Christopher Dunnells

Christopher Dunnells has enjoyed much success in his career so far, and he has received recognition from numerous organizations to prove it. What makes him a Phenom, though, is his motivation to give back.

Dunnells says one of his most significant accomplishments was being asked to teach at his law school alma mater. He will start as an adjunct professor in the spring and is quite excited about it. He had already been involved with the law students doing moot court coaching for the past four years. He is also involved with pro bono work with the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project, and he does volunteer work for the Mississippi Department of Child Protective Services.

Dunnells—whose practice focuses on trucking defense, transportation law, premises liability, personal injury defense, and appellate practice—says his proudest legal moment came when he was the primary brief writer on a decision out of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals that changed the way employment matters under the Fair Labor Standards Act are handled.

Dunnells’ advice for young attorneys: get involved. He points to his own involvement in CLM as an example—Dunnells serves in a leadership role with CLM’s Transportation Community, has written for CLM Magazine, and helped create a workshop that premiered at CLM’s 2023 Annual Conference.