Best Lawyers Near You in Sacramento, California for Litigation and Controversy - Tax
With nearly 200,000 licensed attorneys across a state known for its massive industries, progressive laws and regional differences, finding the right legal help in California can feel overwhelming. Whether you’re facing a business dispute in Silicon Valley or a custody battle in San Diego, it’s critical to find a lawyer in California who not only understands the law but understands how it works where you live.
That’s where Best Lawyers comes in. Our platform is more than just a directory. Every lawyer listed has been thoroughly vetted through a rigorous peer-review process, so you can search with confidence no matter what practice area you need.
Using the Best Lawyers Directory in California
The Best Lawyers directory makes it easy to find top-rated legal talent across California’s many regions and industries. You can search by:
- Practice area (e.g., environmental law, immigration, tech and IP, family law)
- Location (city or county)
- Lawyer name (if you’re researching someone specifically)
Each listed attorney has been recognized in the most recent edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, a distinction earned through extensive peer feedback and professional evaluation. That means every name you see has already earned the respect of their colleagues—and likely their adversaries, too.
If you need to find a lawyer in California without wasting time on unverified referrals or endless Google results, start here. Our listings provide clear, up-to-date profiles that help you narrow down your options quickly.
California-Specific Legal Needs and Practice Areas
California law can be tricky. You need someone who knows the ropes. The state is a national leader in tech innovation, environmental regulation and entertainment law—and its legal landscape reflects that. Attorneys here must stay up to date not only with federal law but with fast-evolving state statutes, administrative rulings and court precedents.
Some of the most common practice areas where Californians seek legal help include:
- Real estate law, especially in high-cost markets like Los Angeles, San Francisco and Orange County
- Family law, including divorce, child custody and support disputes, all governed by California’s unique family code
- Tech and IP law, a major concern for startups and established firms alike in the Bay Area and beyond
- Entertainment and media law, vital for clients in Los Angeles and surrounding creative hubs
- Environmental and land use law, which is especially important in light of California’s extensive regulations on development, conservation and climate compliance
California also has strict state bar licensing rules, making it essential to choose an attorney who is not just experienced in the area of law you need, but also well-versed in local procedures and precedent. That’s why using a trusted directory like Best Lawyers—where every listing has local context and professional vetting—can make the difference.
How to Find a Good Lawyer in California
Finding a good lawyer in California feels daunting. With so many billboards and online ads, don’t feel bad if you don’t know where to turn. The best results come from approaching your search with intention. Here are key things to consider:
- Know your legal issue. Attorneys often specialize. Make sure you’re looking within the right practice area.
- Check credentials. Always confirm that a lawyer is licensed and in good standing with the State Bar of California.
- Evaluate experience. Ask about similar cases the attorney has handled, especially in your city or county.
- Ask the right questions. When interviewing lawyers, consider asking:
- What is your experience with this specific type of case?
- How do you communicate with clients during the process?
- What outcomes have you achieved in similar matters?
- Read peer and client feedback. While reviews can be helpful, peer recognition carries additional weight. Lawyers know the strengths—and weaknesses—of their colleagues better than anyone else.
Choosing the right legal partner isn’t just about skill. It’s about trust, communication and shared expectations. That’s why using a curated directory that highlights attorneys recommended by their peers can help you filter out guesswork.
Why Peer Recognition Matters in Your Search
The Best Lawyers selection process is rooted in peer recognition—a factor that sets us apart from other platforms. Here’s how it works:
- Nominations come from fellow lawyers, clients and others familiar with a nominee’s work.
- Peer review follows, in which top attorneys confidentially assess the legal skill and professionalism of their peers.
- Analysis and vetting ensure lawyers meet strict ethical and professional standards before being listed.
This isn’t pay-to-play. Lawyers cannot buy their way into the directory and inclusion is never guaranteed. That’s why so many legal professionals and clients trust Best Lawyers as a reliable source of information.
In a field where reputation is everything, recognition from fellow attorneys carries exceptional value. It tells you a lawyer is respected not just by clients, but by those who face them in court or collaborate with them on deals.
Start Your Search with Confidence
Whether you’re seeking representation for a business dispute, criminal matter, estate plan or high-asset divorce, California’s legal market offers no shortage of options. But knowing how to find a lawyer in California—one who brings both credibility and local expertise—is the key to moving forward with clarity.
At Best Lawyers, we make it easier to connect with attorneys who have already earned the respect of their peers. You can explore by practice area, browse by city or search for a specific lawyer using our intuitive filters. No matter where you are in the Golden State, trusted legal help is just a click away.
Find a lawyer in California today and move forward with confidence—backed by a directory built on excellence and trust.
Practice Area Overview
Tax litigation and controversy broadly describes the practice of resolving tax disputes with federal, state, local, and foreign tax authorities. A tax controversy may involve a business (whether for-profit or not-for-profit), trust, estate, or individual, and can result from any form of taxation, including income tax, estate and gift tax, state sales and use tax, or local property tax. In general, tax disputes are separated into civil and criminal matters.
Civil Tax Controversies
Attorneys specializing in tax controversies may assist a taxpayer in a civil matter by providing expertise regarding substantive tax laws, dealing with revenue agents, formulating audit strategies, and pursuing administrative or judicial appeals. Although litigation is usually the option of last resort for most taxpayers, an experienced attorney can provide skillful representation in court proceedings. A tax attorney can play a leading role in resolving a tax controversy or simply serve as an advisor to the taxpayer or his or her accountant. In addition, an attorney may assist the taxpayer in planning transactions to avoid future disputes.
Civil tax matters usually begin with audit, assessment, and collection activities by a taxing authority. Alternatively, a controversy may be initiated by a taxpayer claiming a refund. At the federal level, resolving a civil tax controversy may require discussions with the IRS, a written appeal to and discussions with the Appeals Office, or, potentially, litigation in the United States Tax Court, District Courts, or Court of Federal Claims. After litigation of a case in a lower court, the taxpayer may have appeal rights in the federal appellate courts. A similar process is available in resolving civil tax controversies at the state and local levels.
An international tax attorney may assist a taxpayer in resolving issues with taxing authorities in foreign jurisdictions or involving issues arising in international transactions, including advanced ruling requests to achieve tax certainty and penalty protection, competent authority requests to resolve treaty issues, advanced pricing agreements to resolve transfer pricing issues, and using voluntary disclosure programs to prevent or reduce tax penalties.
Criminal Tax Controversies
Criminal tax matters involve taxpayers alleged to have evaded taxes or otherwise willfully violated the tax laws. Tax litigators can assist such taxpayers by representing them during criminal investigations by the IRS, the Justice Department, or state taxing authorities, and in criminal trials, sentencing proceedings, and appeals.
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Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.