Starting a dental practice in Michigan is an exciting but challenging goal. In addition to providing excellent patient care, dental practice owners must comply with a wide range of regulations and legal duties. Dental practice owners can benefit from working with a skilled attorney to assist them with legal issues, allowing them to focus on the day-to-day operation of their practices.
Mahan Dental Law is a full-service law firm of experienced attorneys, many of whom are also dentists. We represent Michigan dentists in dental leases, dental partnerships, commercial transactions, and all other business and legal needs. Whether you already own a dental practice and need skilled legal counsel or are exploring purchasing one, we are prepared to help you.
Types of Dental Law Services We Offer
The benefit of hiring an attorney isn’t limited to drafting complex legal documents and litigating matters in court. In reality, the insight and guidance of an experienced attorney can be more crucial to the success of a dental practice than many realize. Effective legal counsel can lay a solid foundation for every aspect of a Michigan dental practice’s success. The Michigan dental attorneys at Mahan Dental Law represent dentists in a wide range of legal matters, including but not limited to the following:
- Purchase or sale of dental practices
- Contracting with vendors and employees
- Regulatory compliance
- Employee contracts and handbooks
- Buying and selling dental practices
- Forming a dental partnership
- HIPAA compliance
- Commercial leases for dental offices
- Buy and sell agreements for dental practices
- Forming a Michigan limited liability company (LLC) or corporation
- Drafting, negotiating, and revising employment agreements
- Estate planning for owners of dental practices
Providing Dental Practices with Regulatory Compliance Services
Dental practice owners are understandably laser-focused on the dental practice’s day-to-day operations, including patients with comprehensive, excellent treatment. Finding the time to stay up-to-date with the many local, state, and federal regulations related to operating a dental practice can be difficult, if not impossible, for busy dental practice owners.
The Michigan dental practice attorneys at Mahan Dental Law have in-depth knowledge about the many different regulations dental practices need to follow. When you work with us, we will identify any potential red flags while working with you to develop strategies to keep you in compliance with regulations, prevent data breaches of patients’ information, maintain a professional corporation, and comply with other regulations.
Forming a Dental Practice in Michigan
Whether you’re a dental specialist who’d like to branch out and form a group practice or a general dentist who’d like to start your own practice, working with an attorney can be extremely helpful. Mahan Dental Law assists clients throughout the entire process of forming or purchasing a dental practice.
Our attorneys have extensive experience drafting and negotiating purchase and lease agreements. We can also help you locate a commercial property that meets your business needs. Our attorneys have an in-depth understanding of the different legal structures dental practices can form in Michigan. After deciding which business structure you’d like to use, we will work with you to complete all legal formation documents to start your dental practice legally.
Purchasing or Selling a Dental Practice in Michigan
Starting a dental practice from nothing can be exciting but also challenging. Many dentists choose to purchase an existing dental practice. There are several benefits to purchasing an existing practice, including working with existing patients and employees. However, some risks come with purchasing an existing dental practice.
Mahan Dental Law can help you engage in thorough due diligence before you finalize the purchase of a dental practice. If there are potential red flags, we will find and investigate them so you can make an informed decision. Making strategic decisions before you start the transition practice can help you protect yourself. Consulting with a skilled attorney can help you provide your employees and patients with a smooth transition.
We also help purchases strategically negotiate and draft a comprehensive purchase agreement that complies with all relevant Michigan laws. We also represent sellers by negotiating the terms of the purchase agreement to ensure they are fair to the seller. When a seller would like special terms included in the agreement, such as the ability to continue working at the practice until retirement, our attorneys will advocate for your interests.
Partnership Agreement Attorneys
Mahan Dental Law helps dentists form successful partnerships. When drafting and negotiating dental partnership agreements, we address potential conflicts between partners upfront to decrease the likelihood of partnership disputes. We can also help you protect yourself if your partner incurs a debt or judgment for malpractice or breach of contract. We can help you draft a partnership agreement to overcome this major drawback of entering a partnership.
Representing Dentists in Associate Buy-Ins
Many dental practices in Michigan use a business model in which associates can buy into the company. Unfortunately, some buy-in models are unnecessarily complicated and needlessly penalize the practice owner or the associate. Mahan Dental Law can work with you to ensure the terms of the agreement are fair, including terms related to tax ramifications, ownership rights, and problems with the interim period before the associate buys into the dental practice.
Human Resources Matters
Managing employees is an essential aspect of managing an effective dental practice. Mahan Dental Law can help you write an employee handbook. A comprehensive employee handbook can help you avoid employee disputes that may lead to litigation. The policies in the handbook should include specific practices that comply with Michigan and federal laws.
Violating a human resources law governing Michigan employers can result in dental practice owners spending significant time and money fighting the employee’s claim. Mahan Dental Law can help you draft employment contracts, advise you of ways to protect your employee’s personal information, and help you resolve employee disputes.
Contact a Michigan Dental Practice Attorney
The Michigan dental attorneys at Mahan Dental Law provide skilled, tailored legal counsel to dental practice owners, managers, and prospective owners. Whatever the legal issues you’re facing, we are prepared to answer your questions, help you understand your legal rights, and take action to protect yourself.
