Avalon Tax Lawyers

Justin Clement is the Lead Tax Attorney at Optima Tax Relief, LLC located in Santa Ana, CA. He has clerked for Tax Commissioner Frank Scharaffa at the Massachusetts Appellate Tax Board and interned at the Low Income Tax Clinic at the University of San Diego School of Law where he earned his LL.M. degree in Taxation. Justin currently supervises a team of 12 tax professionals, including tax attorneys and enrolled agents, providing representation before the IRS and various state revenue agencies. He is licensed to practice law before the Supreme Court of the State of California and the United States...

Paul McCullum is a hands-on consumer bankruptcy and is a tax attorney with a focus on both strategic tax planning and tax controversy. He is a zealous advocate for his clients in resolution of matters against the IRS, FTB, and for debt workouts with various creditors. With an extensive business background, he enjoys helping clients come out of bankruptcy with not only a fresh start, but a clear plan going forward. He has a special focus on tax planning for troubled borrowers in and out of the bankruptcy setting. Paul has specialized in bankruptcy law since he was a...

Samuel possesses a Master’s Degree in Taxation (LL.M.) from Boston University. Since 1997, Samuel has been the founder and managing partner of the tax law firm Segal, Cohen & Landis, P.C. (SCL). Under Samuel’s leadership, SCL has distinguished itself as one of the preeminent specialty tax law firms in the United States having successfully represented over 15,000 clients. Samuel has personally handled thousands of tax cases himself, many of which have been the largest and most complex cases in their respective industries including sports, entertainment and gaming. Because of the high profile nature of many of Samuel’s cases, they have...

Alice A. Salvo in Woodland Hills, California, offers quality representation in estate planning, trust, probate, elder law and conservatorship cases. Our firm is dedicated to helping elders and families throughout Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley effectively plan and protect their future. As we age, there are going to be a number of choices we have to make that involve our well-being and our family's financial security. These are tough choices, but with our guidance, together we can better understand what options fit your needs. We offer compassionate representation, preserve assets and inheritance, create Living Trusts, Special...

Principal Owner
Jack E. Stephens J.D., LL.M. has been practicing law in San Diego since 1990, helping thousands of taxpayers reduce taxes and homeowners protect their property with Trust strategies. Jack Stephens has been designated as Top Lawyer by San Diego Magazine, Best of the Bar, and Avvo on a consistent basis. He has received annual awards including the AV Preeminent Attorney Rating by Martindell-Hubbell, representing the highest possible rating in both legal ability and ethical standards. As an active contributor to continuing education in Estate Planning, Jack Stephens has authored and edited quarterly newsletters, pamphlets, and contributed articles to the...

We’re proud that our law firm is local and we offer our exceptional legal services to SoCal, Riverside, San Bernardino and Palm Springs California. With Our sensitivity coupled with Our aggressive approach to Probate matters and Our wealth of knowledge when it comes to Estate Planning, Our extensive experience with ALL Legal Tax Issues and Our first hand knowledge and real world experience as Business owners has allowed us to call southern California home for many years.

Handling the legal issues that arise after the death of a friend or loved one can be very challenging. If a family member has...

Kevin G. Staker, the principal attorney in the firm, received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Utah College of Law, and his Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Taxation degree from New York University School of Law. Kevin is the founder of the Planned Giving Council of Ventura County. Kevin has three times been a member of the Board of the Ventura County Bar Association, and was the chair of its annual dinner committee 14 of 15 years. Kevin Staker is a member of the Board, and was President for 2016 and the latter part of 2022, of Ventura...

Nikki Semanchik is the Founding Attorney of Semanchik Law Group. Nikki started out her legal career advising small businesses and individuals in need of estate planning. An interest in international law and her background in immigration led her to represent multi-national high-net worth individuals with business law, asset protection and tax planning. After assisting clients with tax planning through the formation of private foundations and charitable trusts, Nikki found herself drawn to nonprofit law. She now assists nonprofit organizations with formation, compliance and governance.

Nikki is passionate about nonprofit law and enjoys speaking about nonprofit formation and compliance. Her most recent...

As managing partner of Sage Law Firm, Dean delivers comprehensive counsel with a focus on tax controversy, business consulting, and nonprofit matters. With his extensive experience, Dean offers clients tailored tax and business solutions to address their unique needs. Dean is dedicated to guiding clients throughout their business journey, from entity formation to dissolution, ensuring they are positioned for success at every stage. Dean’s proficiency in resolving tax matters spans a broad spectrum as he has worked with both individuals and corporate clients. He routinely represents clients before the IRS and state taxation agencies and has counseled clients in sales tax...

Dennis Sandoval, paralyzed in a 1992 car accident, turns personal adversity into advocacy in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. California's sole attorney certified in estate planning, elder law, and taxation, Dennis earned distinctions like Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA) and Accredited Estate Planner® (AEP). His financial expertise, including Enrolled Agent, CFP, and RFC designations, enriches his estate planning, elder law, and tax controversy practice. For seventeen years, Dennis directed education for the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys (AAEPA), contributing to NAELA and the National Elder Law Foundation. In 2014, he became a Fellow of the National Academy of Elder Law...

I provide Tax and Bankruptcy Law representation for individuals and businesses throughout California. For 45 years, I have been dedicated to bringing peace of mind to clients with financial issues. I help clients identify all of their options to make an informed decision based on their specific situation. Rest assured, there are legal and effective options to assist you with your tax and debt problems. I have previously served as an arbitrator and Judge Pro Tem in San Diego.

I have represented countless taxpayers before the IRS and State of California for tax issues. I have worked on tax controversy matters ranging from federal and state tax audits, tax debt collections, and appeals. I routinely have tax liens and wage and bank levies released for taxpayers. As an attorney, I chose to practice tax law because I truly enjoy helping people who feel powerless and helpless when confronted with government bureaucracy, such as with the IRS and state tax agencies. When taxpayers are up against the wall and feel defeated when facing off against the powers of the government, I feel...

May Harris (she/her) serves as CEO and Managing Attorney at FPLG. She chairs the firm’s transactional practice group, working with an outstanding team of FPLG attorneys and professionals in service to clients of all sizes, including museums, schools, churches, medical organizations and other charitable tax-exempt entities. Serving in the roles of nonprofit founder, board member, corporate counsel and executive director over the course of her career, Ms. Harris has been instrumental in the development of each of the organizations she has led, and she understands the challenges facing nonprofit executives every day. Over her two decades of legal practice, Ms. Harris has...

With over six years of working in tax law under his belt, Mitchell Smith has represented clients in the U.S. Tax Court where he resolved numerous tax controversies at the audit and appellate levels of the IRS. He has also negotiated favorable settlements of high-dollar-tax deficiencies as well as secured tax-exempt status for new organizations and advised existing exempt organizations. At Zecca Ross & Smith Law Firm P.C., Mitchell Smith continues to excel in his career. His expertise extends to real estate taxation, federal and state worker classification reviews, foreign bank account disclosures and collection matters including Offers in Compromise and...

Tax Attorney Shawn Spaulding has dedicated his professional career to protecting the rights of taxpayers. After spending several tax seasons working in the legal department of the largest tax preparation company in the United States Shawn went on to pursue his LL.M (Master of Laws Degree) in Taxation at the University Of San Diego School Of Law. While completing the advanced tax program Shawn provided tax resolution services to the underserved community through the school’s clinic.

Shawn has accomplished high marks throughout his academic career graduating with honors in both his Bachelors (BSBA) and Juris Doctor (Law Degree) programs. He continued...

For 35 years, Howard Borenstein has provided trusted legal counsel for clients with Estate Planning, Probate and Tax Law needs. He is dedicated to resolving legal matters for individuals and businesses throughout Southern California.

Demonstrating his knowledge and skill, Howard has been Certified as a Taxation Law Specialist by The State Bar of California. He is committed to finding solutions for legal issues in an efficient and effective manner.

Outside of work, Howard is an active participant in the local community. In addition to working with the San Antonio Community Hospital and Harold W. Harris Foundation Trust, he is involved with the...

My practice encompasses a wide variety of tax matters for businesses and individuals including partnership, corporate and individual taxation issues, international tax planning, entity formation, and mergers and acquisitions. I have represented clients in the real estate, entertainment, and healthcare industries. I structure transactions to optimize tax results, including tax-deferred Section 1031 real property exchanges. I draft and negotiate partnership and limited liability company operating agreements, and other contracts relating to the formation, sale, merger, acquisition, and liquidation of companies. I also handle executive compensation matters, including non-qualified deferred compensation plan and stock...

My primary focus is to help the average homeowner save their house, get a fresh start on their finances, educate them on how to meaningfully budget and save money, and then help direct future investments for their future financial needs. No one sat down and explained any of this to me. I had to go out and find the information. Now I want to share it with you. Bankruptcy is not the end of the world. We will work with you to come up with a affordable legal strategy that is within your budget. ...

Attorney Milda Goeriz is skilled with all estate planning matters and experienced with tax audits and representation before the Internal Revenue Service and state and local tax authorities. In reaching the best results, Attorney Milda Goeriz applies modern methods and an honest approach to law. She employs creative strategies when forming revocable and irrevocable trusts and handling other estate planning matters. Ms. Goeriz has a unique ability to explain the complex planning devices in a simple fashion and is valued by her clients for effective asset protection. A multilingual tax lawyer with a background in international business transactions, Ms....

Kevan P. McLaughlin is an award-winning San Diego tax attorney whose practice focuses on civil and criminal tax litigation and controversies. Kevan defends taxpayers and resolves all types of tax disputes with the IRS, FTB, EDD, U.S. Tax Court, CUIAB, and Department of Justice. In 2009, Kevan formed a boutique law firm with special emphasis on civil and criminal tax preparation. The firm has since grown, adding estate planning, tax planning, trust administration, and tax preparer and CPA defense practice areas. The firm is dedicated to representing taxpayer in these concentrated practice areas, and today helps individuals and businesses with...

San Diego Attorney Joel Weissler (619-281-1888) has practiced law for over 25 yrs. Early on, his personal experiences focused his career on Estate Planning, Elder law, Asset Protection & Probate. Joel has been recognized for the past 3 years by Martindale-Hubble & Lawyers.com receiving their “Client Distinction” award as being in the top 1% of attorneys in client service & satisfaction. A 2008-2013 recipient of San Diego Magazine’s five star award program, in 2010, Attorney Weissler was selected through a peer nomination process as a "Top Attorney" in the Estate Planning Category by the San Diego Daily Transcript. Attorney...