Best Lawyers in California, United States for Tax Law
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Alexander D. Lee, Esq., is tasked with furthering the firm’s mission to provide the highest quality legal services to clients. Alex has a multi-state practice that focuses on tax, trust and estates. Alex advises clients on domestic and international tax matters, including tax planning with respect to their structures, transactions, and estate planning matters. He has experience advising on issues relating to tax deferral strategies, tax treaties, pre-immigration planning for foreigners ...
Leah Bishop focuses her practice on tax planning for high net worth individuals and closely held businesses and in the administration of estates and trusts. Her areas of focus cover a wide range of industries, including real estate, manufacturing, entertainment and professional services. Passionate about philanthropy, Leah also has extensive experience in the areas of charitable giving and tax-exempt organizations. Leah’s estate planning experience includes all matters pertaining to hig...
John W. Ambrecht is a founding partner of Ambrecht & Martinez LLP in Santa Barbara, California. For more than five decades, he has focused on integrating sophisticated estate and tax planning strategies for individuals, families, and closely held businesses. His work frequently involves planning for family business succession, helping clients structure transitions that address tax considerations while supporting long‑term continuity. Mr. Ambrecht’s practice includes Tax Law, with an...
Paul Gordon Hoffman is a founding member of the Firm. He practices in the areas of tax, estate planning, trust administration and probate, and charitable planning. Mr. Hoffman was chosen by Best Lawyers as the 2010 “Top Tax Lawyer” in the metropolitan Los Angeles area. He also has twice been recognized as one of the “Top 100 Lawyers” in Southern California by “Super Lawyers.” He is a former Chairperson of the Tax Section of the Beverly Hills Bar Association...
Paul is of counsel in the private client and tax team at Withers Bergman LLP. He has over 35 years’ experience focused on global planning matters. Paul is widely recognized for his practice in cross-border and entertainment tax planning. His clients have ranged broadly from high-net-worth individuals; foreign investors in U.S. real estate and other U.S.-situated assets; Americans with offshore investments, acquisitions and business activities; and actors, musicians, writers, producers, ...
Heather L. Preston is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Tax Law. Heather L., who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Heather L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Jill Dodd chairs the firm’s estate planning and personal representation practice, focusing on gift, estate and philanthropic planning for very-high-net-worth individuals and families. Jill counsels very-high-net-worth individuals in all aspects of gift, estate and philanthropic planning. She has extensive experience designing and implementing a variety of sophisticated structures, including family limited partnerships, grantor retained annuity trusts, insurance trusts, complex grantor t...
Sanford C. Presant, Chair of the firm's Real Estate Fund Practice, focuses his practice on providing fund and joint venture best practice business and tax structuring advice to sponsors of the leading real estate private equity funds, REITs, and their local partners and investors in the U.S. and internationally. Sandy has more than 30 years of experience as a tax and business lawyer for major funds and real estate companies. He has structured and negotiated the tax and business aspects for ov...
Chip Lion is a partner in the Corporate Finance Group with Morrison & Foerster LLP in Palo Alto California where he is the immediate past chair of the firm’s Palo Alto Corporate Finance Group and is the firm-wide co-chair of firm’s Private Equity Fund Group. Mr. Lion regularly advises institutional investors and fund sponsors in connection with the formation of venture capital funds, leveraged buyout funds, real estate opportunity and other private equity funds. Mr. Lion repre...
Dora R. Arash is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Tax Law. Dora R., who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Dora R. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Troy Van Dongen focuses his practice on the resolution of state and local tax (SALT) controversies through negotiation and litigation. He advises clients across the country in a variety of state and local tax matters, including income, franchise, sales, and use taxes, and he has a particularly strong background in property taxation. Read full biography here: https://www.mwe.com/people/van-dongen-troy/
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.