Christopher Joseph Burns

Christopher Burns is a Shareholder at Henson Efron and chairs the Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Practice Group. Christopher practices in estate planning, antenuptial (prenuptial) agreements, business succession planning, elder law, and estate administration. Christopher’s estate planning and business succession planning assistance includes the planning and preparation of wills, revocable trusts, family cabin trust / Limited Liability Companies (LLCs), irrevocable life insurance trusts (ILITs), qualified domestic trusts (QDOTs), family limited partnerships (FLPs), grantor trusts (GRATs), intentionally defective grantor trusts (IDGTs), charitable remainder trusts (CRTs), charitable lead trusts (CLTs), private foundations, health care directives, financial powers of attorney, special needs trusts, supplemental needs trusts, and beneficiary designations for life insurance and retirement plans.

Christopher’s elder law practice includes helping families with special needs through guardianships and conservatorships. Christopher also devotes a significant portion of his practice to the administration and taxation of trusts and estates (including contested estate and trust matters).

Christopher frequently speaks to individuals and professional groups about estate planning, business succession planning and estate administration. Christopher has taught new lawyers annually the basics of estate planning. Christopher has always been active in the community. His service has been recognized by his alma mater, by a radio station which named him their “Hero of the Week,” and by the Minnesota State Bar Association as a “North Star Lawyer” for his commitment in providing pro bono work to low income Minnesotans.  His community and civic efforts have also been recognized by Woodbury Magazine.

In addition to his pro bono efforts and other civic involvements, Christopher is currently serving as an Advisory Board Member of the Northern Division Salvation Army and was a member of the Woodbury City Council from 2010 to 2018. He is also a former columnist for Good Age newspaper, a past mentor to St. Thomas Law School students, and a past member of the Woodbury Business and Economic Development Commissions. He is also the Voting Director of the South Washington County Scholarship Committee. 

Christopher is also active in the management of Henson Efron, as a member of the firm’s Compensation Committee. In addition, Christopher has been recognized as a Minnesota Super Lawyer® since 2014 and before that as a Minnesota Super Lawyer® Rising Star for seven years. He has been listed as a Best Laywers in America® since 2018. Christopher and his family are active members of their church, and Christopher enjoys reading, writing, politics, bicycling, coaching youth sports, and spending time with his wife and children.