If you hold a professional license in New York, Pennsylvania, or New Jersey, you know that obtaining your license involves hundreds of hours of study, work, and experience. If you're facing an investigation from your professional licensing board or the possible loss of your license because of an arrest or conviction for a criminal charge, figuring out how you can best defend yourself can also be overwhelming. You'll have the best chance of successfully protecting your professional career if you have an experienced professional license defense attorney protecting your rights during the process. The skilled Professional License Defense Team at the LLF Law Firm can help you.
Professional Licenses We Defend
Navigating the world of professional licensing in the tristate area can be challenging for those not well versed in this area of legal defense. For example, in New Jersey, the Division of Consumer Affairs oversees 51 professional and occupational boards that regulate more than 720,000 businesses and individuals in the state. In New York, the Division of Licensing Services and the Office of Professions oversee and regulate more than 80 different professional boards and millions of practitioners throughout the state. In Pennsylvania, the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Services oversees all professional licensing boards in the state except the State Board of Certified Real Estate Providers, which falls under the Secretary of the Commonwealth's Office. The experienced Professional License Defense Team at the LLF Law Firm can provide licensing defense in all these states for healthcare professionals, service professionals, tradespeople and contractors, personal services providers, and child development professionals.
Healthcare Professionals
Healthcare providers hold a special position of trust in our communities, so we hold them to higher professional standards. Attorneys with the LLF Law Firm are seasoned medical professional license defense attorneys, helping healthcare professionals such as:
- Doctors,
- Dentists,
- Nurses,
- Nurse practitioners,
- Audiologists,
- Chiropractors,
- Counselors,
- Dental hygienists,
- EMT and emergency service providers,
- Marriage and family therapists,
- Occupational therapists,
- Pharmacists,
- Physician assistants,
- Psychologists,
- Speech-language pathologists, and
- Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors.
Service Professionals
The Professional License Defense Team at the LLF Law Firm can also help service professionals, including:
- Accountants,
- Architects,
- Attorneys,
- Insurance agents,
- Professional engineers,
- Real estate agents, and
- Social workers.
Child Development Professionals
Attorneys with LLF Law Firm can also help child development professionals with licensing issues, helping:
- Elementary school teachers,
- Middle and high school teachers,
- Preschool teachers, and
- Daycare providers.
Tradespeople
Tradespeople and contractors often have years of experience and on-the-job professional training behind their professional licenses. If you're a licensed tradesperson in New York, New Jersey, or Pennsylvania, the skilled Professional License Defense Team can help:
- Plumbers,
- Building inspectors,
- Fire inspectors,
- Electricians and electrical contractors,
- Environmental health experts,
- HVAC professionals,
- Contractors and construction professionals, and
- Welders.
Personal Service Providers
The experienced Professional License Defense Team can also help personal service providers through license investigations and disciplinary proceedings, including:
- Athletic trainers,
- Estheticians,
- Cosmetologists and barbers, and
- Massage therapists.
License Defense Process in the Tristate Area
As a licensed professional, your conduct and delivery of professional services are highly regulated by the board that oversees your profession. Any incident or allegation of a violation of those regulations can lead to an investigation by your licensing board, including:
- Violating professional standards of care,
- Fraud or mismanagement of funds,
- Patient, customer, or client complaints,
- Substance or alcohol abuse,
- Sexual misconduct,
- Criminal convictions such as a DWI, assault, theft, or
- Domestic violence allegations or restraining order against you.
A board investigation typically begins with a complaint against you from a patient, client, employee, colleague, or business or a notification from a court clerk of an arrest or criminal conviction. In some cases, you may even have a duty to proactively notify your professional licensing board of an arrest or accusation against you. Before doing this, you should contact an experienced licensing defense attorney to guide you through the process.
Why You Need an Attorney
Understanding the complex board licensing and disciplinary processes can be challenging for all but the most seasoned attorneys defending licensed professionals. But the consequences of an adverse finding against you by your licensing board can have serious consequences. You could face:
- License suspension,
- Formal reprimand or censure,
- Fines or restitution,
- Required remediation or continuing education classes,
- Mandatory substance abuse or alcohol treatment, and
- Loss of your license.
The loss of your license means the loss of your career and profession. In some cases, even a public reprimand from your licensing board can lead to damage to your professional reputation and the loss of your job. Finding another job or starting a new business with a black mark on your professional career can also be difficult.
Because of the serious potential consequences, it can be a mistake to think you can handle your own defense. While you must cooperate with a licensing board investigation, anything you say can be used against you. That's why you must have an experienced licensing defense attorney protecting your rights during the process. A skilled licensing defense attorney can:
- Review the complaint against you and craft a response,
- Evaluate your case and the evidence, interview witnesses and the complainant, and develop the best possible defense,
- Respond to licensing board requests for additional information, including documents and records,
- Represent you during a formal hearing before your licensing board or an administrative law judge,
- Help negotiate a consent decree or a settlement if necessary, and
- Appeal an adverse decision before it becomes final.
You Need an Experienced Professional License Defense Lawyer
If you're facing a challenge to your professional license in New York, Pennsylvania, or New Jersey, this isn't something you have to handle alone. Whether you're facing an investigation from your licensing board, a challenge to your license renewal or issuance, or a possible loss of your license because of a criminal charge or conviction, LLF Law Firm can help. The skilled Professional License Defense Team at the LLF Law Firm have been helping people across the Tristate area retain their professional licenses for years. Find out how they can help you too. Call the LLF Law Firm at 888-535-3686, or contact them online to schedule your consultation.
