Practice Areas

Physicians

Blitman & King counsels physicians, including residents, emergency physicians, hospitalists, generalists, specialists, and others in all areas of employment law and employee benefits matters. We also represent other health professionals, including dentists, pharmacists, and members of the allied health professions. We are committed to helping physicians and other health professionals realize their career goals by guiding them through their often complex employment relationships.

There is no shortage of business and legal issues that physicians and other health professionals face in the current healthcare environment. Our distinct skill set can help with:

  • Entering and exiting the employment relationship, including negotiating employment agreements and severance agreements;
  • Restrictive covenants, including non-competition agreements and non-solicitation agreements;
  • Entering and exiting equity/partnership opportunities;
  • Practice expansion opportunities;
  • Incentive compensation arrangements;
  • Buy-in and buy-out arrangements;
  • Exclusive contracts;
  • Tax and pension matters;
  • Unlawful terminations and retaliation, including for raising patient-safety concerns; and
  • HIPAA compliance and related privacy laws.

We also handle complex physician disputes involving compensation, partnership agreements, contracts and the scope and enforceability of non-competition and non-solicitation agreements. These disputes may take the form of informal negotiations, confidential arbitrations, litigation, and anything in between. Because we are respected litigators we are also able to achieve favorable outcomes through the use of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms including negotiation, arbitration, and mediation.

Awards

employment_awards

Who’s Who Legal Awards

Charter Fellows of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers

Former Chairs of the American Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Law Section

New York Super Lawyers

Former Chairs of the New York State Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Law Section

Former Chair of the American Bar Association’s Equal Employment Opportunity Committee

AV Peer Review Rating by Martindale-Hubbell

Practice Highlights

  • Successfully negotiated employment agreements and severance agreements on behalf of numerous physician clients;
  • Assisted multiple physicians in contesting the enforceability of non-competition and non-solicitation agreements that sought to restrict them from practicing medicine in their communities and treating patients who relied on their services;
  • Represented a physician in an employment-based free speech case and obtained a multi-million dollar settlement;
  • Effectively counseled physician who exposed serious patient-safety issues and faced retaliatory consequences following reporting of same;
  • Represented physician in a dispute surrounding an exclusive services contract;
  • Counseled a resident physician on various issues related to commencement of employment with a local private practice, including complex terms contained in the proposed employment agreement;
  • Obtained six-figure settlement without litigation for medical laboratory executive terminated after blowing the whistle on patient safety issues and other improprieties; and
  • Successfully settled disability discrimination matter on behalf of an experienced pharmacist.