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The tax attorneys at Taylor Nelson Amitrano LLP, located in Orange County, CA, have received numerous awards for legal excellence and are very active in supporting our local communities. Some of those accomplishments include:

2023 Awards

2022 Awards

A. Lavar Taylor and Lisa O. Nelson have been selected to the 2022 Southern California Super Lawyers list, an honor reserved for those lawyers who exhibit excellence in practice.  Only 5% of attorneys in Southern California receive this distinction

The U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers have also listed the firm among the “Best Law Firms” and “Best Lawyers” in 2022.   The Law Offices of A. Lavar Taylor LLP is ranked among the top firms in the practice area of Litigation – Tax – Tier 1.  Firms included in the 2022 “Best Law Firms” list are recognized for professional excellence with persistently impressive ratings from clients and peers.  This is the 19th consecutive year to be recognized by this prestigious group.  Best Lawyers® is regarded as the standard in defining legal excellence and is based entirely on peer review. Best Lawyers uses a sophisticated and transparent survey process to determine the highest quality of legal service and has received more than 13 million votes to date. Lawyers are not allowed to pay a fee to be listed, making inclusion in the Best Lawyers completely based on merit.

A. Lavar Taylor is also the recipient of the Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™, the gold standard in attorney rating.  This designation is given to lawyers with the highest level of professional excellence. 

2021 Awards

A. Lavar Taylor and Lisa O. Nelson have been selected to the 2021 Southern California Super Lawyers list, an honor reserved for those lawyers who exhibit excellence in practice.  Only 5% of attorneys in Southern California receive this distinction.

Once again, Jonathan Amitrano has been named a Super Lawyer Rising Star.  Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. To earn the distinction of Rising Star, a candidate must be either 40 years old or younger or in practice for 10 years or less.  While up to five percent of the lawyers in the state are named to Super Lawyers, no more than 2.5 percent are named to the Rising Stars list.  Jonathan has been the recipient of this award since 2015.

The U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers have also listed the firm among the “Best Law Firms” and “Best Lawyers” in 2021.   The Law Offices of A. Lavar Taylor LLP is ranked among the top firms in the practice area of Litigation – Tax – Tier 1.  Firms included in the 2021 “Best Law Firms” list are recognized for professional excellence with persistently impressive ratings from clients and peers.  This is the 18th consecutive year to be recognized by this prestigious group.  Best Lawyers® is regarded as the standard in defining legal excellence and is based entirely on peer review. Best Lawyers uses a sophisticated and transparent survey process to determine the highest quality of legal service and has received more than 13 million votes to date. Lawyers are not allowed to pay a fee to be listed, making inclusion in the Best Lawyers completely based on merit.

2020 Awards

Lavar Taylor has been selected to the 2019 Southern California Super Lawyers list, an honor reserved for those lawyers who exhibit excellence in practice.  Only 5% of attorneys in Southern California receive this distinction.

Once again, Jonathan Amitrano has been named a Super Lawyer Rising Star.  Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. To earn the distinction of Rising Star, a candidate must be either 40 years old or younger or in practice for 10 years or less.  While up to five percent of the lawyers in the state are named to Super Lawyers, no more than 2.5 percent are named to the Rising Stars list.  Jonathan has been the recipient of this award since 2015.

The U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers have also listed the firm among the “Best Law Firms” and “Best Lawyers” in 2019.   The Law Offices of A. Lavar Taylor LLP is ranked among the top firms in the practice area of Litigation – Tax – Tier 1.  Firms included in the 2019 “Best Law Firms” list are recognized for professional excellence with persistently impressive ratings from clients and peers.  This is the 17th consecutive year to be recognized by this prestigious group.  Best Lawyers® is regarded as the standard in defining legal excellence and is based entirely on peer review. Best Lawyers uses a sophisticated and transparent survey process to determine the highest quality of legal service and has received more than 13 million votes to date. Lawyers are not allowed to pay a fee to be listed, making inclusion in the Best Lawyers completely based on merit.

A. Lavar Taylor is also the recipient of the Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™, the gold standard in attorney rating.  This designation is given to lawyers with the highest level of professional excellence. 

2019 Awards

Lavar Taylor has been selected to the 2019 Southern California Super Lawyers list, an honor reserved for those lawyers who exhibit excellence in practice.  Only 5% of attorneys in Southern California receive this distinction.

Jonathan Amitrano has been named a Super Lawyer Rising Star.  Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas, who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. To earn the distinction of Rising Star, a candidate must be either 40 years old or younger or in practice for 10 years or less.  While up to five percent of the lawyers in the state are named to Super Lawyers, no more than 2.5 percent are named to the Rising Stars list.  Jonathan has been the recipient of this award since 2015.

The U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers have also listed the firm among the “Best Law Firms” and “Best Lawyers” in 2019.   The Law Offices of A. Lavar Taylor LLP is ranked among the top firms in the practice area of Litigation – Tax – Tier 1.  Firms included in the 2019 “Best Law Firms” list are recognized for professional excellence, with consistently impressive ratings from clients and peers.  This is the 17th consecutive year to be recognized by this prestigious group.  Best Lawyers® is regarded as the standard in defining legal excellence and is based entirely on peer review. Best Lawyers uses a sophisticated and transparent survey process to determine the highest quality of legal service and has received more than 13 million votes to date. Lawyers are not allowed to pay a fee to be listed, making inclusion in the Best Lawyers completely based on merit.

A. Lavar Taylor is also the recipient of the Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™, the gold standard in attorney rating.  This designation is given to lawyers with the highest level of professional excellence. 

2018 Awards

We are pleased to announce that A. Lavar Taylor is the recipient of the 2018 Honorable Peter M. Elliot Award. This award is given annually to a member of the Orange County bankruptcy community, in honor of the late Judge Elliott, who 1) demonstrates substantial knowledge of bankruptcy law, 2) serves as a mentor and/or educator to the insolvency practitioners in Orange County, 3) possesses the highest level of honesty, integrity and ethics, 4) serves to enhance and improve access to justice, and 5) contributes to the development and improvement of the Orange County Bankruptcy Forum.

Lavar Taylor, who handles civil and criminal tax controversies and specializes in matters involving the intersection between tax law and bankruptcy law, has been an active member of the Orange County bankruptcy community for over 34 years and has practiced law for 37 years. He is a frequent lecturer and presenter at seminars on tax controversy issues and bankruptcy-related tax issues. He has litigated numerous bankruptcy-related tax issues in all federal courts, both at the trial level and at all appellate levels, including the United States Supreme Court. Lavar is one of a handful of attorneys in Orange County who is completely comfortable both “speaking bankruptcy” and “speaking tax,” and strives to use his knowledge and experience to achieve the best possible results for his clients.

Jonathan Amitrano and Lisa Nelson have been named a Super Lawyer Rising Star.  Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. To earn the distinction of Rising Star, a candidate must be either 40 years old or younger or in practice for 10 years or less.  While up to five percent of the lawyers in the state are named to Super Lawyers, no more than 2.5 percent are named to the Rising Stars list.  Jonathan has been the recipient of this award since 2015.  Lisa has been the recipient of this award since 2016.

The U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers have once again listed the firm among the “Best Law Firms.” The Law Offices of A. Lavar Taylor LLP is ranked among the top firms in the practice area of Litigation – Tax – Tier 1.  Firms included in the 2018 “Best Law Firms” list are recognized for professional excellence with persistently impressive ratings from clients and peers. Achieving a tiered ranking signals a unique combination of quality law practice and breadth of legal expertise.

2017 Awards

The Law Office of A. Lavar Taylor is proud to announce that two of its partners have been recognized for their achievements in tax law. Both Lisa Nelson and Jonathan Amitrano have been named Super Lawyer’s Rising Star again in 2017.  Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. To earn the distinction of Rising Star, a candidate must be either 40 years old or younger or in practice for 10 years or less.  While up to five percent of the lawyers in the state are named to Super Lawyers, no more than 2.5 percent are named to the Rising Stars list.  Lisa and Jonathan are dedicated to the advocacy of their clients and are honored to be recognized by their peers for this prestigious award.

Once again, we are pleased to announce that U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers have listed the firm among the “Best Law Firms.” The Law Offices of A. Lavar Taylor LLP is ranked among the top firms in the practice area of Litigation – Tax – Tier 1. Firms included in the 2017 “Best Law Firms” list are recognized for professional excellence with persistently impressive ratings from clients and peers. Achieving a tiered ranking signals a unique combination of quality law practice and breadth of legal expertise.

2016 Awards

Lisa O. Nelson and Jonathan Amitrano have been selected as a 2016 Southern California Super Lawyers Rising Star. This award is given to the top 2.5% of attorneys who have demonstrated excellence in the practice of law.

We are pleased to announce that U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers have once again listed the firm among the “Best Law Firms.” The Law Offices of A. Lavar Taylor is ranked among the top firms in the practice area of Litigation – Tax – Tier 1.  Firms included in the 2016 “Best Law Firms” list are recognized for professional excellence with persistently impressive ratings from clients and peers. Achieving a tiered ranking signals a unique combination of quality law practice and breadth of legal expertise.

2015 Awards

Lavar Taylor has been inducted to be part of the Top 100 National Trial Lawyers.  This is an invitation-only organization, composed of premier trial lawyers who meet stringent qualifications. Selection is based on a thorough multi-phase process which includes peer nominations combined with third-party research. Membership is extended solely to the select few of the most qualified attorneys from each state who demonstrate superior qualifications of leadership, reputation, influence, stature and public profile.

Lavar Taylor has recently been selected as one of America’s Most Honored Professionals for his continuous professional recognition, an accomplishment realized by the Top 5% of American Professionals.

Lavar Taylor is also the recipient of the Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™, the gold standard in attorney rating.  This designation is given to lawyers with the highest level of professional excellence.

We are pleased that Jonathan Amitrano’s has been selected as a 2015 Southern California Super Lawyers Rising Star.  This award is given to the top 2.5% of attorneys who have demonstrated excellence in the practice of law.  It is an honor for Jonathan’s contributions to the tax law profession have been recognized by his colleagues.

2014 and Prior, instead of Before

Best Law Firms USNEWS - Orange County Litigation - Tax
  • U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” (2006 through 2014)
  • U.S. News – “The Best Lawyers in America®” in the area of Tax Law (2006-2013)
  • “The Best Lawyers in America®” in the area of Tax Law
  • A. Lavar Taylor, recipient of the Joanne Garvey Lifetime Achievement Award 
  • “Lawyer of the Year” in Tax Law for Orange County, California in 2011 by Best Lawyers®
  • “Super Lawyers”: Attorneys are selected based on a rigorous, multiphase rating process involving peer review and department research. Super Lawyers lists no more than 5% of the attorneys in this prestigious list each year
  • One of the Top Five Tax Attorneys in Orange County OC Metro magazine (August 2009)
  • A. Lavar Taylor, recipient V. Judson Klein Award from the Tax Section of the State Bar of California (2004). This award is given annually to a tax attorney in California who exemplifies the qualities of the late V. Judson Klein, namely, a high level of legal professionalism and zest for life
  • Charles F. Rosen, recipient of the Honorable Peter M. Elliott Memorial Award, for Outstanding Scholarship, Ethics and Service to the Orange County Bankruptcy Community” presented jointly by the Orange County Bankruptcy Forum and the Orange County Bar Association, Commercial & Bankruptcy Law Section (2005)
  • Charles F. Rosen, recipient of the I.R.S. Regional Commissioner’s Award as the outstanding employee-of-the-year for the Western Region (nine western states) for the quality of work, leadership, special assignments, lectures at Continuing Professional Education for Revenue Officers, teaching at District Counsel seminars, etc.