Health Care Licensing Lawyer
When you’re under investigation by the Florida Department of Health (DOH or Department) and your license is in jeopardy, you need the right attorney with the right experience. As a former DOH prosecutor with a passion for defense, Lauren is the attorney that licensed medical professionals trust with their livelihood.
Lauren is a graduate of the University of Tampa where she earned a bachelor’s degree in criminology in 2005. She subsequently attended Florida State University College of Law where upon her graduation in 2008, she was given an award for her outstanding pro bono work on death penalty cases.
Beginning in 2012, Lauren began working as a prosecutor for DOH. She prosecuted nurses, doctors, pharmacists, pharmacies, and pain management clinics. These licensees were often charged with violations such as drug diversion, impairment, overprescribing, failure to meet the standard of care, wrong site surgery, sexual misconduct, inspection violations, crimes related to the practice of a profession, and out of state discipline.
Drawing on her background in legal defense and her experience as a prosecutor, Lauren began working as a Senior Health Care Attorney for Chapman Law Group in 2018. In this role, she successfully defended a wide range of licensed health care providers for the same violations she had once prosecuted. In some cases, she was successful in getting dismissals with no probable cause found. In other cases, she successfully negotiated with prosecutors and third parties like the Intervention Project for Nurses (IPN) and the Professionals Resource Network (PRN), to achieve the best outcomes for her clients. During this time, Lauren regularly defended clients in hearings before their respective Boards. She also began handling applications for licensure and exemption for individuals with criminal convictions.
In 2022, Lauren decided to open her own practice dedicated solely to defending health care professionals. Today, she exclusively handles health care licensure defense, self-reports, applications for licensure, and applications for exemption for those who have issues with background screenings.
Lauren A. Leikam, Esq.
