G. Michelle Ferreira
Awarded Practice Areas
Biography
G. Michelle Ferreira counsels individuals, partnerships, estates and corporations in tax disputes with the Internal Revenue Service and state and local tax agencies, including the California Franchise Tax Board, the State Board of Equalization, the Employment Development Department and county assessment appeals boards. As a former tax litigator for the Internal Revenue Service, Michelle brings unique experience to clients who have complex and sensitive tax and penalty disputes. Michelle represents clients before the IRS, and state and local tax agencies at the audit, collection, appeals and litigation stages.
Michelle was the former Chair of the Executive Committee of the Taxation Section of the California State Bar in 2009-2010. She frequently speaks on topics of tax controversy and tax procedure before professional associations for both lawyers and accountants, and she was an Adjunct Professor for the Master’s in Taxation Program at Golden Gate University in San Francisco.
Outside of the office, Michelle is involved in a wide array of tax professional organizations and has established key relationships with IRS and state taxing agency executives. She is nationally recognized for her audit and litigation experience in estate and gift tax disputes with the IRS, especially cases involving challenges to family limited partnerships and valuation disputes.
Overview
- Spanish
- Santa Clara University, J.D., graduated 1995
- California, The State Bar of California
- American Bar Association, Taxation Section - Member
- Golden Gate University School of Tax - Adjunct Professor
- National Association of State Bar, Tax Section, Executive Committee - Member
- San Francisco Estate Planning Council - Member
- San Francisco Tax Club - Member
- Spanish
- California, The State Bar of California
- American Bar Association, Taxation Section - Member
- Golden Gate University School of Tax - Adjunct Professor
- National Association of State Bar, Tax Section, Executive Committee - Member
- San Francisco Estate Planning Council - Member
- San Francisco Tax Club - Member
- Santa Clara University, J.D., graduated 1995
Client Testimonials
Awards & Focus

- Tax Law, San Francisco (2026)
- Litigation and Controversy - Tax, San Francisco (2023)
- Litigation and Controversy - Tax, San Francisco (2017)
- Litigation and Controversy - Tax
- Tax Law
- "Special Act Award," for litigation of Estate of Schauerhamer v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo 1997-242, December 1997
- Performance Award, IRS Small Business/Self-Employed Division, Fall 2001
- "Certificate of Appreciation," IRS Small Business/Self-Employed Division, May 2002
- "2010 Tax Person of the Year," Tax Analysts, January 2011
- V. Judsen Klein Award, State Bar of California, Taxation Section, 2012
- Super Lawyers magazine, Northern California Super Lawyers, 2008-2015
- The Legal 500 United States, 2012-2015
- Daily Journal, one of the "10 Emerging Law Firm Leaders in California," 2013
News & Media
Insights
Case History
- Areas of Concentration
- Tax compliance advice
- Civil tax disputes, including audits, appeals and collection matters
- Offshore income tax disputes, foreign income, bank and asset reporting and related penalty assessments
- Complex tax litigation
- Criminal tax investigations and litigation
- Tax penalties
- Tax shelter investigations, audit and litigation
- Taxing agencies’ information document requests
- Tax procedure
- Tax shelter promoter audits and investigations
- Estate and gift tax disputes
- Other Court Admissions
- Supreme Court of California
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
- U.S. Tax Court
- Significant Representations
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