Christopher B. "Chris" Dolan
A Champion of Justice
Under Chris' leadership, the Dolan Law Firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for its clients and become one of California's premier plaintiffs' firms serving clients injured due to the fault of another or were discriminated against or harassed in the workplace.
Recognized as one of the top 25 plaintiff's lawyers in California, Chris spearheads many of the most significant and challenging lawsuits filed in California state and federal courts against insurance companies, Fortune 500 companies, cities, school districts, public agencies, and product manufacturers.
Extraordinary Results and Record Verdicts
Possessing a "history of winning multi-million judgments for his clients," as noted by the San Francisco Business Times, Chris has successfully tried over 45 cases and settled hundreds of lawsuits on favorable terms for his clients.
Chris' unparalleled success in civil litigation includes the largest verdict - $61 million - ever in U.S. history for individuals subjected to racial and ethnic discrimination and harassment in violation of their civil rights. The case involved two Lebanese-Americans who after 9/11 were repeatedly taunted by their manager and coworkers as "terrorists," "sand niggers," and other slurs.
Demonstrating Chris' passion for justice and commitment to his clients no matter the prejudice in society, Chris took the case after 10 other law firms, the NAACP, and ACLU all had rejected it. For his outstanding success in the case, California Lawyer magazine awarded Chris its prestigious California Lawyer of the Year Award.
Chris supervises all cases litigated by the Dolan Law Firm. He has obtained jury verdicts or settlements of more than $1 million in an additional 20 cases. Some of the settlements in these cases were in excess of $10 million but were confidential and cannot be listed. A representative sample of awards in personal injury lawsuits and employment law cases obtained by Chris for his clients include:
* $20,000,000.00 verdict in employee whistle-blower case against largest timeshare company, Wyndham, for woman who reported fraud on elderly timeshare purchasers
* $16,500,000 recovery for pedestrian killed in San Francisco
* $6,500,000 recovery for a motorcycle rider severely injured due to a dangerous roadway condition;
* $6,500,000 recovery in wrongful death action brought by husband whose wife was killed in a head-on collision due to driver crossing the center line;
* $5,950,000 recovery in dependent adult abuse case for woman who suffered brain injury when improperly restrained
* $5,000,000 recovery from CalTrans for bicyclist catastrophically injured by dangerous bike lane
- $4,250,000 recovery for 13-year old boy who suffered permanent brain damage after being struck by a vehicle while walking in a crosswalk at a street intersection;
- $4,000,000 verdict for female pedestrian who suffered chronic pain injury in her pelvic region after being struck by cab in crosswalk
- $3,400,000 verdict for woman who suffered caustic burn injuries to throat after being served a defective beverage
- $2,500,000 recovery for female employee of Fortune 500 company subjected to discrimination and termination for having protested the use of homophobic slurs and statements made in the workplace by senior company executives
- $2,490,000 verdict for motorcyclist injured because of Caltrans negligent maintenance
- $2,000,000 recovery for woman injured on bicycle because of defective roadway
A Leader Among Trial Lawyers
Chris has been recognized by numerous California and national publications as one of the foremost trial lawyers and skilled negotiators in California. The Daily Journal, the leading legal newspaper in California, selected Chris as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in California and one of California's Top 25 Plaintiffs' Lawyers.
Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers have ranked Chris as a premier personal injury and product liability attorney in Northern California. Chris has received a rating of AV Preeminent from Martindale Hubbell for very high ethical standards and professional excellence as evaluated by his peers in the legal community.
In 2010, Chris served as President of the Consumer Attorneys of California ("CAOC"), the largest statewide association of trial lawyers in the U.S. In 2013, the CAOC honored Chris with an award for his "many years of dedication, outstanding efforts, and effectiveness" in advancing the rights of the injured and consumers in California. In 2016, Chris served as President of the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association ("SFTLA"). Both the CAOC and SFTLA have honored Chris with their trial lawyer of the year awards.
Chris speaks at multiple California and national legal conferences each year educating lawyers on best practices in the courtroom and emerging trends in the law. Chris is often called upon as a legal expert for national and local television and radio programs including CNN, Fox News, Dateline NBC, and NPR. He also writes a weekly column for the San Francisco Examiner in which he answers reader questions on new legislation and legal issues in the news.
Promoting Safety, Ending Discrimination, And Safeguarding Our Constitutional Rights
While obtaining the maximum financial recovery allowed under the law for his clients remains a constant focus of Chris' practice, he knows that justice means more than money. Working closely with his clients, Chris has forced cities and counties to fix dangerous streets and intersections and manufacturers to produce safer products.
For over 20 years, Chris has worked tirelessly on behalf of his clients to stop discrimination embedded in workplace polices and practices that caused them deep emotional pain and prevented their career advancement. In 2016, The Advocate has selected Chris as one of the top 25 Attorneys Fighting For Trans Rights, helping transgender persons secure their equal rights.
In the words of the CAOC, Chris puts "his heart and soul" into preserving access to the courthouse for all Californians and "has worked unrelentingly to change" unjust laws. Chris frequently testifies before California legislative committees in support of legislation advancing consumer rights. In 2014, Chris played an instrumental role in convincing the Legislature to adopt a statute requiring ride share companies like Uber to provide $1 million in insurance coverage so that anyone injured due to the fault of a ride share driver would obtain just compensation for his or her injuries.
- Top 25 Plaintiffs' Lawyers in California, Daily Journal, 2015
- California Lawyer of the Year, California Lawyer, 2007
- Consumer Attorney of the Year, Consumer Attorneys of California, 2006
- Trial Lawyer of the Year, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, 2006
- Top 100 Lawyers in California, Daily Journal, 2010
San Francisco, California 94102
