Background & Experience
Drew Hanessian is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ with over 15 years of professional experience, including more than five years in wealth management and financial planning. Before entering the financial planning profession, Drew served as a Supply Officer in the United States Navy, including time aboard a submarine - an experience that instilled the discipline, attention to detail, and calm under pressure that define his approach to client work today.
Though his career has taken him across the country, Drew has put down roots in Hampton Roads, where he is committed to building lasting relationships and serving the community he now calls home.
Before joining Alperin, Drew served as a lead planner at Tessara Wealth, a fee-only registered investment advisory firm, where he developed deep expertise in comprehensive financial planning, tax strategy, and equity compensation. He holds a Master of Professional Studies in Wealth Management from Columbia University - the first Ivy League program of its kind - where he was a member of the inaugural cohort, a founding donor of the Wealth Management Advancing Diversity Fellowship, and is the course associate for the financial psychology class. His background as a fee-only fiduciary means clients have always been at the center of every recommendation he makes - no commissions, no conflicts, just advice.
Practice Area
At Alperin Law, Drew focuses on integrated financial and tax planning, working alongside the firm's legal and tax professionals to deliver truly holistic guidance under one roof. He specializes in proactive tax planning, retirement income strategy, and helping clients make sense of complex financial decisions. Drew's goal is to be the advisor clients call first, knowing he'll help connect every piece of their financial picture.
Outside of the Office
Outside of work, Drew’s wife, Tristany, is a Navy JAG attorney transitioning to become a Career Law Clerk for the United States District Court located in Norfolk. They are kept constantly and happily busy by their young daughter and twin boys. Drew is a lifelong Mets fan who enjoys all types of games as well as traveling whenever the family schedule allows. Drew is a volunteer financial planner for Homes For Our Troops and serves as the local group leader for the Hampton Roads NAPFA chapter. He is passionate about bringing professional-grade planning to families in the community he now calls home.