Stephanie Sanderson-Braem focuses her practice on estate and tax planning, trust and estate administration, and estate and trust litigation.
Stephanie represents single individuals, families with young children, families preparing for retirement, families having a child with special needs, closely held business owners, doctors, CEOs and fiduciaries managing all aspects of trust and estate administration. She advises her clients on premarital agreements, business succession planning, lifetime giving and charitable giving in addition to the preparation and implementation of wills, trusts, powers of attorney and advance directives. Stephanie provides clients with assistance in more complex planning involving life insurance trusts, family limited partnerships, intentionally defective grantor trusts and grantor retained annuity trusts.
Stephanie also represents individuals, banks and trust companies serving as executors and trustees for trusts and estates of various sizes and complexities.
While pursuing her J.D., Stephanie worked in the executive compensation department at PwC. Prior to law school, Stephanie was a tax associate at PwC and a tax associate at LiCastro and Reidy CPAs.
Featured Representative Matters
Advised a producer and distributor of novelty ice cream products in the acquisition of a controlling interest by a private investment firm.
Represented a national bank in 20 different New Jersey cases to successfully have the bank resign as corporate trustee of various trusts.
Represented a significant religious organization in asset protection planning and nonprofit corporate restructuring.
Represented estates of special-needs decedents in the determination of their special-needs trusts.
Represented a client in a record-setting auction sale of a rare pre-revolutionary pie-crust table — attributed to the Garvan carver — which dates back to the early 1760s; auctioned by Christie’s, the antique table sold for more than $6.7 million.
Closed one of the largest client estates, saving more than $14 million in federal estate tax; the IRS gave the estate tax clearance without any adjustment to the federal estate tax return.
Represented a residual beneficiary of an estate in the protection of estate assets and removal of an executor in Orphans’ Court in Philadelphia in a case involving a legal issue of first impression.
Created tax planning strategies for individuals with wealth exceeding federal and state applicable exclusion amounts.
Community Impact
An avid supporter for education in the Philadelphia area, Stephanie serves on the boards of directors for the Knights Education Foundation and Catholic Partnership Schools. She is also a member of the Gift Planning Advisory Council at Pennsylvania State University.
Memberships
Member, Board of Directors, Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey
Member, Board of Directors, Catholic Partnership Schools
Member, Gift Planning Advisory Council, Pennsylvania State University
Member, Executive Advisory Council, Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia
Member, Professional Advisors Committee, Community Foundation of South Jersey
Philadelphia Estate Planning Council
Member, Board of Directors
Immediate Past President, Board of Directors
Former Vice President, Board of Directors
Former Treasurer, Board of Directors
Former Secretary, Board of Directors
Co-Chair, Women’s Initiative Committee
Board of Directors, Officer and Secretary of the Board, Knights Education Foundation
Former Vice President, Board of Trustees, Cherry Hill Public Library
Member, Camden County Bar Association
Member, Estate and Financial Planning Council of Southern New Jersey
Member, Philadelphia Bar Association, Probate and Trust Law Section
Member, Stradley Ronon Inclusion Committee
Recognitions
The Best Lawyers in America (Trust and Estates) (2026)
New Leaders of the Bar, New Jersey Law Journal (2015)
20 Under 40, South Jersey Biz (2015)
Featured Speaking Engagements
Moderator, “Regional Economic Perspective – Gloucester County,” Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey
Moderator, “Regional Economic Perspective: Atlantic and Cape May Counties,” Chamber of Commerce of Southern New Jersey
Presenter, “Estate Planning: Taking Care of the People You Love,” Volunteer UP Legal Clinic
Presenter, “Making a Will and Estate Planning Tips,” Pennsylvania State University Office of Gift Planning
Panelist, “Year-End Planning and Updates on Tax Legislation,” Pennsylvania State University Gift Planning Advisory Council
Panelist, “Advance Directives and Healthcare POA,” Pennsylvania State University Gift Planning Advisory Council
Panelist, “Avoiding the Many Pitfalls in Preparing Gift Tax Returns,” Philadelphia Estate Planning Council
Panelist, “Estate Planning Week: Advance Directives and More,” Pennsylvania State University Gift Planning Advisory Council
Presenter, “Supplemental Needs Trusts,” Planning for Loved Ones with Special Needs Seminar
Guest, “What Prince’s Death Can Teach You About Estate Planning,” Your Life, Your Wealth podcast presented by Cordasco Financial Network
Panelist, “Do Not Wait for a Leader … Look in the Mirror, It’s YOU!” Healthcare Financial Management Association's Women in Leadership: Empowering Women to Lead
Panelist, “The Next Generation: Preparing Our Future Leaders,” United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey’s Leaders Lead Speaker Series
Presenter, “Getting More: How You Can Negotiate to Succeed in Work and Life,” Group Hug — Wharton Professor Stuart Diamond
Presenter, “Interacting with Our Clients Through Technology in a World of Regulators and Scammers,” Philadelphia Estate Planning Council
