Law Offices of A. Lavar Taylor - A Tax Controversy Firm 714-546-0445
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Jinsoo Lee

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Jinsoo Lee - Attorney at The Law Offices of A. Lavar Taylor

Education

  • Juris Doctor, University of California, Irvine School of Law

  • Bachelor of Arts (Economics), Yale University

Admitted to Practice

  • U.S. Supreme Court

  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

  • U.S. District Court, Central District of California

  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California

  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of California

  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York

  • U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Central District of California

  • U.S. Tax Court

Bar Admissions

  • California State Bar
  • New York State Bar

Languages

  • Korean

Overview

Jinsoo is a certified tax law specialist who holds a current certificate issued by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. His practice is centered on federal and state tax controversies, including complex audits, administrative appeals, and collection actions. He advises individuals, partnerships, limited liability companies, and corporations on matters involving compliance and bankruptcy. He also represents clients in litigation in the California state courts, U.S. Tax Court, and U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

He remains active in the tax practitioner community and regularly contributes to publications. His professional background includes broad experience in public-sector litigation and class action challenges to local government revenue measures.

Before joining Taylor Nelson Amitrano LLP, Jinsoo litigated complex tax and finance cases at the trial and appellate levels at a leading municipal law firm. He previously served as Tax Counsel in the Legal Division of the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, supporting litigation and advising on state tax administration and bankruptcy matters. Prior to that, he practiced in New York as Associate General Counsel for an international not-for-profit organization, advising on tax compliance, corporate governance, and real estate transactions. He was an extern at the IRS Office of Chief Counsel and the chambers of Judge Scott Clarkson of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court and Associate Justice Richard Aronson of the California Court of Appeal.

Publications & Speaking Engagements

  • California Tax Agencies Unlocked — California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, California Society of Enrolled Agents, presenter (August 18, 2025), 5 hours of MCLE credit for taxation law
  • AI for All? Proposal for an IRS Data Integrity and Ethics Lab, Tax Notes Federal, October 7, 2024, p. 45, co-author Rami Khoury
  • California Tax Agencies Unlocked, California Society of Enrolled Agents, presenter (August 15, 2024)
  • Tech Talk — AI for All? Addressing Biases and Ethical Issues in AI Tools, presenter during 2024 May Tax Meeting of ABA Section of Taxation
  • AI for All? Proposal for a Data Integrity and Ethics Lab to Improve IRS Artificial Intelligence Tools, California Lawyers Association, Taxation Section, 2024 Washington D.C. Delegation Paper, April 2024, co-author Rami Khoury
  • Using Newer Methods and Resources to Enhance Project Management, MCLE presenter (July 9, 2021)
  • Evidentiary Presumptions, MCLE presenter (February 7, 2020)
  • Editor, Municipal Law Handbook, Chapter 13 (Liability and Litigation), 2020 and 2021 editions
  • New Conflict-of-Interest Standards, MCLE presenter (December 20, 2019)
  • Executive Board Member, UC Irvine Law Review, Vol. 2, No. 3 to Vol. 3, No. 4
  • Lead Article Editor, UC Irvine Law Review, Vol. 2, Nos. 1 & 2
  • Staff Editor, UC Irvine Law Review, Vol. 1, No. 3

Reported Cases

Representative cases:

  • Pack v. Office of Tax Appeals (Franchise Tax Board), Orange County Superior Court, Case No. 30-2025-01487133-CU-WM-CJC (pending) (mandamus litigation regarding equitable tolling of 30-day period for filing an appeal with Office of Tax Appeals)
  • Ehrenberg v. United States (Internal Revenue Service), U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Central District of California, Adversary Proceeding No. 8:23-ap-01102-SC (pending) (litigation to determine amount of IRS’s allowed claim and tax liability in complex matter involving TEFRA partnerships and potential nine-figure liability)
  • Goldstein v. California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Central District of California, Adversary Proceeding No. 9:22-ap-01059-RC (2024) (represented taxpayer in dual determination matter, securing favorable settlement that substantially reduced tax liability)
  • Freedom Communications, Inc. v. California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Central District of California, Adversary Proceeding No. 8:21-ap-01034 (2024) (litigated complex sales tax controversy involving newspaper sales of the Orange County Register, achieving net benefit to the estate of over $3.8 million through settlement)
  • City of Half Moon Bay v. Granada Community Services District, Santa Clara County Superior Court, Case No. 17CV316927 (2021) (briefed summary judgment motion regarding regional sewer joint powers agreement, which led to successful appeal in Sixth Appellate District, Case No. H049896)
  • City of Torrance v. Southern California Edison, 61 Cal. App. 5th 1071 (2021) (represented city to recover underpaid utility user taxes relating to greenhouse gas credits)
  • Inyo County Local Agency Formation Commission v. Southern Mono Healthcare District, California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, Case No. C085138 (2021) (assisted in defense of trial court judgment on appeal in dispute over Local Agency Formation Commission’s authority to regulate out-of-boundary service by healthcare district)
  • TracFone Wireless v. City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Superior Court, Case No. BC363735 (2020) (helped trial team with motion practice in defense of city’s utility user tax)
  • City of Oroville v. Superior Court, 7 Cal. 5th 1091 (2019) (supported counsel for city with research in landmark California Supreme Court case clarifying the limits of municipal inverse condemnation liability)
  • McClain v. Sav-On Drugs, 6 Cal. 5th 951 (2019) (contributed legal research for CDTFA litigation team in California Supreme Court case shaping the scope of consumer remedies for erroneous sales tax collection)

 

Administrative engagements include:

  • Defending clients in complex IRS and state tax audits across a range of industries
  • Securing penalty abatement or reduction for international tax compliance issues
  • Representing taxpayers in administrative appeals involving successor liability and dual determinations
  • Handling disputes over eligibility and substantiation of R&D tax credits
  • Advising clients in ERISA-related reporting controversies, including late-filing penalties
  • Defending large property owners in county-conducted property tax audits and assessment disputes
  • Counseling clients on voluntary disclosure programs
  • Challenging large corporate income tax assessments
  • Representing individuals and businesses in IRS collection due process hearings and negotiating installment agreements
  • Preparing applications for innocent spouse relief