As a professional, your license is one of your most important assets. Many professions in Illinois are licensed by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). IDFPR licenses and polices licensed professionals in Illinois. For a licensed professional, being informed of an investigation is one of the worst moments of their career. This is the time to consult an IDFPR attorney. It is important to do this before discussing the matter with IDFPR, as a licensing attorney can help you respond in a manner that helps you protect your license.
Many professionals attempt to respond to the IDFPR without an attorney. While in many cases complaints to the IDFPR are without merit, there are times when professionals have violated some technical aspect without knowing it. This creates a risk that the professional, as someone who did their best and believed that they were doing everything the right way, actually has unknowingly violated the law. This creates the risk that responding to IDFPR will implicate the professional.
What many professionals do not know is that an attorney may be able to help them get coverage for IDFPR representation through their insurance carriers, depending on the policies. An IDFPR attorney can help analyze the applicable policy and determine whether there is coverage. Depending on the circumstances, the professional may be able to choose their own attorney, rather having the attorney chosen by the insurance company. Even where there is no coverage, hiring an attorney at an early stage can help prevent the potentially costly consequences of a license suspension or revocation.
If the IDFPR proceeds past the investigation stage, the next step is a formal complaint being filed. At this point, the professional needs to legally respond to the complaint. The IDFPR my provide for an informal conference which, notwithstanding its name, is not an informal event but a critical opportunity to address the claims with the IDFPR. If a resolution is not obtained through settlement or at the informal conference, the matter proceeds to a hearing, over which a Hearing Officer or Administrative Law Judge will preside. Decisions can be appealed to the Circuit Court, which reviews the propriety of the decision based on the arguments made and evidence presented at the Department.
Patterson Law Firm helps licensed professionals defend and protect their licenses. Not only do we have experience defending these claims, but our attorney Jordan Matyas is a former IDFPR prosecutor, which gives him experience looking at these cases from the other side. If you have questions about an IDFPR matter, contact Jordan Matyas at jmatyas@pattersonlawfirm.com or Michael Haeberle at mhaeberle@pattersonlawfirm.com.
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