’s top law firms by the New York Law Journal and also have been named as a BTI Elite law firm based on interviews with corporate in-house counsel. Our firm was founded in 1856 and has a history of innovation in our profession and on behalf of clients. As CEO, I work with the management committee and our practice group leaders and office managing partners to execute the firm’s strategic objectives across our entire platform, including evolving to meet the demands of a 21st century law firm. I first joined Harris Beach in 1993 as an associate attorney in our corporate practice and was elevated to partner in 1998. As a corporate attorney, my focus has been on working with clients on sophisticated commercial transactions, banking and commercial financing and general corporate law. My practice involves helping businesses at all stages of development and all parts of their lifecycle. In addition to those nuts and bolts, I provide general corporate, strategic and practical advice to a number of clients, serving as a trusted advisor and sounding board.As CEO, my two areas of focus are our firm’s culture and our business of serving our clients. I work to maintain and enhance our terrific culture at Harris Beach while we evolve and adapt to ever-changing technological innovations and opportunities to provide new and different high-value legal and complementary services to our clients. I’m a strong proponent and champion for inclusion and diversity in the law through our Council on Inclusion and Diversity. The Council has aggressively built enduring relationships with minority law student associations across New York, and it is our goal to improve this profession by giving students a leg up to succeed, in both legal and non-legal positions, and whether at Harris Beach or beyond. Earlier this year, I had the honor of being named to the Power List 2020” by the Lawyers of Color organization, which promotes diversity and equity through law.[May be considered attorney advertising]