License Defense

Mistakes happen. Even the best run businesses sometimes receive administrative violations. Regulated businesses often depend on their staff to make the right decisions to ensure that their business operates both successfully and compliantly. Even with the regular training and effective management, a staff member may make a decision, do something, or fail to do something that results in an administrative violation. Taking prompt action is essential to understanding what actually happened, documenting it, and determining how best to proceed. Hoping that it will go away or only be a “warning” is not an effective strategy. I can help you effectively respond to a regulatory investigation, develop a strategy for addressing it, and work with the regulatory agency to resolve it.

How you operate your business after a violation may be just as important as how you handle an initial violation. Both Oregon and Washington have escalating penalty schedules.  In plain English, for each subsequent violation of a similar type within a set period of time (typically two years), the proposed penalty becomes more severe.  I can help you develop policies and procedures that will minimize the probability of subsequent violations and the increased sanctions resulting from such violations.