JAW LAW

All Episodes

Restraining Orders

Every contract has some confusing legal mumbo jumbo. Almost uniformly dental contracts have an "injunctive relief" paragraph that typically fits this bill. In this short episode, dental lawyer Joseph McGregor explains what this concept is, and what it's doing in your...

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Signatures

Sometimes it’s the simple things….In this episode, dental lawyer Joseph McGregor explains answers to a few common questions about signing legally binding documents.

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5 Questions

In this episode, dental lawyer Joseph McGregor addresses 5 questions that you must keep in mind when buying a dental practice.

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Liquidated Damages

In this episode, dental lawyer Joseph McGregor explains the impact that liquidated damages may have on your practice and how to understand them when you see them on a contract.

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Deadlines

In this episode, dental lawyer Joseph McGregor goes over the types of deadlines that first-time practice buyers and first-time dentists may face, as well as how to handle them.

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Delaware

In a follow-up to our recent Entities episode, dental lawyer Joseph McGregor explains why filing a Delaware corporation is rarely the right move.

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Entities

In this episode, dental lawyer Joseph McGregor explains the ins and outs of having, forming, and maintaining a corporate entity. And, as a bonus, he explains when and if you need a lawyer to help with it.

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Jumpstart My Heart

Jumpstart practices: great opportunity or a bundle of risk? The answer may be both, and in this episode dental lawyer Joseph McGregor explains why.

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No More Noncompetes?

On January 5th, 2023, the FTC announced the proposal to eliminate non-compete agreements. In this episode, dental lawyer Joseph McGregor explains what non-compete agreements are and what the impact of the recent FTC announcement has on practice owners and employees.

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2022 In Review

As the year 2022 comes to an end, dental lawyer Joseph McGregor lists some important trends he has noticed throughout the year that dentists will want to keep in mind as we move into 2023.

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Closings

In this episode, dental attorney Joseph McGregor helps you understand what a closing is, and offers a few fashion pointers on what to wear to your next closing.

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Roofs

In one of our more esoteric episodes, dental lawyer Joseph McGregor explains the importance of being aware of the roof section on a dental space lease, and more particularly, the quirk in the lease that requires you to use a landlord's contractor when you puncture the...

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Staff Longevity

A long-tenured staff is almost uniformly framed as a positive in dental practice transitions, but is it? In this episode, dental lawyer Joseph McGregor explores some exceptions to the rule.

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Payroll Leadership

Good workers are hard to find (and keep), but there are certain mindsets that make it even harder. In this episode, dental lawyer Joseph McGregor identifies one of the more unhelpful mindsets when thinking about staffers.

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Overlooked

Everyone has a list of key terms they're seeking in an employment contract, but what are those terms you will wish you had considered, but won't until it's too late? In this episode, dental lawyer Joseph McGregor discusses some of the most overlooked topics in dental...

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Bad Blood

Most employees don't stick around forever, so it's always a surprise when dental employers lose their cool when an employee departs. In this episode, dental lawyer Joseph McGregor discuss the business and legal aspects of bad reactions to departing employees. Check...

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Give And Take

What can make a deal fall apart? Is it money? Legal terms? In this episode, dental lawyer Joseph McGregor will talk about the role effective communication plays in the success or failure of a practice negotiation.

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Are Restrictive Covenants Enforceable?

If you want to save yourself some time on the most frequently asked question, the answer is “probably.” But, if you want to learn a little more about the when, how, why, and the sometimes why not, then tune in to this episode.

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Good Fit

When buying a practice, what do we mean by saying the seller and the buyer are a “good fit?” In this episode, we explore some intangibles to consider when buying a practice, including some slightly controversial topics.

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Good Will

What is Goodwill, and why do some people make such a huge fuss over it when buying or selling a dental practice? In this episode we define goodwill, lightly touch on its tax implications, and explore why it’s one of the most misunderstood aspects of the dental...

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Excess Consideration

Ever wonder what hidden provisions lurk inside your lease, waiting to bite when you least expect it? An increasingly common problematic provision is “excess consideration,” where a landlord may obligate you to hand over whatever you make from the sale of your...

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Title Policies

If you ever buy commercial property, this niche episode is for you. In this one we dive into the nooks and crannies of title insurance, and discuss why this may be an underrated aspect of the real estate purchase process.

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Do I Have Unreasonable Expectations?

Everyone wants to negotiate the best contract possible. But how can you tell if your demands are reasonable? Are you simply being “aggressive” or have you crossed the line into “unrealistic” and “difficult?” In this episode Joe discusses a few simple metrics you can...

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Handshake

Whatever happened to the “handshake deal?” Is that still a thing? And if so, is it enough? In this episode we discuss when a handshake deal might be fine, and why usually it is not.

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Assignments

One of the most disruptive aspects of a practice transition is the assignment of the lease. Not adequately preparing for it can kill a deal. In this episode we explain what an assignment is, what the assignment process looks like, and what pitfalls to avoid.

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Bad Reviews

A lot of thought leaders have great things to say about how to handle bad, abusive, or fake online reviews (they really do), but what does the law say that your options are? In this episode Joe explains the legal battlefield around what people can or cannot say about...

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Parole

Remember when your job was recruiting you and your boss promised how much you’d make, or how they wouldn’t schedule you on Fridays? What if that, or anything else they promised, doesn’t make it into your contract? Does the fact that it was in an email make it more...

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Solicitation

What does the “solicitation” in your non-solicitation actually mean? That you cannot call former patients? Or treat them at all? What if they find you? We explore these questions, and more, in today’s episode.  

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Right of First Refusal

Does a Right of First Refusal mean what you think it means? What is the difference between that and a right of first offer, or a purchase option? In this episode, we explore which of these concepts is best to have, and how hard they might be to get.

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Indemnification

Do you get excited by legal gobbledlygook? Neither do we, but that doesn’t mean it’s not incredibly important to your contract. In this episode, we tackle the mind-numbingly boring concept of indemnification and do what we can to make it make sense.

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Employee Purchase Options

What’s the saddest phone call we get? Probably the one from the guy who just spent 3 years working under a promise to buy into the practice and then SURPRISE! The practice has been sold to corporate dental. In this episode, we discuss what you need to do in order to protect promises made to you to buy into the practice recruiting you.

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TV Lawyers

Why isn’t your lawyer as dramatic as Lt. Daniel Kaffee, and why isn’t the negotiation of your employment agreement as contentious as an episode of Law & Order? In this episode, we explain the key differences between the types of cases that feature on TV, and the types of lawyers that handle dental transactions.

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Lease Length Matters

Are you getting ripped off by signing a 10-year lease? Are you taking on unnecessary risks by taking on such a long lease term? Is your broker pushing you into a long lease only because it benefits him? In this episode, Joe explores the factors that influence lease term, and why what you’ve read on the internet may not be the complete story.

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Skin in the Game

Conventional wisdom says that if you give an associate some “skin in the game” via partial ownership, that associate will be more invested in the success of the office. In this episode Joe challenges this conventional wisdom. He discusses when it may work, and when it may not, and the headaches that come when it does not produce a long-term meaningful improvement in an associate.

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That Second Office

Why are so many satellite offices for sale out there? What went wrong? And, how do you know when you’re ready to make the jump to another office? In this episode, Joe walks through his observations of where so many practice owners go wrong when trying to expand, and how to avoid the same pitfalls.

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