Alison Mullins
Partner

571-620-1934
LinkedIn Profile

Alison Mullins is a founding partner at Shannon Mullins & Wright LLP where she focuses her practice on all aspects of construction law and civil litigation. She primarily represents architects, engineers, design-builders, and professionals in technical construction industry matters. Alison advises clients regarding risk management throughout the entire construction project, from the conceptualization of the project and contract negotiations, through post-substantial completion issues. Alison heads the firm’s Design Professional and Construction Law Practices and is a member of the firm’s Litigation team.

Alison provides clients with thorough risk analysis, evaluation, allocation, and management of business practices, in addition to assisting with the preparation and negotiation of contracts. She also provides pre-claim counseling to clients. When disputes arise, she negotiates, mediates, and/or arbitrates contract enforcement issues, and works out payment plans for monetary defaults. She has tried cases before judges and juries regarding complex civil litigation, including matters involving commercial and residential construction projects.

Alison is a native New Englander and received her J.D. from Roger Williams University School of Law in Bristol, Rhode Island. Before entering the private practice of law, Alison started her legal career as a contracts manager and in-house counsel at a large architectural firm in Northern Virginia. From that experience, Alison has unique insight and perspective on client needs, and how to meet them.

When Alison is away from the office, she enjoys spending time relaxing at home in North Arlington with her husband and boy/girl twins, running marathons, and traveling (especially to Disney).

Practice Areas

Bar Admissions

  • Virginia
  • Maryland
  • District of Columbia
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
  • U.S. District Court of Maryland
  • Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of the United States

Education

  • Southern Connecticut State University
  • Roger Williams School of Law

Professional & Community Involvement

  • Vice Chair, Construction & Public Contracts Law Section, Virginia State Bar
  • Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Board Member, Virginia State Bar
  • Secretary, Continuing Legal Education Committee Chair & Diversity Initiative Co-Chair, Virginia Women Attorneys Association, State Board
  • Past-President, Virginia Women Attorneys Association, Northern Virginia Chapter
  • Supporting Partner, American Institute of Architects, Northern Virginia Chapter
  • Member, Fairfax County Bar Association
  • Member, Alexandria Bar Association

Awards & Recognitions

  • Client Champion Platinum, Martindale-Hubble – 2021
  • Peer Rating of AV Preeminent, Martindale-Hubble – 2017-2021
  • Judicial Edition Rating of AV Preeminent, Martindale-Hubble – 2017-2021
  • Super Lawyers, Top Rated Lawyer for Construction Litigation, Virginia and District of Columbia – 2021
  • Legal Elite, Construction, Virginia Business Magazine – 2016-2021
  • AIA Northern Virginia Chapter Award, The American Institute of Architects Northern Virginia Chapter – October 2020
  • Woman Leader in The Law, Legal Leaders Top Rated Lawyers – 2020
  • Top Lawyer, Civil Defense, Northern Virginia Magazine – 2019-2020
  • Top Attorneys, Virginia’s Outstanding Young Lawyers – 2016, 2018-2020
  • Top Attorneys, Washington DC’s Outstanding Young Lawyers – 2020
  • Super Lawyers Rising Star, Virginia and District of Columbia – 2015-2020
  • America’s Most Honored Professionals – Top 1% – 2018-2021
  • Top Attorneys, Construction, Arlington Magazine – 2019

Publications & Speaking Engagements

Publications 

 

Speaking Engagements

  • Presenter, Handling Ethical Issues in Engineering Practice, Sponsored by HalfMoon Education Inc., May 2021
  • Presenter, Architect Registration Exam, Contract Documents, Legal (Prep Course), AIA Northern Virginia Young Architects Forum, 2014-2021
  • Presenter, At the Crossroads of Contracts, Construction Documents, & Licensing Obligations, Emerging Leaders in Architecture Sponsored by American Institute of Architects, March 2019-2021
  • Presenter, Ethical Considerations in Contract Negotiation, Drafting and Administration, Advanced Construction Contracts: Sustainability and Ethics Sponsored by HalfMoon Education Inc., July 2020
  • Presenter, Contract Law Primer for Engineers, Sponsored by HalfMoon Education Inc., January 2019
  • Presenter, The Power of Networking, 11th Annual Virginia Women’s Business Conference, December 2019
  • Presenter, Contract Provisions Expanding Liability, Emerging Leaders Institute Sponsored by American Council of Engineering Companies, February 2018
  • Presenter, Setting Relationships Up for Success, Virginia Women’s Business Conference, December 2017
  • Presenter, To Document or Not to Document: That is the Question, Design Professionals Learning Event Sponsored by RLI, 2017
  • Co-Presenter, Evidentiary Issues in a Construction Trial/Foundation and Admissibility of E-Documents; Update on Federal and State Evidentiary Rules, Virginia State Bar, Construction Law & Public Contracts Section, Annual Seminar, November 2015
  • Moderator, Great Expectations: What Insureds Expect from Outside Counsel, 54th Meeting of Invited Attorneys Sponsored by Victor O. Schinnerer & Company, Inc., May 2015
  • Moderator, Mediation Ethics, Construction Law & Public Contracts Section, Virginia State Bar, Norfolk, March 2015
  • Moderator, Mediation Ethics, Construction Law & Public Contracts Section, Virginia State Bar, Roanoke, September 2014
  • Co-presenter, Contracts, Structural Engineers Association of Metropolitan Washington, March 2014
  • Co-presenter, Virginia Engineering Law, Halfmoon Education, Inc., September 2013
  • Co-presenter, The 411 on RFP Preparation and AIA Documents, Community Associations Institute, Washington Metropolitan Chapter, September 2013
  • Co-presenter, Show Me the Money – Contract Terms That Help You Get Paid…and Make Your Life Easier, Presentation to RLI Insurance, April 2013
  • Co-presenter, Take It or Leave It, Structural Engineers Association of Metropolitan Washington, November 2011
  • Presenter, Architects and the Law, Professional Practice Class at the Washington-Alexandria Center for Architecture, November 2008