Recognized in Ones to Watch since 2021 
T. Samuel Azinger is a Shareholder in the Trusts and Estates Section at von Briesen & Roper, s.c. Sam focuses his practice on estate planning, estate and trust administration, retirement benefits planning, charitable giving, and special needs planning. He counsels high-net-worth families, closely-held business owners and professionals at every stage of wealth, designing and drafting wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, asset-holding structures, marital property agreements and powers of attorney. Sam has particular depth in retirement plan benefits, estate and income tax planning, Title XIX and long-term care planning, special needs trusts, and planning for families with a child or other family member with disabilities. He also advises corporate and individual trustees on complex estate and trust administration and on the scope of their fiduciary duties.
Sam takes a collaborative approach, working directly with clients’ wealth managers, financial planners, accountants, and insurance advisors so that a plan performs as intended across disciplines. He places particular emphasis on designing plans that anticipate family dynamics to reduce the risk of conflict and unnecessary disputes among beneficiaries.
Sam is a Director and member of the Milwaukee Estate Planning Forum, a cross-disciplinary group of leading estate planners in the greater Milwaukee area. He is also a member of the National Association of Elder Law Attorneys, and a member of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s Herbert J. Mueller Society. He presents frequently on estate planning and elder law topics, including for the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Annual Estate Planning Update and the Milwaukee Estate Planning Forum. He was a member of a small group that reviewed and recommended revisions for the Ozaukee County Probate Court rules.
Sam is deeply invested in the Mequon-Thiensville community, where he is a founder and Director of the M-T Trails Foundation, a past Thiensville Village Trustee, a past Chair of the Mequon-Thiensville Joint Bicycle and Pedestrian Way Commission, and a past President and the current Foundation Chair of the Thiensville-Mequon Rotary Club. Outside of the office, Sam has coached youth baseball, follows Wisconsin’s professional sports teams and spends time with his wife and three children. He also enjoys volunteering and attending community events.
