Dental partnerships typically start with the best intention of forming a partnership with the common goal of establishing a successful dental practice. Unfortunately, dental practice partnership disputes can put the partners in a difficult position of potential business litigation. If you’re facing a dental partnership dispute, you’ll benefit from working with an experienced attorney.
Discuss Your Case With a Skilled Dental Practice Partnership Dispute Attorney
The attorneys at Mahan Dental Law have in-depth experience representing clients in dental practice partnership disputes. After carefully reviewing your case, we will advise you on your legal options. We can help you try to negotiate a solution that works for you and your partner, but our trial-ready attorneys are prepared to take your case to court when that isn’t possible. Contact Mahan Dental Law today to schedule a consultation and learn more about your rights.
Common Causes of a Dental Practice Partnership Dispute
Anytime two or more people are working closely together, disputes will arise. Many partnership disputes can be resolved through negotiation and discussion between the partners. Other disputes cannot be resolved and lead to one or both partners pursuing legal action. There are numerous reasons dental partners become involved in a dispute. However, some of the most common types of disputes between dental partners include the following:
- Disagreement about how to allocate and distribute resources
- Inability to agree on how to manage the dental practice
- Misconduct or suspected misconduct by one or more of the partners
- Disagreements related to managing employees
- Disagreements over salary, benefits, or time off
Another common dispute involves different expectations about how much time each partner needs to devote to the dental practice. Disputes on how the administrative workload should be split between partners are also common.
We Will Help You Navigate Your Partnership Dispute
Not all dental partnership disputes lead to litigation. If you are involved in a partnership dispute and cannot resolve it between yourselves, reaching out to an attorney can be beneficial. The attorneys at Mahan Dental Law have experience assisting in out-of-court settlements. Many of our clients are interested in resolving disputes without litigation to save time and money.
If you have dispute-resolution provisions in your partnership agreement, an attorney can help you understand the steps necessary to resolve disputes. When resolving the dispute, resist the temptation to take the dispute personally. Instead, keep an open mind about your dental partner’s point of view and rely on your partnership agreement’s provisions to resolve the problem. Your partnership agreement may require arbitration or mediation with a neutral third party. We can help you proceed according to your partnership agreement. Our attorneys can help you understand your legal options under applicable state law if you do not have a partnership agreement.
Partnership Disputes and Litigation
In many partnership dispute cases, the best outcome for both partners is to come to a mutually amicable resolution to the dispute. Unfortunately, it isn’t always possible to resolve disputes between partners. When litigation becomes necessary, the attorneys at Mahan Dental Law are prepared to provide you with a robust legal defense. Our business litigation attorneys take great care to carefully analyze your case, including your desired result of the litigation. While keeping your goals in mind, we will make an effective game plan. We focus on communicating with our clients at every stage, and our responsive attorneys will always consider your goals during the process.
Our law firm has the resources to prepare your court case diligently. We will ascertain what is needed during the discovering process, including documents, depositions, and written discovery. We will create a litigation plan based on the evidence we gather during the discovery process. During negotiations for a settlement, we will advocate for your best interests. Depending on your goals, we can help you pursue a worthwhile settlement. We will proceed with litigation when a satisfactory settlement can’t be achieved. Our attorneys have extensive experience representing dental practice clients in court.
What Happens When One Partner Wishes to Leave and Join a Competing Practice?
Some disputes escalate to the point that one partner wants to leave the dental practice and work elsewhere. Whether a partner can leave depends on the provisions in the partnership agreement. Some partnership agreements have buy-sell agreements that allow the remaining partner to “buy out” the partner who is leaving. Buy-out provisions reduce conflict and prevent uncertainty should a future buy-out occur. A buy-out agreement should include a formula you will use for the buy-out price and whether the buyout must be in cash or installments.
When there is a restrictive covenant in place, the partner who leaves the practice may not be able to work in the same geographic area of the dental practice. Restrictive covenants are not always legally enforceable, especially when they are so restrictive that they prevent the leaving partner from making a living. Do you have questions regarding leaving your dental partnership or your partner potentially leaving? The attorneys at Mahan Dental Law are here to answer your questions and advise you of your legal rights.
Protecting Yourself BeforePartnership Disputes Occur
Dental partners can proactively protect themselves from partnership dispute litigation by creating a thorough written partnership agreement. A solid dental partnership agreement is legally enforceable and should protect each partner’s rights and outline each partner’s responsibilities.
Partnership agreements should also outline the steps the partners must take should a dispute occur. The attorneys at Mahan Dental Law can help you create an effective and thorough partnership agreement that will help you and your partner manage your expectations about how the dental practice will operate and your roles.
Reach Out to a Dental Practice Partnership Dispute Attorney Today
If you are facing a dental practice partnership dispute, you’ll benefit from working with a skilled attorney. In disputes of this type, it’s important to discuss your case with an attorney as soon as possible. One of the experienced attorneys at Mahan Dental Law will review your case and begin taking steps to protect your interests and enforce your rights. Contact Mahan Dental Law today to schedule your initial consultation and learn more about your legal rights.
