Professional licenses do not come easily. However, you can lose a license in little more than the blink of an eye. While this hardly seems fair, it is a reality that underscores the importance of a competent legal advocate like Attorney Joseph D. Lento and his Professional License Defense Team.
We represent professionals throughout Virginia including doctors, engineers, nurses, trade workers, and others who must have credentials to practice. We understand the procedures that various licensing boards follow when investigating and sanctioning professionals, so we are uniquely positioned to advocate for you.
A professional license is a license to make a living. Losing that license or suffering other avoidable sanctions could place you and loved ones under immense financial pressure, as well as curtail the trajectory of your career. Let the dedicated legal team at the Lento Law Firm fight to resolve this potentially life-changing issue.
Professional License Defense Attorney Serving Virginia
Misconduct allegations are foreign for most professionals in Virginia. Therefore, it may be tempting (subconsciously or consciously) to:
- Dismiss a misconduct allegation as baseless and therefore non-threatening to your career
- Avoid addressing the misconduct allegation because it is psychologically distressing
- Assume that all you'll need is honesty in order to defend your license and career
These are understandable responses to potential professional sanctions, but not the right response. You must approach any upcoming investigation or hearing as if your license and livelihood are on the line because they very well could be.
In order to mount the caliber of defense that you need, retain Attorney Joseph Lento and his Professional Defense Team serving Virginia. We will quickly research your case, prepare a defense, and contact influential parties to broker a resolution.
What You Can Expect From the Professional License Disciplinary Process in Virginia
Our firm represents a wide range of professionals in Virginia. We have found that each disciplinary process, from those governing doctors to those for other licensed professionals, has unique details and procedures.
However, we have also found that, regardless of your professional field, you'll generally experience:
Receipt of Complaint
Professional misconduct cases typically begin with someone accusing you of wrongdoing. Whether the complaint arises from alleged criminal misconduct, a coworker, boss, patient, client, customer, or elsewhere, the allegation eventually makes its way to a licensing body.
For example, the Virginia Department of Health Professions (VHP) receives complaints about medical professionals. The VHP's Enforcement Division then conducts investigative and disciplinary proceedings. If you are not a medical professional, a different institution will receive, review, and process any complaint lodged against you.
Investigation of Complaint
Your professional licensing board will investigate the complaint lodged against you. The investigating body, and the way the investigation unfolds, will be unique to your professional field.
Negotiation of a Mutually Acceptable Resolution (Consent Order)
In many cases, disciplinary bodies will allow a professional and their attorney to negotiate a resolution before a hearing becomes necessary.
The Department of Health Professions refers to these negotiations as “informal conferences.” DHP offers the vague description of these meetings as “an opportunity to discuss with the committee the allegations stated in the Board's notice and the evidence contained in the investigative file.”
Among the potential outcomes of these meetings are the following:
- Offering sanctions that would resolve the disciplinary issue, including suspension or revocation of your license
- Offering lesser sanctions, such as a reprimand or probationary period
- Dismissing the case
- Referring the case to a hearing, which would be a de-facto non-ruling
Consent order hearings are worth the time and effort involved, as they could produce a favorable resolution. Your attorney from the Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team will explore potential consent orders or other resolutions on your behalf.
Completion of a Hearing to Determine Your Responsibility for Misconduct Allegations
If your case reaches the hearing stage, you will face a trial-like process led by your attorney from the Lento Law Firm. Regardless of your professional field, disciplinary hearings generally involve:
- The presentation of both favorable and unfavorable evidence
- Questioning and cross-examination of witnesses
- Oral arguments by your attorney
- A ruling to complete the hearing
Professional disciplinary hearings are make-or-break events, even when appeals are permitted. You may benefit from having a capable lawyer from the Lento Law Firm's Professional Defense Team lead these proceedings for you.
Appeals
Professionals in Virginia may have the right to appeal sanctions that affect their license. Our team will work hard to avoid the appeals process but will quickly file and complete any necessary appeal.
Compelling Reasons to Retain an Attorney for Your Professional License Defense in Virginia
No matter your salary, job title, or professional experience level, your license is worth defending. Even losing your license temporarily could have immense financial consequences, limit your future career opportunities, and put a stain on your reputation.
Few circumstances can be as serious as a professional license defense, which is why hiring an attorney from the Lento Law Firm has been a logical choice for many. Some specific reasons to hire Joseph D. Lento and his team are:
- What's at stake: When you consider what's at stake with your professional license defense, there is no valid reason not to hire an attorney from our firm. You deserve (and may need) a knowledgeable legal professional to assist with your case, even if you think you're capable of defending yourself. There is simply too much to lose not to accept help.
- Our firm's experience: Professional license defense is a primary practice area for our firm. While this may be the first time you've encountered a professional disciplinary body in Virginia, our legal team has been here before. Let us lend our experience to your defense.
- The firm's knowledge of professional license defense issues: In addition to experience, we have intimate knowledge of professional disciplinary proceedings in Virginia. This will spare us valuable time and effort as we prepare your defense.
When your license and reputation are at stake, you face an all-hands-on-deck proposition. Our entire team will support you, fighting relentlessly for the best possible outcome for your case.
The Lento Law Firm Defends Professionals Located Throughout Virginia
Our nationwide team of legal professionals are familiar with licensing organizations in cities throughout Virginia. Some prominent communities we serve include:
Virginia Beach
Far and away from the largest metropolitan population in the state, Virginia Beach's coastal location offers a unique value proposition that attracts many high-value professionals. Unfortunately, the ocean view is not a remedy for serious professional accusations. That's where the Lento Law Firm comes in.
Arlington
Located a stone's throw from Washington, D.C., countless high-achieving professionals call Arlington, VA home. These professionals typically have much to lose should they suffer professional sanctions. We take great pride in helping Arlington residents defend their reputations and maintain their professional ambitions.
Norfolk
Located on the Chesapeake Bay, Norfolk offers vibrant city life and close proximity to natural beauty. This makes the populous city a popular destination for professionals of all stripes.
Chesapeake
One of the most populous cities in the Mid-Atlantic region, Chesapeake lies on the North Carolina border. It has a diverse array of industries, and we have served professionals in a variety of fields when their licenses came under scrutiny in Chesapeake.
Richmond
As the capital of Virginia, Richmond combines a healthy public sector with a substantial private sector industry. Richmond provides a fine backdrop for professionals who hope to make a good living, but that living can fall into jeopardy when someone files a complaint against you.
We also serve the Washington, D.C. area, as many Virginians make their living in our nation's capital.
If you are located anywhere in Virginia, the Lento Law Firm can help you. Attorney Joseph Lento and his team will provide personalized service, and our familiarity with Virginia could prove beneficial to your defense.
Alleged Misconduct That Can Cause License Suspension, Revocation, and Other Sanctions
Allegations of misconduct vary immensely depending on what you do for a living. As a white-collar professional (doctor, accountant, financial advisor, etc.), you could face sanctions from allegations of:
- Financial misconduct
- Fraudulent business or advertising practices
- Disclosing information in breach of client-advisor confidentiality
- Engaging in conflict of interest
- Violating the tenets of good faith
- Gross negligence
- Other types of misconduct
Not every licensed professional works in an office, though. The Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) (p.24) provides insight into how tradesmen may lose their license. Sanctionable misconduct in trade fields includes:
- “Negligence or incompetence in the practice of a tradesman….”
- Dishonesty
- Improper conduct
- Aiding or abetting an unlicensed contractor
- Making false promises or misrepresenting qualifications
- Bribing public officials
- Failing to inform the licensing board of criminal convictions or other events that could affect licensure status
Because we have represented a broad range of professionals, we understand the types of misconduct common to different professional fields. Even if we're not experts in your field, we rely on experts and researchers who allow us to master issues specific to your case.
Whether you face unfounded allegations of misconduct or have made a mistake, we'll work to secure a resolution you can be happy with.
The Lento Law Firm and Affiliated Associates Represent All Licensed Professionals in Virginia
Many industries in Virginia require professionals to obtain and maintain licenses before they can legally earn a living. We serve professionals who the general public knows are license-holding—physicians, nurses, accountants, and the like.
We also represent many professionals who the typical Virginian may not know earned a license. If you've obtained a professional license that is now in jeopardy, the Lento Law Firm can help you.
Our clients in Virginia include:
- Physicians
- Insurance salesmen
- Government employees
- Anesthesiologists
- Accountants
- Architects
- Pharmacists
- Audiologists
- Nurses
- Physician assistants
- Dentists
- Chiropractors
- Physical therapists
- Engineers
- Surveyors
- Mental health professionals
- Podiatrists
- Real estate agents
- Teachers
- Cosmetologists
- Tradesmen
If you need a license to do your job and you need legal services, look no further than the Lento Law Firm. We handle our professional license defense cases in Virginia as if our own legal licenses were at stake.
A professional license is so much more than it first appears. For many of our clients, a license is a means of feeding and sheltering themselves and their loved ones from achieving professional ambitions and living a fulfilling life. We understand what's at stake, so let the Lento Law Firm represent you.
Contact the Lento Law Firm's Professional License Defense Team Today for Valuable Legal Services in Virginia
We urge you to speak with our team as soon as possible. Professional licensing boards and disciplinary bodies operate on their own set timeline. Even if we could obtain an extension, we generally want to resolve your case as soon as possible. The sooner you can return to work without restriction or worry about your license, the better.
Call the Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team today at 888-535-3686 to discuss your defense in Virginia. You can also contact us online.
