Representing Licensed Professionals in Disciplinary Actions

Licensed professionals in Pennsylvania and New Jersey are governed by state licensing boards who are responsible for implementing and enforcing standards of conduct. When a professional runs afoul of the standards of conduct, a disciplinary action can be brought against the professional. Disciplinary actions can result in the revocation of a license, suspension, probation, restrictions on the license, and fines. It is important to realize that a disciplinary matter often starts with a simple letter or phone call from an investigator asking for information. The manner in which a licensed professional responds may have a profound impact upon his or her career. All too often, professionals will ignore the request for information, or even worse, provide inaccurate or incomplete information. When this occurs, a disciplinary investigation is likely to be escalated. On the other hand, when a request for information is carefully and coherently responded to through legal counsel, disciplinary investigations may never turn into full blown disciplinary complaints. I am often asked whether it looks suspicious for a licensed professional to hire an attorney to respond to a request for information, or to attend an interview. The answer is: OF COURSE NOT. To the contrary, hiring counsel who is experienced in these matters demonstrates that a professional understands the importance of the disciplinary process and takes it seriously.