Even when a practitioner—be they medical professional, teacher, podiatrist or architect—under investigation based on a claim is perfectly certain that the accusation is baseless, the licensing board under whose competence the claim falls is utterly in the dark on the matter. The fact is, most of these licensing boards have been charged by the legislature with protecting the public, not the licensees under their purview. Therefore, any complaint, however baseless, must be treated with complete seriousness, so that a practitioner may continue to perform the job they have trained so hard for.
As part of this attitude of seriousness, it is recommended licensed practitioners undertake the following steps to protect their professional licenses:
- Get legal counsel Even the early, informal stages of disciplinary investigations or proceedings are of dire importance, and an established practitioner of license defense law can aid a licensee-holder in obtaining early-stage wins that may result in both the retention of the license and a shortening of the duration of proceedings to come. Yes, this may cost more money upfront than if the professional were to represent themselves in these proceedings—but in the end, it’s worth it. (Just imagine how much money might be lost due to the revocation of a professional license.)
- Disclose any mistakes that were actually made, in the early stages of the process. Everyone is human, and early-stage admitting of mistakes that have been documented can actually result in a lower impact on a professional’s right to continue practicing their profession. Naturally, it is key to obtain an attorney’s advice on exactly what to disclose.
- Do what can be done to protect any professional licenses held in other states. Disciplinary action in one state, on one license, can severely affect licenses held in other states. An experienced license defense attorney may be able to mitigate such effects.
- Begin to build a case for reinstatement of your license. It is always best to plan for the worst while aiming for the best. We will try to save your license on the front end—and set you up to get it back if possible should it be taken from you.
- Make sure your attorney has the right sort of experience.
Professional License Defense
BERTOLINO LLP helps professionals resolve licensing complaints. We are experienced professional license defense attorneys and we know how to navigate the complaint processes of Texas licensing boards. We are prepared to represent you at any legal hearing or proceeding regarding your professional license.
Our law firm helps professionals, like you, keep their licenses when those licenses are under attack by a state agency or board.
BERTOLINO LLP represents licensed professionals across the entire State of Texas. To best serve our clients we have offices in Austin, Houston, and San Antonio.
Contact us today or call (512) 476-5757 and schedule a case evaluation.
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