Best Lawyers in California, United States for Tax Law
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David Cheng is the chair and managing partner of Nixon Peabody’s China and Asia-Pacific practice. He is qualified in both the United States and Hong Kong. He focuses on cross-border transactions, litigations and investigations, advising on issues ranging from acquisitions, capital financing (initial public offering), intellectual property protection and disputes to fraud, FCPA and SEC investigations. He has a client portfolio from all over the world: United States, Middle East, Europe, ...
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...
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 ...
Magan Pritam Ray is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Tax Law. Magan Pritam, who practices law in East Palo Alto, California, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Magan Pritam is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
C. Brian Wainwright is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Tax Law. C. Brian, who practices law in Palo Alto, California, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which C. Brian is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Veronica Cerruti is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Tax Law and Trusts and Estates. Veronica, who practices law in San Francisco, California, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Veronica is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Jeb U. Burton is the President of The Burton Law Firm, based in Sacramento, California. His practice centers on Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Tax Law, Trusts and Estates, Litigation – Trusts and Estates, and Litigation and Controversy – Tax. Mr. Burton’s work includes advanced estate and tax planning for domestic and international matters, business and investment structure and governance, exit planning, asset protection strategies, and business su...
Patrick R. McCabe is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Tax Law and Trusts and Estates. Patrick R., who practices law in San Francisco, California, has been recognized since 2013. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Patrick R. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Terry Cuff has more than 40 years experiencing in the areas of partnership taxation, real estate taxation, and taxation of real estate investment trusts. Terry is also the author of a treatise on tax problems related to drafting partnership agreements, partnership tax, and related issues, Drafting and Understanding Partnership and LLC Allocation and Distribution Provisions, 2018-2019 ed. (Thomson Reuters). Additionally, Terry is experienced in utilizing Excel to solve advanced tax and finance...
Marla Aspinwall concentrates her practice in the tax, ERISA, labor and securities aspects of executive compensation for publicly held, private and tax-exempt organizations, including employment agreements; nonqualified deferred compensation; and equity, retirement, incentive and welfare benefit plans. Ms. Aspinwall has extensive knowledge of insurance-funded executive benefits and estate planning arrangements. She also specializes in the tax and business aspects of agricultural cooperative or...
Alyse Pelavin focuses her practice on estate and gift tax planning for high net worth individuals and closely held businesses and in the administration of estates and trusts. She also has extensive experience in the areas of charitable giving and tax-exempt organizations. Her clients range from young entrepreneurs and corporate executives to multigenerational family groups. Alyse works closely with clients at every stage to implement tax-efficient wealth transfer and preservation strategies t...
Stephen Harris is a partner in the Tax Department of Paul Hastings, and co-chair of the firm’s Global Compensation, Benefits, and ERISA practice. Steve is a recognized leader in compensation, benefits, and ERISA law. He has been ranked by Chambers USA as one of the top employee benefits and executive compensation lawyers in California and Chambers has noted that he “maintains an impressively broad practice that includes IRS, HIPAA and COBRA compliance.” He is also recognized...
Anne Kim is a tax partner in the Los Angeles office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Anne has a broad-based practice and handles a wide range of complex transactions, advising private equity funds, public and private companies and publicly traded partnerships on the tax aspects of mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, spin-offs, cross-border transactions, formation of joint ventures and capital markets and debt financings. Anne has been recognized for her work in tax by Chambers USA every year ...
Jeffrey M. Vesely is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation and Controversy - Tax and Tax Law. Jeffrey M., who practices law in San Francisco, California, has been recognized since 2008. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Jeffrey M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
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.
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.