California Professional License Defense Attorney
When your career is on the line due to an investigation or formal accusation, be very careful. Licensing actions risk your license, your reputation and career. It is key to protect yourself and get a California professional license defense attorney who understands licensing law and how to skillfully resolve your case.
If you have been contacted by a California licensing board, Department of Consumer Affairs investigator or are facing a criminal charge or investigation, our professional license lawyer can help you immediately.
We handle cases in front of all 40 California licensing agencies including all health care professionals, businesses, accountants, insurance, and engineers. We also handle DEA, FBI, and U.S. Department of Justice matters involving licensed professionals.
Ex-Prosecutor skilled in license defense and criminal defense
Attorneys Robert Weinberg, Suzanne Crouts, and Melissa DuChene have 50+ yrs of combined experience handling 1000’s of license defense, criminal defense, DUI and Federal cases.
We understand how licensing boards operate, how disciplinary investigations are conducted and the complete process of statement of issues, accusations, administrative hearings and appeals. We are skilled in the complex intersection of licensing and criminal law.
Compassionate professional license defense focused on you
If you are a medical, nursing, dental or other licensed professional facing a disciplinary action, investigation or accusation by a licensing board, give us a call. You can depend on us to vigorously defend you and help minimize exposure to disciplinary actions.
You can rest assured we understand your situation and are 100% focused on protecting you and your license. We do not judge, we are only here to help.
We represent professionals throughout all of California, Los Angeles, Orange County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, San Diego County and Ventura County.
We offer affordable fees and flexible payment plans.
Experienced professional license lawyers
Chudnovsky Law represents professionals licensed by any California Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) licensing board. DCA is the parent agency that licenses over 3,900,000 professional licensees, processes over 1,400,000 license renewals and issues 322,000 new licenses each year in 280 license types and 40 licensing entities.
While each professional license board can have different rules and regulations, the Department of Consumer Affairs, Division of Investigation (DOI) is the shared police agency for all DCA licensing boards. When licensing boards receive complaints or reports of alleged misconduct, they are usually referred to the DOI for investigation.
The licensing section of the California Attorney General’s office (AGO) handles filing Accusations and represents the state of California in judicial proceedings seeking license denial, revocation and other disciplinary actions.
The 6 stages of professional license defense
Chudnovsky Law’s experienced professional license defense lawyers represent clients in all 6 stages of professional license investigation and disciplinary actions:
- Complaint or crime reported to the board,
- License investigation, interview,
- Formal Accusation filed,
- Administrative Hearing at The Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH),
- Writ of Mandamus appeal, and
- License reinstatement or penalty relief.
The license investigation and interview stage is a critical opportunity to get the matter closed without a formal accusation being filed. Once an Accusation is filed, the allegation against you becomes public record published on your DCA license.
California professional license defense lawyer process
Licensees typically first become aware of an investigation when they receive a phone call, records request, subpoena or letter from their board or Department of Consumer Affairs.
Given what is at stake, it is critical not to take an investigation lightly, no matter how confident you feel about the facts. You are dealing with experienced investigators who can cause devastating consequences for you. Getting an investigation closed with your license and career intact is the primary goal.
Depending on the case, we may take some or all of the following steps to prepare a robust defense strategy and show the board why discipline is unwarranted:
- File any paperwork needed to preserve your rights to defense.
- Thoroughly review the facts and all available evidence.
- Analyze the laws governing the alleged misconduct.
- Get an expert review of relevant records.
- Identify and consult any needed expert(s).
- Obtain an expert psychological assessment and rehabilitation plan, if needed.
- Utilize a defense investigator to obtain any needed evidence or witnesses.
- Obtain any records needed.
- Develop a rehabilitation plan for any chemical dependency issue.
- Assess any potential criminal liability and how that affects your defense.
- Meet with the DCA Investigator to present information to disprove the allegation or minimize the severity of an alleged offense.
If the investigator feels a disciplinary action should be initiated, the case is forwarded to a Deputy Attorney General who will review the evidence to see if the legal standard has been met to file a formal Accusation.
Once a formal Accusation is filed, you typically have 15 days to respond or you may lose your license via a default decision. When you retain our firm to resolve your case, we must quickly file a ‘Notice of Defense’ to begin a dual track defense:
- Work directly with the Attorney General’s office and your licensing agency to negotiate the best possible terms for a Stipulated Settlement (plea agreement) or withdrawal of the Accusation. If terms are reached that you agree with, a Stipulated Settlement and Disciplinary Order will be executed to resolve the matter. The order will outline the terms you will abide by in order to keep your license.
- If a fair settlement isn’t possible, we will vigorously fight your case in a Hearing at the Department of Justice, Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH).
If you have received an Accusation, contact us as early as possible in the process to review your case and how to protect yourself.
Business professional license defense lawyer
In addition to licensed professionals, we also provide vigorous defense for licensed California businesses and corporations.
Medical license and healthcare business defense attorney
Chudnovsky Law represents health care businesses for licensing defense, Medicare, Medical insurance reimbursement, and patient care matters. We serve the needs of healthcare businesses facing Medical Board of California disciplinary actions and matters affecting licensure for patient care businesses such as:
- Hospitals, clinics
- Senior care and assisted living facilities
- Adult day health care businesses
- At home health care providers and agencies
- Long term health care facilities
- Pharmacies, sterile compounding facilities
- Pharmaceutical distributors, vendors and wholesalers
- Skilled nursing facilities (SNF)
- Chiropractic corporations
Professionally licensed businesses
Our business professional license attorney has a wealth of experience representing all types of businesses requiring professional licensure in California, such as:
- Accountancy corporation
- Alarm company
- Appraisal management company
- Automotive repair dealer, and smog check test & repair station
- Barbering and cosmetology establishment
- Cannabis distributor, transport, retailer
- Child care businesses
- Funeral establishment, crematory
- Insurance agencies
- Private patrol operator
- Structural pest control company
- Veterinary premises
Businesses can experience serious damage to their professional reputation, corporate relationships, and revenue from accusations, investigations and disciplinary actions. It is critical to identify potential risks early and quickly consult a professional license defense attorney California that knows the laws and how to skillfully resolve any issues.
Professional license criminal and DUI defense
Attorneys Robert Weinberg, Suzanne Crouts, and Melissa DuChene are both professional license defense and criminal defense attorneys with extensive experience representing licensed professionals and businesses in criminal matters and licensing board investigation defense.
They are adept at managing the complex intersection of federal and state criminal and licensing laws – all with the goal of protecting your life and career from accusations.
Skilled in substance abuse, DUI and criminal charge issues
A significant portion of our cases involve professionals and businesses whose licenses are at risk due to substance abuse, DUI, criminal arrests, misdemeanor or felony charges. Our compassionate attorneys know how to handle these situations and help protect your license and career.
Some of the most common causes of board disciplinary actions include:
- Substance abuse, criminal charges, DUI, or felony DUI
- Gross negligence or incompetence
- Violating standard of care regulations
- Practicing impaired
- Deficient record keeping
- Medi-Cal insurance billing fraud
- Unprofessional or sexual misconduct
Mr. Weinberg, Ms. Crouts, and Ms. DuChene handle all professional license criminal defense matters including: professional license DUI defense, state and federal criminal defense, DEA licensure defense, illegal prescribing practices, and business fraud allegations.
Don’t let a mistake ruin your career. Contact us to learn your legal options.
Types of professional licenses we represent
Chudnovsky Law represents professionals licensed by the DEA, California Department of Health Care Services, California Department of Health, Department of Insurance, and all California Department of Consumer Affairs licensing agencies:
- Accountancy, Board of
- Acupuncture Board
- Arbitration Certification Program
- Architects Board, California
- Automotive Repair, Bureau of
- Barbering and Cosmetology, Board of
- Behavioral Sciences, Board of
- California Horse Racing Board
- California Department of Public Health
- California Health and Human Services Agency
- Cannabis Control, Bureau of
- Cemetery and Funeral Bureau
- Chiropractic Examiners, Board of
- Contractors State License Board
- Court Reporters Board
- Dental Board of California
- Dental Hygiene Board of California
- Department of Insurance
- Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists, Board for Professional
- Guide Dogs for the Blind, State Board of
- Household Goods and Services, Bureau of
- Landscape Architects Technical Committee
- Medical Board of California
- Naturopathic Medicine Committee
- Occupational Therapy, California Board of
- Optometry, Board of
- Osteopathic Medical Board of California
- Pharmacy, Board of
- Physical Therapy Board of California
- Physician Assistant Board
- Podiatric Medical Board of California
- Private Postsecondary Education, Bureau of
- Professional Fiduciaries Bureau
- Psychology, Board of
- Real Estate Appraisers, Bureau of
- Registered Nursing, Board of
- Respiratory Care Board
- Security and Investigative Services, Bureau of
- Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board
- State Athletic Commission
- Structural Pest Control Board
- Veterinary Medical Board
- Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians, Board of
Resources:
- DCA Fraud Scam Alert
- Department of Consumer Affairs Annual Report
- Department of Insurance Enforcement
About our license defense attorneys
When your reputation and career are at risk, your choice of attorney matters. In license defense cases, there is no substitute for experience and knowledge of board tactics and how the process works. A smart, strategic lawyer can help you navigate the dangerous situation you are facing and secure the best possible resolution.
Chudnovsky Law is rated Top 100 Trial Lawyers by The National Trial Lawyers, an honor given to a select group of trial lawyers from across the United States who have demonstrated exceptional qualifications in their area of the law.
The firm’s senior defense attorneys, Robert K Weinberg, Tsion Chudnovsky, Suzanne Crouts, and Melissa DuChene have a combined 75+ years experience practicing law. Our attorneys are known and respected by investigators, judges and the Attorney General’s office as compassionate, highly skilled attorneys that vigorously defend our clients rights.
We take a comprehensive, holistic approach to defending professionals and employ every resource we have to secure a favorable result for you.
Attorneys Robert K. Weinberg, Suzanne Crouts, and Melissa DuChene have handled over 6,500 cases, administrative hearings, and court trials. They are authorities in the complex intersection of licensing and criminal law for professional licensees and businesses.
A dedication to client service and delivering results has made Chudnovsky Law rated amongst the best professional license defense attorneys in California:
- 5 Star Rating by Martindale
- 5 Star Rating by Lawyers
- 5 Star Rating on Google
To speak with an attorney about your case and see if we are the best professional license lawyer for you, call (844) 325-1444 to contact us.
Our Client Testimonials
“Attorney Robert Weinberg and Fred were excellent. I knew after speaking with them that this was the team I needed to help me. They knew exactly what to do and gave clear, straightforward answers to my questions. They were the most knowledgeable team I could find after speaking with several professional license defense attorneys. Robert gave me very detailed instructions on what to do and helped create an effective response package for the Board of Registered Nursing investigator.
He achieved the exact outcome I wanted. My case was closed with no action and my nursing license record remains spotless. I highly recommend Chudnovsky Law and this team.”
KELLEN
“Chudnovsky Law is a very professional and effective law firm. Robert Weinberg handled my complex case involving federal criminal law and medical licensing laws. He was always honest, up front and direct with expert advice and solutions. I have no complaints on a high stakes, difficult case.”
“Unfortunately I got caught up in an investigation of opioid prescribing practices at a clinic I worked for. Tsion and Robert Weinberg did a great job defending me. After a months long investigation, they were able to get the matter totally closed with no action against my license. I give them the highest recommendation!”
“I can only say positive things about Robert Weinberg and Chudnovsky Law. Fred and Heidi were also very helpful. I interviewed several professional license defense lawyers and Robert and his team made it clear they really cared about me and protecting my nursing license and career. They put a lot of work into my case and always kept me up to date and returned my calls.
I could not be more pleased in how they resolved my case and helped me get through this very scary period. I recommend them to any nurse or medical license professional that need an expert lawyer.”
“I can give Chudnovsky Law and attorney Robert Weinberg a strong recommendation. He resolved a dangerous investigation against our assisted living facility that could have resulted in federal criminal charges and losing our medical license. The case was closed with no action. Robert was a consummate professional and very effective at clearing our name. If you need an expert professional license defense attorney that is enjoyable to work with, give him a call.”
“We were referred to attorney Robert Weinberg by a friend and found him to be an excellent professional license defense attorney. Unfortunately, our daughter made a big mistake and got charged with a criminal charge that could have resulted in her losing her nursing license.
We are grateful to Robert for resolving both the criminal case and the resulting nursing board investigation. He saved her RN nurse license and made sure one mistake didn’t ruin her life. Definitely a top attorney in Los Angeles you can count on to defend you.”
“I can highly recommend attorney Robert Weinberg to anyone needing an expert healthcare license defense attorney. He did an outstanding job resolving a dental license matter for our family. Robert and his team really made a difference in a very stressful situation. He got the matter closed with no action taken. We cannot thank him enough!”
Service Area
When looking for a professional license defense attorney near me, note we represent professionals in Los Angeles County, Orange County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, San Diego County, Santa Barbara County, Santa Clara County, Alameda County, Sacramento County, Contra Costa County, and all of California:
Los Angeles County: Agoura Hills, Alhambra, Arcadia, Baldwin Park, Bellflower, Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Buena Park, Burbank, Canoga Park, Carson, Cerritos, Chatsworth, Compton, Culver City, Diamond Bar, Downey, Downtown Los Angeles, El Monte, El Segundo, Encino, Gardena, Glendora, Glendale, Granada Hills, Hawthorne, Hermosa Beach, Hollywood, Huntington Park, Inglewood, La Canada-Flintridge, La Habra, La Mirada, Lakewood, Lancaster, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Lynwood, Malibu, Manhattan Beach, Monrovia, Montebello, Monterey Park, North Hollywood, Northridge, Norwalk, Pacoima, Palmdale, Pasadena, Pico Rivera, Pomona, Rancho San Fernando, Redondo Beach, Reseda, Rosemead, San Dimas, San Fernando Valley, Santa Clarita, Santa Monica, Sherman Oaks, Simi Valley, South Pasadena, Sylmar, Tarzana, Thousand Oaks, Toluca Lake, Torrance, Van Nuys, Venice, Walnut, West Covina, West Hollywood, Whittier and Woodland Hills.
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Orange County: Aliso Viejo, Anaheim, Brea, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Cypress, Dana Point, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Irvine, La Habra, La Palma, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Lake Forest, Los Alamitos, Mission Viejo, Newport Beach, Orange, Placentia, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Seal Beach, Stanton, Tustin, Villa Park, Westminster and Yorba Linda.
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Riverside County: Riverside, Moreno Valley, Corona, Temecula, Murrieta, Jurupa Valley, Indio, Hemet, Perris, Palm Desert and Palm Springs. | San Bernardino County: San Bernardino, Fontana, Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario, Victorville, Rialto, Hesperia, Chino, Upland, Apple Valley and Redlands. | San Diego County: San Diego, Chula Vista, Oceanside, Escondido, Carlsbad, El Cajon, Vista, San Marcos, Encinitas and National City.
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Santa Barbara County: Carpinteria, Gaviota, Goleta, Isla Vista, Lompoc, Los Olivos, Montecito, Orcutt, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Santa Ynez, Solvang, and UC Santa Barbara. | Ventura County: Camarillo, Fillmore, Simi Valley, Ojai, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Thousand Oaks, and Ventura.
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Alameda County: Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Dublin, Emeryville, Fremont, Hayward, Livermore, Newark, Oakland, Piedmont, Pleasanton, San Leandro, Union City. | Alpine County: Alpine Village. | Amador County: Ione, Jackson, Plymouth, Sutter Creek. | Butte County: Oroville, Chico, Durham, Gridley, Magalia, Oroville, Oroville East, Palermo, Paradise, South Oroville, Thermalito. | Calaveras County: Angels Camp, Arnold, Copperopolis, Rancho Calaveras, San Andreas, Valley Springs. | Colusa County: Arbuckle, Colusa, Maxwell, Williams. | Contra Costa County: Antioch, Brentwood, Concord, Danville, El Cerrito, Hercules, Lafayette, Martinez, Oakley, Orinda, Pinole, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, Richmond, San Pablo, San Ramon, Walnut Creek. | Del Norte County: Crescent City, Bertsch-Oceanview, Klamath. | El Dorado County: Cameron Park, Diamond Springs, El Dorado Hills, Placerville, Pollock Pines, Shingle Springs, South Lake Tahoe.
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Fresno County: Clovis, Coalinga, Fresno, Reedley, Sanger, Selma. | Glenn County: Hamilton City, Orland, Willows. | Humboldt County: Arcata, Cutten, Eureka, Fortuna, Humboldt Hill, McKinleyville, Myrtletown, Ridgewood. | Imperial County: Brawley, Calexico, Calipatria, El Centro, Imperial, Salton City. | Inyo County: Big Pine, Bishop, Lone Pine, West Bishop. | Kern County: Arvin, Bakersfield, California City, Delano, McFarland, Ridgecrest, Shafter, Taft, Tehachapi, Wasco. | Kings County: Avenal, Concoran, Hanford, Lemoore, Lemoore Station. | Lake County:Clearlake, Clearlake Oaks, Clearlake Riviera, Kelseyville, Lakeport, Lucerne, North Lakeport. | Lassen County: Janesville, Susanville, Westwood. | Madera County: Ahwahnee, Bonadelle Ranchos, Chowchilla, Coarsegold, Madera, Madera Acres, Madera Ranchos, Yosemite Lakes. | Marin County: Corte Madera, Larkspur, Marin, Mill Valley, Novato, San Anselmo, San Rafael, Sausalito. | Mariposa County: Lake Don Pedro, Mariposa, Midpines, Yosemite Valley. | Mendocino County: Brooktrails, Fort Bragg, Redwood City, Ukiah, Willits. | Merced County:Atwater, Dehli, Dos Palos, Franklin, Gustine, Livingston, Los Banos, Merced, Winton. | Modoc County: Alturas, California Pines. | Mono County: Crowley Lake, Mammoth Lakes.
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Monterey County: Carmel Valley, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Castroville, Gonzales, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Salinas, Seaside, Soledad. | Napa County: American Canyon, Calistoga, Napa, St Helena, Yountville. | Nevada County: Grass Valley, Lake of the Pines, Lake Wildwood, Nevada City, Truckee. | Placer County: Auburn, Granite Bay, Lincoln, Loomis, North Auburn, Rocklin, Roseville. | Plumas County: Chester, East Quincy, Portola, Quincy. | Sacramento County: Antelope, Arden-Arcade, Carmichael, Citrus Heights, Elk Grove, Fair Oaks, Florin, Folsom, Foothill Farms, Galt, North Highlands, Orangeville, Rancho Cordova, Rosemont, Sacramento, Vineyard. | San Benito County: Aromas, Hollister, Ridgemark.
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San Francisco County: Bayview, Chinatown, Japan Town, Mission District, Pacific Heights, Richmond District, San Francisco, Stonestown, Sunset District, Union Square. | San Joaquin County: Lathrop, Lodi, Manteca, Ripon, Stockton, Tracy. | San Luis Obispo County: Arroyo Grande, Atascadero, Grover Beach, Morro Bay, Paso Robles, Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo. | San Mateo County: Belmont, Burlingame, Daly City, East Palo Alto, Foster City, Half Moon Bay, Hillsborough, Menlo Park, Millbrae, Pacifica, Redwood City, San Bruno, San Carlos, San Mateo, South San Francisco.
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Santa Clara County: Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Milpitas, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Palo Alto, San Jose, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale. | Santa Cruz County: Aptos, Ben Lomond, Capitola, Interlaken, Live Oak, Rio Del Mar, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, Soquel, Watsonville. | Shasta County: Anderson, Bella Vista, Cottonwood, Happy Valley, Palo Cedro, Redding, Shasta Lake. | Sierra County: Loyalton, Sierra Brooks. | Siskiyou County: Dunsmuir, Lake Shastina, Mount Shasta, Weed, Yreka. | Solano County: Benicia, Dixon, Fairfield, Suisun City, Vacaville, Vallejo. | Sonoma County:Healdsberg, Petaluma, Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa, Sonoma, Windsor. | Stanislaus County: Ceres, Modesto, Oakdale, Patterson, Riverbank, Salida, Turlock. | Sutter County: Live Oak, Sutter, Yuba City. | Tehama County:Corning, Lake California, Los Molinos, Red Bluff. | Trinity County: Hayfork, Lewiston, Post Mountain, Weaverville. | Tulare County: Dinuba, Exeter, Farmersville, Lindsay, Porterville, Tulare, Woodlake, Visalia. | Tuolumne County: Jamestown, Mono Vista, Phoenix Lake, Sonora. | Yolo County: Davis, West Sacramento, Winters, Woodland. | Yuba County: Linda, Loma Rica, Marysville, Olivehurst, Plumas Lake, Wheatland.
Disclaimer
This information does not constitute legal advice and is not a substitute for individual case consultation and research. No representations are made as to the accuracy of this information and appropriate legal counsel should be consulted before taking any actions. Contact us for a consultation regarding your case to see if we are the best professional license attorney for you.
Written by Melissa DuChene and Suzanne Crouts.