Christopher A. Mixon

Christopher (Chris) Mixon has served as General Counsel of Ogletree Deakins for over a decade. Having joined the firm as an associate in 2003, he later served as a Shareholder and then Associate General Counsel before being named General Counsel in January 2013. As the chief legal officer for the firm, Chris is the principal legal advisor to the firm’s Managing Shareholder, Board of Directors, and management. He oversees all litigation and other legal matters involving the firm and its lawyers, both domestically and abroad.

Chris was the first full-time General Counsel for Ogletree Deakins. He built and leads a team of service-oriented, solution-focused, collaborative lawyers and business professionals in the firm’s Office of General Counsel. He also directly supervises the firm’s Client Information Risk Services Department, which is responsible for new-business intake, conflicts management, docketing, and information governance.

As counsel to the firm’s senior leadership, Chris advises on corporate governance, regulatory compliance, and risk-mitigation strategies. He also serves as Corporate Secretary and attends all meetings of the Board of Directors.

Chris and his colleagues in the firm’s Office of General Counsel support the firm’s client-service professionals with guidance on matters of ethics and professional responsibility, assisting with conflicts resolution and guidance on ethics issues that arise in the course of a representation.

When the firm’s leadership decided to expand our practice outside of the United States, Chris developed the corporate-structuring and compliance plan for the firm’s international operations, leading the formation of affiliated entities to operate in Canada, France, Germany, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. He continues to oversee compliance and governance matters involving all of the firm’s domestic and international affiliated entities.

Chris also leads a broad array of initiatives as part of his risk-management portfolio. In addition to oversight of the firm’s Client Information Risk Services Department, he instituted and leads the firm’s annual Information Security and Data Privacy risk review process. He convened and directs the firm’s Information Governance Task Force. And he engages deeply with the leaders of the firm’s Client Services, DEI, Finance, Human Resources, Knowledge Management, Information Technology, and Talent functions to support the firm’s priorities in those areas while mitigating risk and ensuring compliance with law, regulation, and contractual commitments.

Chris prioritizes servant leadership, open communication, and a team-oriented approach, recognizing the importance of all contributors to the firm’s success.

Prior to becoming General Counsel, Chris was a shareholder in the firm’s Birmingham office, litigating in state and federal courts, at both the trial and appellate levels. He also had an extensive advice & counsel practice, working with clients to mitigate risk and avoid litigation.

Before joining Ogletree Deakins in 2003, Chris served as Campaign Manager for a successful contested statewide election campaign. He was also a law clerk and then senior staff attorney to two Justices of the Alabama Supreme Court. Chris served for seven years as an Administrative Law Judge for the Alabama State Health Planning and Development Agency.

Chris has been actively involved in professional, community service, and civic organizations. He is a member of the Large Law Firm General Counsel Roundtable and the ABA Center for Professional Responsibility. He is a member of the Nashville Rotary Club and has served as Annual Fund Chair for the University School of Nashville. He has served as Vice President of the Board of Directors of a non-profit United Way agency that provides reading intervention for elementary school students in high-needs schools. He has also served on the Roundtable of the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama, as a participant in the Alabama Leadership Initiative, and as Co-Chairman of the Alabama State Bar’s Leadership Forum program. Chris was selected as one of the Birmingham Business Journal’s “Top 40 under 40” in 2010.