Trusted Legal Counsel for Physicians, Dentists, and Healthcare Businesses Throughout Florida

Running a successful medical practice requires more than providing exceptional patient care. Physicians, dentists, specialists, and healthcare entrepreneurs must also navigate business growth, contracts, employment issues, commercial real estate, regulatory considerations, litigation risks, and long-term succession planning.

At St. Johns Law Group, we serve as Outside General Counsel for Medical Practices, providing proactive legal guidance that helps healthcare businesses avoid problems, manage risk, and seize opportunities. Rather than calling an attorney only after a dispute arises, many successful medical practices rely on experienced outside counsel as an extension of their leadership team.

14 Attorneys and 300+ Years of Combined Experience

Douglas N. Burnett is a former Executive Attorney for a National Medical Provider with Multiple Practices and over 200 Locations

With attorneys experienced in business law, commercial real estate, litigation, land use, tax planning, employment matters, construction law, asset protection, estate planning, and commercial transactions, St. Johns Law Group provides comprehensive legal representation tailored to the unique needs of healthcare businesses throughout Northeast Florida.

Whether you are opening your first practice, expanding to multiple locations, purchasing another practice, negotiating a medical office lease, resolving a partner dispute, or preparing for retirement, our attorneys provide practical legal solutions focused on protecting your practice and helping it grow.

What Is Outside General Counsel?

Outside General Counsel is an ongoing relationship in which your law firm serves as your trusted legal advisor without the expense of hiring an in-house attorney.

Instead of reacting to legal problems after they occur, our attorneys work with practice owners and administrators to identify risks early, negotiate favorable agreements, and provide strategic legal advice before important business decisions are made.

Our clients appreciate having experienced legal counsel available to answer questions, review contracts, assist with negotiations, and coordinate legal matters affecting every aspect of their practice.

Legal Services for Medical Practices

Our attorneys provide comprehensive legal counsel across the entire lifecycle of a healthcare business.

Business Formation and Practice Organization

Whether you are starting a new medical practice or restructuring an existing business, choosing the proper legal structure is one of the most important decisions you will make.

We assist with:

• Professional Associations (P.A.)
• Professional Limited Liability Companies
• Corporate governance
• Operating agreements
• Shareholder agreements
• Buy-sell agreements
• Ownership restructuring
• Multi-owner practices
• Physician partnerships
• Dental practice formation
• Medical spa business structures
• Practice expansion

Practice Purchases and Sales

Buying or selling a medical practice is often one of the largest financial transactions in a healthcare professional’s career.

We represent buyers and sellers in:

• Medical practice acquisitions
• Dental practice sales
• Letters of intent
• Asset purchase agreements
• Stock purchase agreements
• Due diligence
• Transition planning
• Goodwill valuation issues
• Employment transitions
• Restrictive covenant review
• Financing documentation
• Closing coordination

Physician Employment Agreements

Employment contracts often determine compensation, ownership opportunities, restrictive covenants, and long-term career flexibility.

We negotiate and review:

• Physician employment agreements
• Associate dentist contracts
• Medical director agreements
• Independent contractor agreements
• Partnership track provisions
• Productivity bonuses
• Medical Services Agreements (MSA)
• Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA)
• Call coverage obligations
• Noncompetition agreements
• Tail insurance provisions
• Separation agreements

Medical Office Real Estate

Healthcare providers frequently face unique commercial real estate issues involving office development, leasing, expansion, and acquisitions.

Our attorneys assist with:

• Medical office leases
• Commercial lease negotiations
• Office purchases
• Medical office development
• Healthcare tenant representation
• Land Use & Zoning matters
• Construction Contracts & Build-to-Suit Agreements
• Office condominiums
• Property acquisitions
• Easements & Parking Agreements

Business Contracts

Every medical practice relies upon carefully drafted contracts.

We prepare and negotiate:

• Vendor agreements
• Equipment leases
• Laboratory agreements
• Electronic Medical Record (EMR) contracts
• Practice management agreements
• Service agreements
• Consulting agreements
• Independent contractor agreements
• Confidentiality agreements
• Business purchase agreements
• Office sharing agreements

Employment Counsel

Growing practices face increasingly complex employment issues.

We advise employers regarding:

• Employment policies
• Employee handbooks
• Executive employment agreements
• Hiring practices
• Employee discipline
• Independent contractor classification
• Restrictive covenants
• Confidentiality agreements
• Wage disputes
• Employee separations

Business Litigation

Even well-managed medical practices occasionally encounter disputes.

Our litigators represent healthcare businesses in matters involving:

• Contract disputes
• Partnership disputes
• Shareholder litigation
• Business torts
• Commercial collections
• Lease disputes
• Construction disputes
• Real estate litigation
• Vendor disputes
• Breach of fiduciary duty claims
• Business fraud
• Injunctions

Asset Protection and Succession Planning

Protecting your practice extends beyond daily operations.

We help physicians and practice owners prepare for the future through:

• Asset protection planning
• Business succession planning
• Buyout planning
• Estate planning
• Trust planning
• Ownership transfers
• Retirement planning
• Family business transitions

Healthcare Businesses We Represent

Our attorneys represent a broad range of healthcare professionals and organizations, including:

• Physicians
• Medical groups
• Primary care practices
• Specialists
• Surgeons
• Dentists
• Orthodontists
• Oral surgeons
• Pediatric dentists
• Endodontists
• Periodontists
• Optometrists
• Ophthalmologists
• Chiropractors
• Physical therapists
• Occupational therapists
• Mental health practices
• Psychologists
• Psychiatrists
• Behavioral health providers
• Nurse practitioners
• Physician assistants
• Urgent care centers
• Imaging centers
• Surgery centers
• Home health agencies
• Medical spas
• Veterinary practices

A Multidisciplinary Legal Team for Every Stage of Your Medical Practice

Medical practices face legal issues that extend far beyond healthcare regulations. A growing practice may negotiate a commercial lease, hire physicians and staff, purchase real estate, finance new equipment, resolve a business dispute, expand to additional locations, or prepare for a future sale—all within a few years.

Unlike firms that focus on only one aspect of healthcare law, St. Johns Law Group provides a multidisciplinary team of attorneys who work together to address the legal needs of healthcare businesses throughout every stage of their lifecycle. Our clients benefit from having experienced attorneys in multiple practice areas who collaborate to provide coordinated legal solutions without the need to engage several different law firms.

Depending on your needs, your legal team may include:

Coordinated Legal Counsel Under One Roof

One of the greatest advantages of working with St. Johns Law Group is our ability to coordinate legal services across multiple disciplines. For example:

• A physician purchasing an existing practice may work with multiple attorneys on the transaction—from negotiating the purchase agreement and reviewing employment contracts to financing, commercial real estate, tax planning, and post-closing business structure.
• A medical group opening a new location may need assistance with zoning and land use approvals, commercial lease negotiations, construction contracts, entity restructuring, employment agreements, and vendor contracts.
• An established practice preparing for retirement or succession can receive coordinated guidance on business valuation, ownership transfers, tax planning, estate planning, and asset protection.

Rather than managing multiple law firms for different legal issues, our clients have access to an experienced legal team that understands both the business and operational realities of healthcare practices.

Whether you are starting a new medical practice, expanding into additional locations, acquiring another practice, negotiating complex business agreements, or planning your long-term exit strategy, St. Johns Law Group provides comprehensive legal counsel designed to help your practice grow, operate efficiently, and remain protected for years to come.

Our Proactive Approach

Our goal is to prevent legal problems before they become costly disputes.

We encourage clients to involve us early when making important business decisions so we can:

• Review contracts before signing
• Structure transactions effectively
• Reduce litigation risk
• Protect ownership interests
• Resolve disputes efficiently
• Improve business governance
• Identify potential liabilities
• Coordinate legal strategy with accountants, financial advisors, lenders, brokers, and other professionals

By serving as trusted outside counsel, we help medical practices focus on patient care while we focus on protecting the business behind the practice.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should a medical practice hire outside general counsel?

Many practices benefit from ongoing legal counsel once they begin hiring employees, signing commercial leases, entering contracts, acquiring property, adding partners, or planning for growth.

Can you represent practices that already have accountants and consultants?

Yes. We frequently work alongside CPAs, financial advisors, healthcare consultants, commercial real estate brokers, lenders, architects, and other professionals to help clients achieve their business objectives.

Do you only represent physicians?

No. We represent a wide variety of healthcare businesses, including dental practices, medical spas, therapy practices, veterinary clinics, imaging centers, urgent care providers, and other healthcare-related businesses.

Do you handle litigation if a dispute arises?

Yes. One advantage of working with St. Johns Law Group is continuity. If a dispute develops, our litigation attorneys can often represent the practice without requiring the client to retain a separate law firm.

Contact Our Medical Practice Lawyers Today

Whether you are launching a new medical practice, expanding your business, negotiating important contracts, purchasing commercial real estate, preparing for succession, or simply seeking experienced outside legal counsel, St. Johns Law Group is ready to help.

Our attorneys work with healthcare professionals throughout Northeast Florida to provide proactive legal advice designed to protect their practices, reduce risk, and support long-term success.

Contact St. Johns Law Group today to learn how our Outside General Counsel services can help your medical practice operate with confidence.

Call us today at (904) 495-0400 or email Douglas N. Burnett directly.

At St. Johns Law Group, we are committed to delivering the Dedicated & Responsive Service® you can count on.