As a licensed professional, your career depends on maintaining your credentials. If you receive notice that your professional license is under investigation or at risk of suspension or revocation, it can be overwhelming and stressful. However, taking the right steps immediately can protect your rights, reputation, and livelihood. Do Not Read more…
In the world of administrative and professional licensing law, a license revocation or surrender is rarely a forever thing. Our clients have a common misperception that if their license is revoked or they surrender it to resolve a case, they can never again reapply and get their license. Nearly Read more…
A Skelly hearing derives its name from Skelly v. State Personnel Board (1975) 15 Cal. 3d 194. Dr. Skelly, a permanent civil service employee, was terminated from his employment with the State of California. The California Supreme Court determined, among other things, that he was deprived of his due process Read more…
As with every new technology, there comes with it a legal minefield which must be understood to avoid offending the regulatory authorities. With the advent and adoption of telehealth and telemedicine, veterinarians from across the state may now see patients, with less overhead, saving the customer money. But is this Read more…
Two recent developments could have more lawyers in trouble with the State Bar of California, the regulatory agency that oversees the practice of law in this state. First, the State Bar has instituted an online complaint procedure (in English and Spanish) for attorney misconduct and the unauthorized practice of law. Read more…
On the state cannabis front, all three agencies licensing cannabis (Public Health, Consumer Affairs-Bureau of Cannabis Control, and Department of Food & Agriculture) have had their emergency regulations (first adopted in December 2017 and re-adopted in June 2018) finalized into permanent regulations. Each licensing authority’s final regulations and rulemaking documents Read more…
If you are interested in commercial cannabis operations in El Dorado County, put February 11th and 25th on your calendars. The El Dorado County Ad Hoc Cannabis Committee will hold two meetings to draft ordinances and discussion taxation. This follows their November 2018 ballot measures which passed and gave the Read more…
On February 8, 2018, Heather F. C. Hoganson, of counsel to Simas & Associates, Ltd., gave a presentation before the Sacramento County Bar Association (“SCBA”), Administrative Law section at its February MCLE Luncheon. Along with her colleague, Helen Geoffroy, Heather presented on the interesting topic of “Attacking Regulations: A Guide Read more…
Temporary licenses issued by the Bureau of Cannabis Control for retailers, distributors, microbusinesses, testing laboratories, and event organizers are now in effect and businesses can begin operating in California’s newly-legal commercial cannabis market. More than 400 Cannabis operators, from Shasta Lake to the City of San Diego, now hold state Read more…
On December 1, 2017, Simas & Associates, Ltd. entered into an Of Counsel relationship with long time counsel for the State of California, Heather F. C. Hoganson. "I have known Heather personally and professionally for a long time," explained firm owner and founder, Steven L. Simas. "I jumped at the Read more…