When your professional reputation is at stake, you want experienced counsel to guide you through the review or investigation. Ward and Smith can help.
North Carolina requires more than 180 occupations and professions to have some type of license or permit to prove a minimum level of competency to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of the public.
These occupations are governed by laws and administrative rules. If you are the subject of an investigation or disciplinary action by an occupational licensing board or State agency, we understand that your reputation, livelihood, and client relationships are at stake in these situations. We help clients with these types of challenges every day.
Experience That Matters
At Ward and Smith, our attorneys routinely combine their practical experience, legal skills, and specific knowledge of a certain Board or agency to defend our clients against allegations of misconduct, ethics violations, and professional incompetence, including acting beyond the scope of an occupational license. We handle occupational license cases, throughout the state, in all stages, including applications to practice, investigations, disciplinary actions, and reinstatements. The nature of our representation ranges from administrative responses that are usually handled by responding to written requests to full trials in front of public boards.
We have experience defending a wide range of professionals in administrative hearings before numerous North Carolina professional licensing boards and agencies, including:
Construction and Real Estate
- North Carolina Board of Architecture
- North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors
- North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors
- North Carolina Real Estate Commission
- North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors
- North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating, and Fire Sprinkler Contractors
Financial Services
Healthcare
- North Carolina Medical Board
- North Carolina Board of Nursing
- North Carolina Psychology Board
- North Carolina Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists
- North Carolina Commission for Public Health
- North Carolina State Board of Chiropractic Examiners
- North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners
- North Carolina Board of Pharmacy
- North Carolina Office of Emergency Medical Services
- North Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners
- North Carolina Addictions Specialist Professional Practice Board
- North Carolina Marriage and Family Therapy Licensure Board
- North Carolina Board of Optometry
- North Carolina Respiratory Care Board
- North Carolina Social Work Certification and Licensure Board
- North Carolina Board of Dietetics/Nutrition
- North Carolina Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists
Legal and Government
Transportation and Travel
Other Regulatory Bodies
- North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission
- College and University Student Conduct Boards
When to Call
For people who have a North Carolina occupational license or professional license, an investigation or disciplinary action can have a significant influence on their standing. When facing the threat of rebuke, penalties, fines, probation, suspension, or even a lifetime ban, we strongly urge you to engage experienced legal counsel prior to responding to or appearing before your licensing board.
We are your established legal network with offices in Asheville, Greenville, New Bern, Raleigh, and Wilmington, NC.