Jonathan Lafrance

Competent tax advice, but communication could be more consistent

I engaged Jonathan Lafrance at Norton Rose Fulbright to assist with a complex state tax audit stemming from my freelance consulting business in Los Angeles. His recognized expertise in Tax Law was evident from our first meeting; he clearly understood the nuances of the California tax code and was able to dissect the auditor's initial findings with precision. The strategy he developed was sound, and we achieved a satisfactory settlement that significantly reduced the proposed back-taxes and penalties. However, my experience was a mixed bag. While Jonathan is undoubtedly knowledgeable, there were periods where communication lagged. Responses to emails sometimes took several days, and I wasn't always proactively updated on minor developments, which created some unnecessary anxiety during an already stressful process. For a straightforward matter, his two years of focused tax experience is adequate, but the client service aspect felt like it was still developing. He delivered on the core legal work, but the overall experience lacked the polished, seamless communication I expected from a firm of this stature. I would cautiously recommend him for specific tax issues, but with the advice to set very clear expectations regarding response times from the outset.