We get so many calls about legal advice on cases involving complementary and alternative medicine, it is hard to keep up!


Many times someone will call for a referral to some very specific situation. For example, in addition to the kinds of situations in which we specialize — such as a medical doctor opening an integrative medicine clinic, or seeking advice on legal protection to help structure a practice that includes CAM therapies – we will receive inquiries about planned litigation or ongoing court cases.
Recently someone called with a referral for a case involving a custody battle. This is actually an area in which I have done some work, at least by publishing articles on use of CAM therapies in pediatric care, and the legal, ethical, regulatory and policy boundaries involved.
So I will receive a call that begins, “do you know a lawyer who is familiar with alternative medicine legal issues in….” Take your pick:
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland, DC
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Northern Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
The answer is that I only know of myself and my Of Counsel lawyer, Alan Dumoff. I really do not of anyone in any other state that has the same focus, dedication, and special attention to this area of legal practice. So no, I do not know a Wyoming lawyer who specializes in complementary and alternative medicine legal issues.
But I do know a lawyer who focuses on all the legal aspects of CAM therapies, from licensing and credentialing to malpractice, insurance, billing and coding, anti-kickback, business structuring, and so on, and who can research what law exists in other states and render advice based on general legal principles, informed by that research of statutes, cases, and administrative rules and rulings.
And if there is any area in which we will not serve as primary counsel, such as an ongoing litigation, we can certainly play the role of expert advisor or counsel to another lawyer or law firm, or render expert testimony.
There are many ways to obtain experienced legal advice. Asking for a lawyer in a specific state, who practices in a special area of focus that is already rather unique, is more of a challenge than one needs to take on.