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Welcome to the Law Offices of
Craig S Steinberg, O.D., J.D.
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Craig S Steinberg, O.D., J.D., brings a very unique perspective and expertise to the field of Optometric and Healthcare Law and Consulting. He is one of a select few actively practicing lawyers in the United States who also provides eye care to patients on a regular basis as a practicing optometrist. Though now primarily engaged in the practice of law, Dr. Steinberg maintains his license to practice optometry and continues to actively practice both law and optometry. As a result, Dr. Steinberg's knowledge and expertise in the myriad legal issues affecting optometrists and medical providers is both practical and extensive.
In addition to healthcare litigation and general business litigation cases, Dr. Steinberg has handled numerous legal matters concerning optometrists, including State Board defense (defending accusations by the Board of Optometry which can lead to the suspension or revocation of your license), fraud in the purchase of practices, misappropriation of patient lists, breach of contract, defense of VSP and other Third Party discipline or panel expulsion hearings, expert witness testimony concerning practice valuation, standard of care, billing, and much more. Dr. Steinberg is regularly retained to draft and/or review agreements concerning the formation and leasing of optometric practices, optometric buy/sell agreements, and partnership agreements. For out-of-state optometrists, though Dr. Steinberg cannot provide legal services, he is routinely hired as an outside consultant.
MyOptometryLawyer
Optometry's First Concierge Business and Legal Consulting
Click here to visit the MyOptometryLawyer website.
After more than 20 years defending optometry and optometrists, there is, perhaps, no person in the United States that knows more about optometric law, or has more real-world hand-on experience assisting and defending optometrists, both inside and outside of the courtroom, than Craig Steinberg, O.D., J.D.
With that in mind, Dr. Steinberg is changing how he practices and -- importantly -- who he will represent.
In a program never before offered in optometry, Dr. Steinberg will soon begin accepting up to 300 optometrists – and only 300 – as his Concierge Clients. Only Concierge Clients will have guaranteed access to Dr. Steinberg's business and legal consulting services, or his legal representation. Dr. Steinberg will provide his Concierge Clients with low cost pre-paid consulting and personalized services for wide a variety of business and legal matters, VSP compliance reviews designed to help prevent you from being audited or suffering a bad outcome if you are audited, and even a full VSP Audit legal defense if you are audited by VSP. California optometrists can add State Board compliance consulting and full legal defense of State Board of Optometry inquiries, citations and accusations.
For detailed information or to sign up to be a Concierge Client, please visit the MyOptometryLawyer preview website at www.MyOptometryLawyer.com.
Vision Service Plan (VSP) Audits/Hearings
Dr. Steinberg regularly represents optometrists and ophthalmologists being audited by third-party payers such as VSP, or, more commonly, appealing the results of targeted audits by VSP's Special Investigations Unit (SIU). VSP audits typically result in either disciplinary orders (e.g. probation or removal from the VSP panel) and/or restitution orders demanding the repayment of tens, and often hundreds of thousands of dollars, plus audit costs of more than $5,000. And, recently, EyeMed has increased it's doctor auditing activity.
A new law that takes effect January 1, 2019, changes the VSP audit and collections process. It is essential, before you engage with VSP to dispute the results of an audit, that you consult with experience counsel. Anything you talk to VSP about will be used by VSP to prove their audit is correct and to try and collect from you.
If you've been audited by VSP and received a Notice of Adverse Action, click here for information you will want to know.
Private Equity Transactions
Having represented numerous optometrists in Private Equity sales, Dr. Steinberg has unique experience and expertise in at his disposal for assisting doctors selling, or considering selling, their practices to a Private Equity buyer.
Make no mistake about it -- selling to Private Equity is NOT the same as selling your practice to another optometrist. From start to finish, you'll find that "things happen" that you don't expect. Accounts payable, accounts receivable, you name it, everything is handled differently. Private Equity transactions are structured in entirely different ways, and are far more complex, than an ordinary OD to OD sale. This is not one you can do alone. You'll need an attorney with real experience in these complex, but potentially very rewarding, transactions. Dr. Steinberg has assisted doctors in transactions with many of the leading Private Equity buyers, including Total Vision, Acuity, Keplr, and MyEyeDoctor. If you are thinking about Private Equity you are encouraged to reach out to Dr. Steinberg to learn about the process, what you can expect, and obtain the benfits of his experience.
If you are even starting to consider a Private Equity sale you're encouarged to reach out today. There is a considerable amount of early planning that can allow you to maximize your value later and help ensure a smooth and profitable transaction.
Business and Healthcare Litigation
About half of Dr. Steinberg's law practice is in the areas of litigation and trial practice, generally focusing on business and healthcare litigation. "Business Litigation" is a broad area that encompasses the ordinary disputes that arise in business contexts such as contracts and breach of contracts, claims of fraud, misappropriation of trade secrets, non-compete agreements, and related business issues. "Healthcare litigation" addresses some of the unique situations which arise involving billing and coding, compliance with third party and CMS regulations, litigation against third party payers (vision care plans and insurance companies) and related topics.
Expert Witness
Expert witnesses are often called upon to provide independent opinions based on their knowledge or expertise, and to advise litigation counsel regarding optometry and optometric practices. Dr. Steinberg has been retained or is qualified as an expert witness or legal consultant in a variety of cases and case types concerning the practice of optometry, including defending Medicare and Medicaid (Medi-Cal) audits, State Board of Optometry discipline cases, optometric practice valuation matters, and optometric malpractice/standard of care cases. He is available to provide expert consulting to help attorneys prepare their cases, or to testify directly as an expert.
As a seasoned trial attorney himself, with more than 30 years of experience as an optometrist and more than 20 years as a litigator, Dr. Steinberg is uniquely skilled at testifying in front of a Judge or Jury and, as a result, able to explain sometimes complex matters clearly, making them understandable, and he is able to get his point across in a way that few experts have the knowledge or experience to do. Dr. Steinberg is available as an expert consultant or witness in all fifty states.
If you or your counsel are looking for an expert opinion or assistance, please contact Dr. Steinberg directly at Craig@Optometry.Expert.
Practice Purchases and Partnership Agreements
Buying or selling an optometry practice, or forming a partnership or corporation, can be a complicated transaction. Most post-sale lawsuits arise due to poorly drafted transaction documents. In particular, buyers and sellers that rely on an escrow company's "standard" documents, or those of a practice broker, can easily end up in post-transaction disputes because of poorly written or incomplete agreements. Similarly, "partners" (whether in a true partnership, or shareholders of a corporation) that don't consult an attorney to draft a thorough partnership or shareholder's agreement are at significant risk of problems down the road.
State Board Discipline Defense
Optometrists
in California are regulated by the California State Board of Optometry, which is a division of the Department of Consumer Affairs. The purpose of the State Board is to protect the public, and that includes the licensing and discipline of California licensed optometrists. The Board investigates complaints against optometrists, and brings accusations or charges against optometrists, under the Administrative Procedure Act if it finds cause to do so. In most cases the Board seeks revocation or suspension of your license!
Employer's Guide for Optometrists
Written specifically to aid the owners of optometry offices with the complexities of dealing with employees and employment law, Dr. Steinberg's Employer's Guide for Optometrists is the only manual of its kind designed specifically for optometrists. The Employer's Guide explains, in simple terms, the often complicated rules applicable to being an employer, and includes an extensive library of sample documents, contracts, forms, and procedure manuals, including a model emplooyee handbook and employment contracts..