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G. Christopher Wright
Partner



Christopher Wright is a founding partner at Shannon & Wright LLP in Alexandria Virginia where he represents clients in the areas of Estate Planning, Gift, Estate, and Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Planning, and Estate & Trust Administration.  Mr. Wright’s practice also includes advising clients on income tax issues in estate and trust administration, and income tax planning for family wealth transfers.

He is an adjunct professor at The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, where he teach Wealth Transfer Tax and Estate Planning.  He earned his undergraduate degree from East Carolina University and his J.D. degree, magna cum laude, from Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law.

Before becoming an attorney, Mr. Wright worked in public accounting as a Certified Public Accountant and medium to large multinational corporations as a financial analyst.

Professional & Community Involvement

  • Advisor, Interactive Legal
  • Chair, Senior Services of Alexandria (2022-2024)
  • Treasurer, Senior Services of Alexandria (2020-2021)
  • Member of the Board of Directors, Senior Services of Alexandria (2019-2020)
  • Chair, CLE Committee of the Virginia State Bar Section on Taxation (2023-2024)
  • Chair, Virginia State Bar Section on Taxation (2022-2023)
  • Adjunct Professor, Taxation on Wealth Transfers/Estate Planning, The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law (2018 to Present)
  • Past President, Alexandria Bar Association (2019-2020)
  • President, Alexandria Bar Association (2018-2019)
  • Member, Senior Law Day Planning Committee (2015-2019)
  • Chair of Finance Committee, Old Dominion Boat Club (2015-2016)
  • Member of the Board of Directors, Alexandria Bar Association (2014-2018)
  • Member of the Board of Directors, Alexandria Law Library (2014-2018)
  • Chairman, Wills for Heroes Committee, Alexandria Bar Association (2013)

Awards & Recognition

  • Best Lawyers®, Trusts and Estates & Tax Law (2026 – 2024)
  • Leaders in the Law, Virginia Lawyers Weekly (2025)
  • Go To Lawyers: Tax Law, Virginia Lawyers Weekly (2025)
  • Washingtonian, Top Lawyers, Trusts and Estates (2024)
  • Super Lawyers, Estate Planning & Probate, Virginia (2025 – 2022)
  • Super Lawyers Rising Star, Estate Planning & Probate, Virginia (2021)
  • Legal Elite, Taxes/Estates/Trusts, Virginia Business Magazine (2025 – 2020)
  • Top Attorneys, Tax, Arlington Magazine (2025 – 2021)
  • Top Attorneys, Trusts & Estates, Arlington Magazine (2024 – 2023)
  • Donald F. Mela Distinguished Service Award
  • Harry L. Carrico Pro Bono Award

Publications & Speaking Engagements

  • “Tax Basics for Estate Administration”, 44th Annual Trusts and Estates Seminar 2025, Virginia CLE (Oct. 2025)
  • The Anatomy of an Engagement Letter and Important Considerations, Estate View (June 2025)
  • The Three-Headed Dragon: The Intersection of Real Estate Deeds, Divorce, and Taxes, VSB Annual Meeting (May 2024)
  • The Pass Through Entity Tax: A SALT Cap Workaround, Taxation Law Reporter, VSB Taxation Law Section Newsletter (Winter 2023)
  • Living Trusts: Forms and Practice (Matthew Bender), Update Contributor (2014 to Present)
  • Top 5 LLC Mistakes to Avoid in Everyday Business Practices, NBI, Inc. (May 2021)
  • LLC Tax Tactics 2021, NBI, Inc. (2021)
  • What to Do with Existing IRA Trusts after the SECURE Act, NBI, Inc. (2020)
  • Special Needs Trusts and ABLE Accounts, Presentation to Autism Society of Northern Virginia (2020)
  • Income Tax Update 2020, Alexandria Bar Association CLE (2020)
  • Planning with Retirement Accounts, Fairfax Bar Association (2019)
  • Individual and Small Business Income Tax Highlights for 2019, Alexandria Bar Association CLE (2019)
  • Navigating Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (2018)
  • Impact of President Trump’s Unified Framework on Individual and Pass-Through Taxes, Alexandria Bar Association CLE (2018)
  • Tax Tips for Parents of a Child with Special Needs, Presentation at McLean Bible Church (2018)
  • Individual Tax Deductions, Presentation at Burke Library of Alexandria (2018)
  • Virginia’s New Elective Share, Alexandria Bar Association CLE (2018)
  • Tax Aspects of ABLE Accounts (2018)
  • IRAs in Life and Death, Alexandria Bar Association CLE (2016)
  • Legal Ethics – Medicaid Planning Seminar, NBI, Inc. (2014)