We counseled an architecture firm targeted by a competitor architect who filed a complaint with the state’s architectural and engineering regulatory board alleging that our client engaged in the unauthorized practice of architecture in that state. The complaint stemmed from our client’s involvement in a public bidding process – our client won the job, much to the chagrin of the disgruntled competitor. Recognizing the potential for administrative penalties and multi-state licensing complications which could impact many of our client’s projects and posed and existential threat to the architecture firm, we guided it to not only notify its professional liability insurer but also, and more important, helped it to retain specialized legal counsel in the state in question. We recognized that such administrative complaints are handled by licensing agencies – which operate behind closed doors, are staffed by ever-changing rounds of political appointees, and which lack the kind of due process and clear rules found in court litigation, but have enormous power over architects and engineers – and leveraged our nationwide network of friendly attorneys to connect our client with several law firms possessing extensive experience representing design professionals before the specific state professional licensure board in question.
