License Defense Administrative Hearings

Your License Is Your Livelihood.

LARA Complaints Investigations Administrative Hearings Consent Orders Licensed Professionals Michigan

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A complaint can become a career problem fast. Licensed professionals. Michigan's Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) licenses and disciplines hundreds of occupations — health professionals, funeral directors, builders, accountants, real estate brokers, and many more. A single complaint can trigger an investigation, formal charges, and sanctions ranging from fines and probation to suspension or revocation.

Early counsel matters. The most important decisions in a licensing matter are often made before formal charges are filed — how to respond to an investigator, what to produce, and whether to pursue a negotiated resolution. Zamzow Fabian PLLC represents licensees at every stage, from the first letter to administrative hearing and judicial review.

Related matters. Licensing issues frequently run parallel to employment or criminal matters. Please see Zamzow Fabian PLLC's employment and criminal defense attorneys for related representation.

Our attorneys defend Michigan licenses.

LARA Complaints & Investigations
The response to an allegation letter often decides the case. We prepare investigation responses, manage document production, and deal directly with LARA investigators and the Attorney General's office so a complaint is contained early rather than escalated.
Administrative Hearings
When formal charges issue, licensing cases are tried before administrative law judges under compressed timelines and specialized rules. We prepare and try contested cases — witnesses, experts, exhibits, and briefing — with the discipline of trial lawyers.
Grand Rapids License Defense Lawyers
Consent Orders & Negotiated Resolutions
Most licensing matters resolve by agreement. We negotiate consent orders and compliance terms that protect the license, limit collateral consequences to employment and credentialing, and end the matter on terms a professional can live with.
Sanctions, Reinstatement & Appeals
A suspension or revocation is not always the end. We pursue reinstatement petitions, compliance with probationary terms, and judicial review of adverse agency decisions in Michigan circuit courts and the Court of Appeals.

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Defended by trial lawyers. Licensing cases at Zamzow Fabian are handled by trial attorneys — lawyers who prepare every matter as if it will be contested, because the strongest negotiating position is a case the state does not want to try. That preparation shapes everything earlier in the process: investigation responses are written knowing they may become exhibits, interviews are approached with the record in mind, and settlement terms are measured against what a hearing would realistically produce. The goal is consistent — protect the license, protect the career behind it, and close the matter so the professional can get back to work.

LARA Complaints & Investigations. Most licensing matters begin with a complaint — from a client, a patient, a competitor, an employer, or the agency itself. LARA reviews the allegation, and if it opens an investigation, the licensee typically receives a letter requesting a written response or records. What happens next is heavily influenced by that first response.

We prepare investigation responses that answer the allegation without creating new exposure, manage records production, and communicate directly with investigators and the Department of Attorney General. Where the facts support it, we press for closure without charges; where discipline is likely, we position the matter for the most favorable resolution available.
Administrative Hearings. When LARA issues a formal complaint, the case proceeds toward a contested hearing before an administrative law judge in the Michigan Office of Administrative Hearings and Rules. These are real trials — testimony, cross-examination, exhibits, and expert witnesses — conducted under administrative procedure rules and compressed timelines.

We prepare and try contested licensing cases with the same rigor we bring to circuit court litigation: early case assessment, focused discovery, motion practice where available, and a hearing presentation built around the standards the ALJ and the licensing board actually apply.
Consent Orders & Negotiated Resolutions. The majority of licensing matters resolve by agreement, and the terms of that agreement matter enormously. A consent order is a public document with lasting consequences — for employment, hospital privileges, payor enrollment, professional insurance, and licensure in other states.

We negotiate resolutions with those collateral consequences in view: narrowing factual admissions, calibrating probationary terms so they are achievable, and structuring compliance obligations that end. Where a proposed order costs more than a hearing risks, we advise clients candidly and try the case.
Sanctions, Reinstatement & Appeals. An adverse decision is not necessarily final. Michigan law provides for judicial review of agency decisions, and most disciplinary schemes allow a professional to petition for reinstatement after suspension or revocation upon a showing of compliance and rehabilitation.

We handle petitions for reinstatement, compliance disputes arising under existing orders, and appeals of licensing decisions to the circuit courts and the Michigan Court of Appeals. The objective is the same at every stage: restore the license and the professional standing behind it.