Minneapolis Professional License Lawyers

Professional License Investigations in Minnesota

Professionals working a variety of fields require licenses to conduct business legitimately. When a professional license is brought into question, potentially due to suspected criminal activity, a person’s livelihood is on the line. Without preparation, the Department of Commerce (DOC) could suspend or revoke their license, destroying their reputation and making it difficult to earn a living.

Industry professionals that could be subject to DOC license investigations include:

• Doctors, nurses & medical technicians
• Attorneys, judges & legal practitioners
• Psychologists & psychiatrists
• Pilots & transportation experts
• Teachers & instructors
• Insurance agents & real estate agents

Are you staring down the real possibility of having your professional license taken away by the DOC? You have to start working on a defense case or argument right away if you want to continue practicing in your field. Brockton D. Hunter P.A. and our professional license defense lawyers in Minnesota are here to help you gain an advantage by putting our extensive legal knowledge, including white collar crimes defense experience, to work for you.

Reasons the DOC Could Revoke a License

Many people who are informed that they are under investigation from the Department of Commerce are often quite surprised. Having always done their best to run an honest and profitable business or practice, they might have no idea why the DOC has targeted their professional license. No matter the circumstances of your case and the history of your practice, you need to know why the DOC wants to permanently revoke or temporarily suspend your license if you are to defend yourself against them.

Four reasons the DOC can remove a professional’s license are:

1. Ethics violations: All businesses are surrounded by a code of ethics that represent a gray area between following the law and doing what is “right.” A simple difference of opinion could potentially cause you to violate an ethical code without knowing.
2. Industry codes: Businesses or practices that deal directly and regularly with other practices or customers are often governed by industry codes of practice, such as establishing what is the acceptable way to record and store bookkeeping documents.
3. State laws: Minnesota has its own set of state laws that play a large part in how a practitioner can run his or her business. Violating a state law could constitute a criminal act that include license revocation as a penalty.
4. Federal statutes: The United States federal government also has a say in how you run your professional business. The Department of Commerce itself is a federal Cabinet that deals with economic growth and industry standards.

Licensing Board Disciplinary Hearings

It is uncommon for a DOC license investigation to actually escalate into a criminal investigation. Instead, if the legitimacy of your practice and license are in question, you will most likely face a licensing board disciplinary hearing, which takes on an administrative role. You have the right to bring an attorney with you to this hearing to speak on your behalf, explain legal statutes, and prepare your case beforehand.

If you live in Minnesota and need to prepare for a licensing board disciplinary hearing, or even a criminal investigation against you, Brockton D. Hunter P.A. should be your legal guide. Our Minneapolis professional license attorneys can bring unmatched legal knowledge and unrivaled courtroom know-how to your defense, fighting tooth and nail to keep you in business and your livelihood prosperous.