Shannon Wright
Practice Areas
Biography
Shannon Wright is an attorney in the Trial & Appellate Litigation practice of Jackson Walker’s Houston office. As a strategic advocate for her clients, Shannon is passionate about finding creative solutions to solve complex matters without losing focus on the bottom line.
Shannonâs practice includes commercial litigation in state and federal court on both sides of the bar, primarily focusing on:
- Prosecuting/defending against breach of contract;
- Defending against data breach/privacy-related class actions;
- Representing commercial landlords in tenant disputes; and
- Representing governmental units asserting immunity.
She frequently represents commercial landlords, healthcare entities, governmental units, and energy companies.
Shannon also frequently serves as local counsel for complex litigation in Texas federal courts, particularly in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. She adds value not only through her client representation experience but also as a former judicial intern for federal judges the Hon. Alfred H. Bennett (U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas) and the Hon. Gregg J. Costa (U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit).
Before her legal practice, Shannon was lead researcher and policy writer for the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. Her primary responsibilities involved drafting the Associationâs proposals for changes to NCAA bylaws, championships policies, and playing rules.
Education
B.A., cum laude, Rice University
M.S., University of Wisconsin-Madison
J.D., summa cum laude, University of Houston Law Center
- Houston Law Review, Managing Editor, Board 59
- Blask Fellow, Federal Bar Association, Southern District of Texas
- Blakely-Butler Moot Court, First Place and Best Speaker
- OUTLaw, Vice President
Bar Admissions
Texas
Court Admissions
United States District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas
- Represented a manufacturing company in a federal court data breach class action resulting from a cybercriminal attack on the company’s servers. The plaintiff voluntarily dismissed all claims against the company after the magistrate judge issued a memorandum and recommendation that all of the plaintiff’s claims should be dismissed for failure to state a claim.
- Represented a medical center and a medical group in a federal court data breach class action resulting from a 2022 cybercriminal attack on the entities’ servers by a notorious ransomware group. The court dismissed all claims against the medical group on the grounds of governmental immunity, after previously dismissing all claims against the medical center on the same grounds.
- Represented transportation/logistics company in unfair competition litigation against former employee and affiliated companies.
- Represented commercial landlord in litigation concerning alleged breach of contract and breach of guaranty for a long-term lease.
- Represented residential contractor in litigation concerning alleged breach of contract.
- Represented SPCs in litigation concerning alleged breaches of contract, unjust enrichment, money had and received, and breaches of fiduciary duty related to a commercial real estate transaction.
- Represented workforce solutions provider in purported class action litigation concerning alleged violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.
- Represented landlord in litigation concerning alleged breaches of contract, fraud, fraudulent inducement, negligent misrepresentation, promissory estoppel, and conspiracy related to a commercial lease.
- Represented trustees in litigation concerning alleged breach of contract and quantum meruit related to a contract for services.
- Represented a manufacturer as local counsel in breach of contract litigation against former employee.
- Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch (Woodward/White Inc.), Appellate Practice, 2024-2026
- Author, “Censure as Speech? Houston Community College System v. Wilson and the Government Speech Doctrine,” 59 Houston Law Review 229 (2021)
- Co-Author, “Teaching Against Threats to Democracy,” Beyond Pedagogies of Exclusion in Diverse Childhood Contexts: Transnational Challenges 131 (Soula Mitakidou et al., eds., 2009)
- Co-Author, “Examining the Treatment of 9/11 and Terrorism in High School Textbooks,” Educating Democratic Citizens in Troubled Times: Qualitative Studies of Current Efforts 192 (Janet S. Bixby and Judith L. Pace eds., 2008)
October 6, 2025
Newsletters
JW Belonging & Inclusion Newsletter â October 2025
View Jackson Walker’s October 2025 Belonging & Inclusion Newsletter, Perspectives.
August 21, 2025
Attorney News
âThe Best Lawyers in Americaâ Features 350 Jackson Walker Attorneys in 2026 Edition, Including 10 âLawyers of the Yearâ and 106 âOnes to Watchâ
The Best Lawyers in America, a widely regarded guide to legal excellence, has recognized 350 Jackson Walker attorneys across 87 specialty practice areas in its 2026 edition, including 10 Lawyers of the Year and 106 Ones to Watch.
August 15, 2024
Attorney News
‘The Best Lawyers in America’ Features 306 Jackson Walker Attorneys in 2025 Edition, Including 9 “Lawyers of the Year” and 75 “Ones to Watch”
The Best Lawyers in America has recognized 306 Jackson Walker attorneys across 81 specialty practice areas in its 2025 edition, including 9 Lawyers of the Year and 75 Ones to Watch. In this yearâs guide, Jackson Walker saw the largest number of attorneys in the areas of Commercial Litigation (75 attorneys) and Real Estate Law (55 attorneys) and the addition of 27 attorneys as Best Lawyers.
April 15, 2024
Newsletters
JW Diversity & Inclusion Newsletter â April 2024
View Jackson Walker’s April 2024 Diversity & Inclusion Newsletter, Perspectives.
December 4, 2023
Newsletters
JW Diversity & Inclusion Newsletter â December 2023
View Jackson Walker’s December 2023 Diversity & Inclusion Newsletter, Perspectives.
September 18, 2023
Podcasts
Emojis, Generations, and the Law
JW Fast Takes Podcast | ~9 minutes
In this episode, Baker Howry and Shannon Wright cover the rise of emojis, texts, and other modern modes of communication within the workplace and how these new communication styles are being interpreted by the courts.
August 24, 2023
Newsletters
JW Diversity & Inclusion Newsletter â August 2023
View Jackson Walker’s August 2023 Diversity & Inclusion Newsletter, Perspectives.
August 17, 2023
Attorney News
‘The Best Lawyers in America’ Honors 287 Jackson Walker Attorneys in 2024 Edition, Including 12 “Lawyers of the Year” and 80 “Ones to Watch”
The Best Lawyers in America has recognized 287 Jackson Walker attorneys across 5 offices and 82 specialty practice areas in its 2024 edition, including 12 Lawyers of the Year and 80 Ones to Watch. In this yearâs guide, Jackson Walker saw the largest number of attorneys in the areas of Commercial Litigation (66 attorneys) and Real Estate Law (60 attorneys) and the addition of 35 attorneys as Best Lawyers.
March 30, 2023
Insights
What’s in an Emoji? How Generational Differences in Communication Impact the Workplace and Can Increase Liability
By Baker Howry, Shannon Wright, and Jamila Brinson
To meme or not to meme, that is the question. With millennials comprising 35% of the workforce and Gen Z expected to reach 30% by 2030, the use of emojis, emoticons, and memes in the workplace is inevitable. This article provides an overview of what emojis mean for employers, including the potential for miscommunication, how courts have analyzed them, and key considerations for risk management.
December 21, 2022
Podcasts
A Very Special “Favorite Things” Episode
JW Fast Takes Podcast | ~2 minutes
This special holiday episode features first-year associates Caroline Capili, Shayan Gaziani, Alex Leseney, and Shannon Wright as they share their favorite things about the practice of law â and Jackson Walker.
Practice Experience
- Represented a manufacturing company in a federal court data breach class action resulting from a cybercriminal attack on the company’s servers. The plaintiff voluntarily dismissed all claims against the company after the magistrate judge issued a memorandum and recommendation that all of the plaintiff’s claims should be dismissed for failure to state a claim.
- Represented a medical center and a medical group in a federal court data breach class action resulting from a 2022 cybercriminal attack on the entities’ servers by a notorious ransomware group. The court dismissed all claims against the medical group on the grounds of governmental immunity, after previously dismissing all claims against the medical center on the same grounds.
- Represented transportation/logistics company in unfair competition litigation against former employee and affiliated companies.
- Represented commercial landlord in litigation concerning alleged breach of contract and breach of guaranty for a long-term lease.
- Represented residential contractor in litigation concerning alleged breach of contract.
- Represented SPCs in litigation concerning alleged breaches of contract, unjust enrichment, money had and received, and breaches of fiduciary duty related to a commercial real estate transaction.
- Represented workforce solutions provider in purported class action litigation concerning alleged violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.
- Represented landlord in litigation concerning alleged breaches of contract, fraud, fraudulent inducement, negligent misrepresentation, promissory estoppel, and conspiracy related to a commercial lease.
- Represented trustees in litigation concerning alleged breach of contract and quantum meruit related to a contract for services.
- Represented a manufacturer as local counsel in breach of contract litigation against former employee.
Recognition & Accolades
- Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch (Woodward/White Inc.), Appellate Practice, 2024-2026
Publications & Speeches
- Author, “Censure as Speech? Houston Community College System v. Wilson and the Government Speech Doctrine,” 59 Houston Law Review 229 (2021)
- Co-Author, “Teaching Against Threats to Democracy,” Beyond Pedagogies of Exclusion in Diverse Childhood Contexts: Transnational Challenges 131 (Soula Mitakidou et al., eds., 2009)
- Co-Author, “Examining the Treatment of 9/11 and Terrorism in High School Textbooks,” Educating Democratic Citizens in Troubled Times: Qualitative Studies of Current Efforts 192 (Janet S. Bixby and Judith L. Pace eds., 2008)