Dental Solicitors
In today’s dynamic healthcare environment, dental professionals face a complex landscape of regulations and business challenges.
This is where our forward-thinking healthcare team comes into play, putting innovation, insight and partnerships at the heart of our support.
The legal challenges facing dental service providers are evolving.
The legal challenges facing dental service providers are evolving. As the healthcare sector becomes more integrated with technology, dentists will increasingly require legal guidance that aligns with digital advancements, changing patient expectations and emerging risks. From managing patient care to navigating legal compliance and addressing business growth, dentists and dental businesses need a reliable partner who not only understands the intricacies of the healthcare industry but also brings innovative solutions to the table.
We provide expert legal support to dentists, dental partnerships and corporate dental groups, helping them navigate the complexities of running and growing a successful practice. From regulatory compliance and NHS contracts to practice sales, partnership agreements and dispute resolution, we offer tailored advice that aligns with the unique challenges of the dental sector.
With a clear, practical approach to dental law, we help you protect your businesses, manage risk and focus on delivering excellent patient care.
Our expertise
We take the time to truly understand your needs, offering tailored solutions that help you navigate the complex and rapidly changing dental healthcare space. We recognise that legal advice cannot be given in isolation, and have contacts and partnerships with banks, accountants, LDCs and other specialist healthcare professionals - bringing more experience to a situation than just legal advice.
Our team advises on the following areas of dental law:
We provide support drafting employment contracts and associate agreements, advising on status and the enforceability of restrictive covenants, TUPE processes and the defence of Employment Tribunal (ET) claims We’re also seeing an increase in ET claims from partners under the Equality Act. With significant experience in disputes between dental businesses and associates, we guide you through these challenges.. In addition to the lawyers within VWV, Narrow Quay HR - part of the VWV Group - provides a flexible and practical range of cost-effective HR solutions to assist with day-to-day HR challenges.
We have assisted many dental clients to challenge dental procurement decisions. Historically, this work related to procurements under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (now replaced by the Procurement Act 2023), but we also have experience challenging procurement decisions under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 (PSR), including referrals to the Independent Patient Choice and Procurement Panel. We also offer training on the PSR to clients and LDCs.
We assist with all of your premises needs, including purchasing, leasing, refinancing arrangements, premises development, premises sales and auctions. For leasehold premises, we can help you to manage your landlord and tenant relationship, from negotiating leases to documenting consents and pursuing any leasehold breaches and other disputes.
Whether you're buying or selling a dental business, we offer a full range of services to support the process, including freehold and leasehold premises arrangements, contracts, due diligence, CQC and NHS requirements, and staff transfers.
We can provide advice and support in relation to the incorporation of your pharmacy business, which includes bespoke corporate governance documents such as shareholders' agreements and articles of association. We also offer a company secretarial service. We regularly advise on issues that may arise in connection with your company, such as director duties/conflicts, restructuring, debt recovery, insolvency, shareholder buyouts or shareholder disputes.
We offer support with your registration with the CQC or with challenging CQC enforcement action.
In the unfortunate event that a dental practitioner is the subject of investigation or charged with a disciplinary offence by their regulatory and professional body, we can provide legal advice and representation. We can also support your application to register with the GDC, including assisting foreign qualified dental professionals.
Our team advises on all aspects of dental partnerships, from partnership deeds, LLP agreements, and expense sharing agreements to partner retirement, admission of new partners, and dissolution.
We have extensive experience of dispute resolution within the dental sector, including partnership disputes, disputes with NHS commissioners (including regarding breach/remedial/ termination notices and clawbacks), disputes flowing from sale or purchase of a practice and general commercial litigation. Where possible, we assist clients to pursue alternative dispute resolution (ADR) options (including negotiation, round table meetings and mediation).
Find out more about our litigation and dispute resolution services
Rachel Crean is a class act and an excellent litigator.
Our work highlights
Employment Dispute
We successfully challenged an attempt to enforce covenants against a senior associate responsible for training dentists within a large corporate practice. The corporate practice sought to prevent the setting up of a competing practice. The case involved analysing the status of the individual, which was disputed, and interpretation of covenants within various documents following the sale of the client's shares in the practice.
Dispute resolution
We defended a claim issued in the county court for breach of warranties set out in a sale and purchase agreement. Parallel to the court proceedings, we utilised ADR to progress settlement discussions.
Procurement challenge
We supported two bidders to challenge a national procurement of IMOS services. This was the commissioner's second attempt at the procurement. Frustratingly, it was abandoned for a second time. We are experienced in challenging procurements run under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (now replaced by the Procurement Act 2023) and the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 (PSR).
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