Our Team
John E. Christopher is a partner at Manley Burke, LPA. He primarily practices in the areas of nonprofit organizations, business organizations, tax, and estate planning.
John’s tax focused education and his years of experience in working with a broad variety of nonprofit organizations (both charities and non-charities) allow him to provide focused, relevant and usable legal advice to his nonprofit clients in all phases of their operations, from creation and start up through termination. More specifically, he represents operating and non-operating private foundations ranging from those affiliated with Fortune 100® listed companies to small family foundations. His public charity representation covers all varieties of public charities including hospitals and hospital-supporting organizations, national church foundations, college and university-affiliated organizations, museums, arts organizations, cultural organizations, community organizations, ministries, youth sports organizations and national fraternal organizations and their related foundations, among many other mission-driven organizations. John’s experience in representing nonprofit clients includes corporate governance and fund stewardship, domestic and foreign grant-making, maintaining the corporate integrity of affiliated organizations, policy and procedure drafting and review, self-dealing and excess benefits transactions review and guidance, and representation of organizations facing IRS audit. He is a frequent speaker and has presented at numerous seminars, institutes and client training programs.
John’s representation of for-profit enterprises is similarly broad-based and varied. He advises closely held for-profit companies, including corporations and limited liability companies, across a broad spectrum of issues including tax-efficient operations and transactions, corporate governance, corporate “best practices,” and mergers and acquisitions.
John works with individuals and families to help transition family businesses and assets during life and at death in a tax-efficient manner while keeping the client’s goals the priority. His estate planning clients range from new parents with relatively simple needs to large estates and those with sensitive or complex issues.
Before joining Manley Burke, John was a partner in the Cincinnati office of Dinsmore & Shohl LLP.
Quick Facts
Office:
225 West Court Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Practice Areas:
Corporate
Non-Profit Organizations
Tax
Real Estate
Admissions
Ohio
Kentucky
United States Tax Court
Education
1994, LL.M. (Taxation), University of Florida
1993, J.D., Northern Kentucky University Salmon P. Chase College of Law (cum laude)
1990, B.A., University of Kentucky
Achievements
Recognized by Best Lawyers in America for Nonprofit & Charities Law since 2007
Friend of Distinction Award, Pi Beta Phi Fraternity (2017)
Community Affiliations
NIC Foundation
Board of Directors, 2013 – present
Old Main Holdings – Board of Directors, 2012 – present
Mariemont School System Lacrosse Program
Head Coach Mariemont Junior High School Boys Lacrosse Team
Former Assistant Coach Mariemont High School Girls Varsity Lacrosse Team
Former Assistant Coach Mariemont Junior High School Girls Lacrosse Team
Former Assistant Coach Mariemont and Terrace Park Youth Girls Lacrosse Team
Former Assistant Coach Mariemont and Terrace Park Youth Boys Lacrosse Team
Former Member of Foundation Advisory Network of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation
Former Board Member of Woman’s Art Club of Cincinnati Foundation
Former Trustee of Hyde Park Community Methodist Church
Former Board Member of St. Aloysius Orphanage
Former Treasurer of Mariemont Pack 1 Cub Scouts and den leader
Former Board Member of Southern Ohio Youth Girls
Lacrosse Association
Ohio Bar Association Mentor, 2013 – present
Ohio State Bar Association
Kentucky Bar Association
Cincinnati Bar Association
Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity – Member
Publications & Publications
Legal Update, BKD Not-for-Profit Education Program – Cincinnati, OH, May 2018
Keynote Speaker, Fraternal Housing Association Annual Conference, September 2017
Legal Update, 2017 PFA Convention, September 2017
Deductible or Not? How to Maximize Your Giving, 2017 Greek Housing Conference, April 2017
IRS and House Corporations, 2017 Phi Delta Theta House Corporation Summit, February 2017













