Top Best Estate Lawyers | 18197 Available

Attorney T. Samuel Azinger joined Willms-O'Leary, S.C. as an attorney in 2017. His practice includes Estate Planning, Real Estate, Business, Estate and Trust Administration, Retirement Benefits Planning, Charitable Giving, and a focus in Elder Law and Special Needs matters, including Guardianships, Title XIX Planning, Special Needs Trusts, Senior Living and Long-Term Care planning.. Sam served his community as a Trustee on the Thiensville Village Board from 2018-2020 and continues to serve as the Chair of the Mequon-Thiensville Joint Bicycle and Pedestrian Way Commission where he represented Thiensville from 2016-2020 and now represents Mequon. Sam is an active member of the Thiensville Business Association where he serves on the Board of Directors and as Treasurer, and is also an active member of the Mequon-Thiensville Chamber of Commerce. As a member of the Thiensville-Mequon Rotary Club, Sam serves on the Club’s Board as Chairperson for the Rotary International Foundation and as the Club’s President for the 2020-2021 year. Sam also contributes as a commentary writer for the Ozaukee News Graphic newspaper.. Sam received his Juris Doctor degree from Marquette University Law School. During law school, Sam received CALI Excellence for the Future Awards for his achievements in the study of Estate Planning and Real Estate Finance and Development, and was inducted into the Marquette University Law School Pro Bono Honors Society in recognition of his volunteer work with the Milwaukee Justice Center Family Law Forms Assistance Clinic, Marquette Volunteer Legal Clinics, and the Domestic Violence Injunction Hearing Clinic. Sam also interned with the Village Attorney’s Office in Menomonee Falls before joining Willms, S.C. He received his Bachelor’s Degree from UW-Milwaukee where he graduated Magna Cum Laude, with a major in Political Science with a law focus, and a minor in History.. Sam was born and raised in Mequon and recently moved from Thiensville to Mequon where he lives with his wife and three children. In his free time, Sam enjoys following Wisconsin’s professional sports teams, spending time with his family, volunteering and attending community events.. Professional Membership:. Community Organizations:. Awards:

Jim Funnell is a principal of Brody Wilkinson and a member of the firm’s Trusts & Estates Group. His practice is limited to Special Needs Planning for family members with disabilities, trusts and estates planning, and trusts and estates administration. Mr. Funnell is a Martindale-Hubbell AV-rated attorney. Mr. Funnell is admitted to practice in Connecticut and has practiced in Fairfield County for over thirty years. He is also admitted to practice in Texas. Prior to joining the firm, he was a partner at the former law firm of Hermenze & Marcantonio LLC in Westport, Connecticut.. Mr. Funnell is a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. He is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Connecticut Bar Association’s Estates and Probate Section, and for over twenty years served as the editor in chief of the Estates and Probate Section Notes & Commentary, a continuing legal education publication for Connecticut attorneys.. Mr. Funnell has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© in the field of trusts and estates since 2018. He has also been recognized as a “Connecticut Super Lawyer” in the areas of estate planning and probate tax since 2006. Mr. Funnell has written widely on special needs trust planning, including the “Special Needs Trusts” chapter in Irrevocable Trusts 4th published by Thompson Reuters. He has also spoken on special needs planning to audiences that include Connecticut Probate Court judges and clerks, Connecticut Bar Association, Fairfield County Bar Association, National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, PLAN of CT, Giant Steps, Knights of Columbus, and the Fairfield School District.. Mr. Funnell received his B.S. from Oklahoma State University in 1983; J.D. from Oklahoma City University School of Law in 1986; and LL.M. in Business and Taxation from McGeorge School of Law, Sacramento, California, in 1987. Mr. Funnell serves on the Board of Directors of PLAN of Connecticut, a charitable organization that acts as trustee of special needs trusts for individuals with disabilities.