Whether it's structuring franchise programs for franchisors new to the healthcare industry, drafting disclosure documents under the amended FTC Rule, counseling regarding health care regulatory requirements, guiding international expansion, or advising on complex opportunities and challenges—often on a moment's notice—we develop creative solutions tailored to each client's needs. We help health care franchisors anticipate potentially difficult legal and regulatory issues before they arise, and we defend their systems when disputes are unavoidable. Our legal experience covers the full range of issues unique to today's health care and wellness franchisors, including:

• Corporate Practice of Medicine. We assist franchisors in developing and supervising unique corporate structures that allow them to comply with various state regulations governing licensed health professionals in a corporate setting.
• Anti-Kickback Statutes and Fee-Splitting. We help our clients structure franchise programs in compliance not only with federal anti-kickback statutes but also with often-overlooked state laws that determine how a physician shares professional fees with a non-physician.
• State Licensure Issues. We guide franchisors through the process of securing special licenses and employing appropriately licensed medical professionals, as required by many states for providers of health and wellness services.
• Insurance and Government Reimbursement Questions. We counsel our clients on rules that govern reimbursement from state and federal insurance programs, in order to safeguard their ability to generate revenues from these sources.
• HIPAA and State Privacy Laws. We advise clients on privacy requirements established by the federal Health Insurance Portablility and Accountability Act of 1996 and related state privacy laws, and we help them establish appropriate compliance programs.

Along with the services outlined above, we offer a broad range of franchise-related advice in the following areas:

• Registration and disclosure issues
• Compliance with various state relationship laws
• Corporate structuring and compliance
• Management and maintenance of intellectual property
• Franchise relationship issues with franchisees and dispute resolution