California Medical License Defense 

Experienced Medical License Defense Lawyers Representing Physicians and Other Licensed Providers Across California

For physicians and other licensed medical professionals, facing an investigation or disciplinary action can present substantial risks. If your license is in jeopardy, you could lose everything you’ve worked so hard to cultivate over the past years or decades—and this could take an inordinate professional and financial toll.

As a result, when facing scrutiny from the Medical Board of California, an informed and strategic defense is paramount. At Oberheiden P.C., we provide experienced legal representation for physicians and other licensed medical providers across California.

Our California medical license defense attorneys are Nick Johnson and Paul Strickland. Mr. Johnson is a former prosecutor who has extensive experience in Medicare fraud and other healthcare-related matters. Mr. Strickland represents physicians, physician groups, and other healthcare clients in a wide range of legal compliance and enforcement matters, including audits, investigations, and medical license defense.

Matters We Handle

Within our California medical license defense practice, we have ample experience representing physicians, physician assistants, and other licensed medical professionals in all matters involving the California Medical Board and other state and federal authorities. This includes, but is not limited to:

Mandatory Self-Reporting

Medical professionals licensed by the California Medical Board are required to self-report criminal convictions and charges in many circumstances. While this self-reporting is mandatory, it can also expose licensed physicians and other licensed medical professionals to disciplinary action—up to and including license revocation. As a result, when faced with an obligation to self-report, licensed providers need to be extremely careful. Our lawyers can advise and represent you throughout the process.

Medical Board Complaints and Investigations

Patients, family members, payors, healthcare providers, and various other parties can (and do) file complaints with the California Medical Board. These complaints can pose substantial risks. As the California Medical Board explains, when it receives its complaint, it has two goals: (i) “to determine whether or not the allegations contained in a complaint are within the Board’s jurisdiction, as defined by the Medical Practice Act (MPA);” and, if so, (ii) “to determine whether or not the issues raised by the complaint indicate that further investigation is required.”

When faced with a California Medical Board complaint, a prompt and proactive response is essential. Our attorneys can intervene in the process immediately, and we can work with the California Medical Board on your behalf in an effort to steer the inquiry toward a resolution that avoids formal disciplinary action.

Attorney General Accusations and Administrative Hearings

As the California Board also explains, “[i]f [an] investigation finds evidence that the physician has violated the Medical Practice Act and the violation warrants disciplinary action, the case is forwarded to the Attorney General’s Office to prepare an accusation. An accusation is a legal document that lists the charges and/or the section(s) of [California] law alleged to have been violated . . . .”

If you are facing an accusation from the California Attorney General’s Office, you have the right to request a hearing—though you must do so promptly. Here too, our California medical license defense attorneys can provide strategic advice and representation, and we can use our experience to help protect your medical license by all means available.

Post-Hearing Appeals

If you are facing disciplinary action as the result of a formal accusation, you will want to quickly assess your options for filing an appeal. Our attorneys handle post-hearing appeals as well; and, if necessary, we can fight to protect your right to practice medicine in the State of California in court.

Healthcare Fraud Audits and Investigations

Along with matters involving the California Medical Board, we also represent physicians and other licensed healthcare professionals in healthcare fraud audits and investigations. In many cases, healthcare fraud allegations and disciplinary proceedings go hand-in-hand. If you are being accused of improperly billing Medicare, Medicaid, or any other public or private payor, we have extensive experience in this area as well, and we can use our experience to help ensure that you do not face unwarranted recoupments, fines, or other penalties.

Other Civil and Criminal Legal Matters

We represent physicians and other licensed healthcare providers in matters involving other legal civil and criminal issues as well. This includes everything from medical malpractice litigation to investigations targeting alleged drug diversion and other serious federal crimes. If you are facing any type of legal matter in connection with your California Medical Board proceeding, we can provide the advice and representation you need to protect your reputation, your finances, and your career to the fullest extent possible.

How Our California Medical License Defense Attorneys Can Help

If you are entering an investigation stage or facing disciplinary action from the California Medical Board, it is imperative that you engage experienced counsel to defend you. Here are just some of the ways our California medical license defense attorneys can help in this scenario:

• Discerning the Specific Allegations Against You – We will begin by discerning the specific allegations against you. When facing disciplinary action (or other legal action) as a licensed medical professional, it is imperative to ensure that you have an accurate and comprehensive understanding of the specific allegations you need to aggressively defend yourself against. 
• Evaluating Your Risks – Once we know the allegations against you, then we can evaluate your risks. This includes not only evaluating your risk of facing a license suspension or license revocation, but also your risk of facing other civil penalties or criminal prosecution. 
• Formulating a Strategic, Cohesive, and Comprehensive Defense – In all cases, avoiding unnecessary consequences requires a strategic, cohesive, and comprehensive defense. We can help ensure that you are taking all of the steps that are necessary to effectively mitigate your risk of facing administrative, civil, and/or criminal consequences. 
• Communicating with the California Medical Board and Attorney General’s Office – In many (if not most) cases, a proactive approach to resolving allegations of unprofessional conduct or malpractice will be best. Our attorneys can communicate with the California Medical Board and the Attorney General’s Office on your behalf to attempt to secure a resolution that avoids formal action. 
• Protecting Your Medical Career By All Means Available – Ultimately, we will focus our representation on protecting your medical career by all means available. We understand the substantial risks you are facing, and we are committed to ensuring that our clients do not face unnecessary consequences. If there is any opportunity to protect your license and your ability to practice without a stain on your personal or professional reputation, we will leverage it to the fullest extent possible. 

FAQs: Facing a California Medical Board Investigation or Disciplinary Proceeding

Schedule a Complimentary Consultation with a California Medical License Defense Attorney at Oberheiden P.C.

Do you need to speak with a California medical license defense attorney? If so, we encourage you to get in touch. To schedule a complimentary consultation at Oberheiden P.C. as soon as possible, please call 888-680-1745 or tell us how we can reach you online now.