Home/Industries/Healthcare & Medical Practices

Healthcare Law

Lawyers for the business side of running a practice.

Entity formation, employment and compensation agreements, vendor and equipment contracts, leases, and practice transactions. Counsel for physicians, dentists, veterinarians, and healthcare business owners, grounded in how a practice actually operates.

The Practice

Business counsel for physicians, dentists, and practice owners.

A medical practice is a business before it is anything else. The entity it operates through, the agreements that bind its physicians and staff, the leases on its space and equipment, and the contracts with its vendors all shape how the practice runs, what it earns, and what happens when an owner wants to bring in a partner or step away.

Lawyers in this practice handle the transactional and business-side work that keeps a practice on solid footing. Forming the professional entity, drafting employment and compensation agreements, reviewing equipment leases and vendor contracts, negotiating office space, structuring partner buy-ins and buy-outs, and guiding owners through the sale or merger of a practice. The work is practical and commercial, built around the realities of operating a clinic.

The goal is straightforward. Get the foundational documents right so the practice is an asset the owners control, and stay on call for the next agreement, partner addition, or transaction when it comes.

Why It Matters

The Entity Shapes Everything

Whether a practice operates as a PC, a PLLC, or a group structure affects ownership, taxation, and how partners are added or bought out. The right structure, decided early, saves years of restructuring later.

Employment Agreements Set the Terms

Physician and staff agreements govern compensation, scheduling, productivity, and what happens on departure. Loosely drafted terms create friction the day a key provider gives notice.

Compensation Is Where Partners Disagree

How a practice splits revenue, allocates overhead, and rewards production determines whether a partnership holds together. The formula belongs in writing, agreed before the money is on the table.

Leases and Equipment Lock You In

Office space and equipment leases run for years and carry terms most owners sign without negotiating. A careful review surfaces renewal, assignment, and exit terms worth changing before signature.

Buy-Ins and Buy-Outs Need a Roadmap

Bringing in a partner or buying one out is one of the highest-stakes moments in a practice. Without a clear agreement on valuation and terms, the transition stalls and relationships fray.

A Sale Offer Arrives Without Warning

Corporate acquirers and larger groups make offers on their own timeline and their own paper. Owners who know how their practice is structured and valued negotiate from a far stronger position.

Services

Formation, contracts, and the transactions that move a practice forward.

Nine service areas covering the transactional and business-side legal work most relevant to physicians, dentists, veterinarians, and healthcare practice owners. Engagements are scoped to the matter, ongoing counsel is available for practices with active needs.

Practice Formation & Structuring

How a practice is organized shapes ownership, taxation, and growth. Lawyers form the professional entities (PCs, PLLCs, and group structures) that fit how the practice is owned and operated, and set up the governance that keeps it running cleanly.

  • Professional corporations and PLLCs
  • Group practice structures
  • Operating and shareholder agreements
  • Governance and ownership terms

Physician & Provider Agreements

Provider agreements set compensation, productivity expectations, schedules, and departure terms. Lawyers draft and review physician and provider contracts so the terms are clear and the practice is protected when a provider joins or leaves.

  • Physician employment agreements
  • Independent contractor arrangements
  • Productivity and bonus terms
  • Departure and notice provisions

Staff Employment & Policies

A practice runs on its team. Lawyers draft staff employment agreements, offer letters, handbooks, and the policies that keep the practice compliant with employment obligations and consistent in how it treats its people.

  • Staff employment agreements
  • Offer letters and handbooks
  • Workplace policies
  • Classification and wage compliance

Compensation Structures

How a practice splits revenue and allocates overhead determines whether partners stay aligned. Lawyers structure compensation models, productivity formulas, and partner distribution terms, and put them in writing before they are tested.

  • Revenue split and overhead allocation
  • Productivity-based formulas
  • Partner distribution terms
  • Bonus and incentive structures

Non-Competes & Restrictive Covenants

Restrictive covenants protect a practice when a provider departs, but only when drafted to hold up. Lawyers draft non-competes, non-solicits, and confidentiality terms that are reasonable, enforceable, and matched to the practice and its market.

  • Non-compete agreements
  • Non-solicitation provisions
  • Confidentiality terms
  • Reasonableness and enforceability review

Equipment Leases & Vendor Contracts

A practice signs a steady stream of leases and vendor agreements. Lawyers review equipment leases, service contracts, supply agreements, and software and billing arrangements that quietly allocate cost and risk over their term.

  • Equipment leases and financing
  • Vendor and supply agreements
  • Service and maintenance contracts
  • Software and billing arrangements

Office Space Leases

The office lease is one of a practice's largest and longest commitments. Lawyers review and negotiate commercial leases on the practice's side, surfacing rent escalation, build-out, renewal, assignment, and exit terms worth changing before signature.

  • Commercial lease review
  • Build-out and improvement terms
  • Renewal and option provisions
  • Assignment and exit terms

Partner Buy-Ins & Buy-Outs

Adding or removing a partner is among the most consequential moments in a practice. Lawyers structure buy-in and buy-out arrangements, valuation terms, and the agreements that govern how ownership transitions cleanly.

  • Partner buy-in structuring
  • Buy-out and redemption terms
  • Valuation and payment terms
  • Ownership transition agreements

Practice Sales, Mergers & Acquisitions

When it is time to sell, merge, or respond to a corporate offer, the structure of the deal shapes the outcome. Lawyers handle practice sales, mergers, and acquisition transactions, from diligence through closing, on the transactional and business side.

  • Practice sales and purchases
  • Mergers and group combinations
  • Corporate acquisition offers
  • Diligence and closing coordination

Who We Work With

Clients across healthcare and medical practices.

Physician Practice Groups

Entity structuring, physician and staff agreements, compensation models, leases, and the partner transactions that shape a medical group over time.

Dental Practices & Groups

Formation, associate and partner agreements, equipment leases, office space, and buy-ins for solo dentists and growing dental groups.

Veterinary Clinics & Animal Hospitals

Practice structuring, employment and compensation terms, vendor and equipment contracts, and the transactions that come with growth or succession.

Physical Therapy & Rehab Practices

Entity formation, provider and staff agreements, leases, and the business-side counsel that keeps a rehab practice operating cleanly.

Mental & Behavioral Health Practices

Formation, employment and contractor agreements, office leases, and the foundational contracts behavioral health practices rely on.

Specialty Medical Practices

Structuring, compensation and partner agreements, equipment and vendor contracts, and the transactions that come with running a specialty practice.

How It Works

From first conversation to closing and beyond.

Most engagements start with a single agreement or transaction. The relationship grows from there, or doesn't, depending on what you need.

01

Intake & Goals

Your lawyer learns the practice, how it is owned, what is on the table, and where you want it to go. This is the conversation that shapes the structure.

45-60 minutes

02

Contract Review or Drafting

Lawyers review the agreement or lease on the table, or draft the one you need. Plain-English summary of the risks and the terms worth negotiating.

3-7 business days

03

Negotiation Support

Lawyers handle the back-and-forth with the other side's counsel, or sit beside you while you negotiate. You keep the relationship; the lawyer holds the legal line.

Varies by deal

04

Closing & Filing

Final review, signature, and the entity and registration filings the matter requires. Documents land in your MyRelevant portal.

1-3 business days

05

Ongoing Counsel

Most practices come back. Lawyers stay on call for the next provider agreement, the lease renewal, the partner addition, and the growth or sale down the road.

Ongoing

Client Portal

One place for every agreement, contract, and renewal.

MyRelevant is the client portal for managing the legal side of a practice. Documents in one place, renewal alerts before lease and contract terms expire, direct messaging with your lawyer, and the audit trail every practice owner eventually wishes they had.

Document Library

Every employment agreement, lease, and vendor contract in one place. Searchable, dated, and accessible from anywhere.

Renewal Reminders

Automatic alerts before lease terms expire, vendor contracts auto-renew, or compliance deadlines arrive.

Quick Contract Questions

Send a contract for a quick read without scheduling a meeting. Most reviews come back in two to three business days.

Secure Document Storage

Employment agreements, ownership documents, and sensitive correspondence stored with the security a practice requires.

Direct Lawyer Messaging

Message your lawyer directly through the portal — direct answers without waiting on callbacks.

Transaction Tracker

Active deals, pending signatures, and recent closings tracked in one view so nothing falls through.

Frequently Asked

Questions practice owners ask first.

What entity should my practice operate through?

It depends on your state, your ownership, and how you plan to grow. Many practices operate as professional corporations or PLLCs, and the right choice affects taxation, partner additions, and buy-outs. Your lawyer walks through the tradeoffs and sets up the structure that fits.

Can you draft and review physician employment agreements?

Yes. Provider agreements set compensation, productivity expectations, schedules, and departure terms. Lawyers draft them for the practice and review the ones offered to providers joining you, so the terms are clear and the practice is protected on both sides.

How should partner compensation be structured?

How a practice splits revenue and allocates overhead determines whether a partnership holds together. Lawyers structure compensation models, productivity formulas, and distribution terms and put them in writing before they are tested, so the formula is agreed rather than argued.

Are non-competes enforceable for a medical practice?

It depends on the state and how the agreement is drafted. Restrictive covenants have to be reasonable in scope, duration, and geography to hold up. Lawyers draft non-competes and non-solicits matched to your practice and market so they protect the practice and stand on solid footing.

Will you review my office lease before I sign?

Yes, on the practice's side. Office leases are long, large commitments with rent escalation, build-out, renewal, and exit terms most owners sign without negotiating. A careful review surfaces what is worth changing before signature.

How does bringing in a partner work?

A partner buy-in is one of the highest-stakes moments in a practice. Lawyers structure the buy-in, the valuation, and the payment terms, and draft the agreements that govern how ownership transitions, so both sides know what they are agreeing to.

We received an offer to acquire our practice. Can you help?

Yes. Corporate acquirers and larger groups make offers on their own paper and their own timeline. Lawyers guide owners through diligence, structuring, and closing on the transactional and business side, so you negotiate from an informed position.

Next Steps

Forming, growing, or selling a practice?

Schedule a confidential consultation. The first call is a conversation about the matter in front of you, how it's typically structured, and what's worth getting right before you sign.

State Disclosures

Virginia: Legal services in Virginia are provided by independently owned and operated Virginia law firms doing business as Relevant Law. The responsible licensed Virginia lawyer and office address for each Virginia location are listed on that location's office page.

Washington: The Supreme Court of Washington does not recognize specialties in the practice of law, and no representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.

Relevant Law offices are independently owned and operated by licensed attorneys.