Attending Physician Contract Lawyer
Most attending physicians sign or renew employment contracts without a clear picture of whether their compensation matches the market, how flexible the contract is on work expectations, or what it actually costs them to walk away.
That gap between what you think you agreed to and what the contract says tends to surface at the worst possible time. Employers don’t always offer market-appropriate compensation increases or stick to initial work requirements. You may need to revisit exit strategy concerns as things change.
Michael Johnson Legal is a nationwide attending physician contract law firm that works only with physicians. We evaluate employment contracts, independent contractor agreements, locum tenens contracts, and offer letters for attending physicians in all 50 states.
We benchmark your compensation against Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) data for your specialty, practice setting, and region, then build a negotiation strategy around what the numbers and the contract language actually say.
Our flat-fee attending physician contract evaluation costs $1,900. No hourly billing. No surprise charges. Schedule your evaluation through our online scheduler or contact form to get started.
Why Choose Michael Johnson Legal as Your Attending Physician Contract Lawyer
Every contract we evaluate belongs to a physician. Our attorneys already know how wRVU-based compensation plans work, how academic appointment letters layer in hidden terms, and what a malpractice tail coverage dispute looks like. You do not have to spend your consultation teaching your attorney how physician contracts function. We are not ‘generalists,’ we know you, what you’re experiencing, and how to help.
Flat-Fee Pricing with No Hourly Billing
The full attending physician contract evaluation costs $1,900 and covers everything from the initial consultation through unlimited rounds of negotiation. There is no billing clock. If the employer comes back three times, you do not pay more.
Nationwide Service Across All 50 States
Our team evaluates physician contracts across all 50 states and understands how local market conditions, hospital systems, and specialty specific expectations can affect your agreement.
MGMA Data Analysis Built into Every Evaluation
Every evaluation includes a compensation comparison using MGMA data for your specialty, practice setting, volume, and geographic region. It is the same data set employers use when they build compensation plans, which means you negotiate from the same benchmarks they do.
When Attending Physicians Need a Contract Evaluation
A new offer is the obvious trigger. Our evaluation catches provisions that look standard but carry real cost, like a noncompete radius that covers every hospital in your metro area or a compensation guarantee that resets at a threshold you might not hit.
Renegotiating Your Current Physician Contract
You do not have to wait for a renewal to renegotiate. If your compensation has stayed flat while MGMA benchmarks have moved, or your responsibilities have expanded without a corresponding pay adjustment, a renegotiation conversation is reasonable. Our evaluation tells you whether the data supports a higher number, and how your practice and position affect your personal negotiation leverage.
Comparing Multiple Physician Contract Offers
Two offers that look similar on paper sometimes tell very different stories. One pays a higher base but has an aggressive clawback on the signing bonus. The other covers tail coverage and has a narrower noncompete. Our multiple contract evaluation puts both agreements side by side and shows you the real difference.
What We Evaluate in an Attending Physician Contract
Compensation Structure and Market Benchmarking
Most attending physician contracts in clinic or procedure-based specialties tie part of your pay to productivity, usually measured in work relative value units (wRVUs). The base rate per wRVU, the production threshold, and the bonus formula all interact to determine your actual take-home pay.
Our evaluation benchmarks those numbers against MGMA data and flags any structure where the productivity targets look difficult to reach, or the rate falls below typical ranges for your specialty.
Even for shift-based or hourly-based physicians, intensity of work and volume expectations matter and play into compensation outcomes. We help you cut through the surface-level data to negotiate thoughtfully.
Noncompete Clauses in Attending Physician Contracts
A noncompete clause restricts where you practice after leaving, typically by setting a geographic radius and a time period. A 15-mile radius in a dense urban area functions very differently from a 15-mile radius in a rural market, and a buyout provision changes the equation entirely.
Noncompete enforceability is a state-by-state question. California Business and Professions Code section 16600 voids most employee noncompete clauses outright. Other states have recently moved to restrict physician noncompetes.
The FTC’s national noncompete rule is not in effect and is not enforceable. For now, physician noncompete enforceability depends on state law, the specific contract language, and any health care-specific restrictions that apply where you practice. We evaluate the specific clause in your contract against the current law where you plan to practice.
Malpractice Tail Coverage for Attending Physicians
If your malpractice coverage operates on a claims-made basis, you may owe for tail coverage when you leave. Tail coverage protects you against claims filed after your departure for incidents that happened during your employment. Whether the employer or the physician pays is a negotiation point, and the answer often depends on how the question is raised.
Termination Provisions and Exit Terms
A without-cause termination clause lets either side end the agreement without giving a reason, usually on 90 to 180 days’ notice. Short notice creates real instability when paired with a noncompete or other compensation clawback or waiver issues.
Our attorneys evaluate the notice period, any severance language, and whether clawback provisions create an unintended financial penalty for leaving.
How Our Attending Physician Contract Evaluation Works
Our evaluation follows five steps, all covered under the $1,900 flat fee. The process is the same whether you are signing a new contract, renegotiating, or comparing two offers.
Initial consultation
(1 hour)
We learn about your goals, your specialty, and the context around the contract. For attendings, this consultation costs $300 upfront. If you hire us for the full evaluation, that $300 is applied toward the $1,900 package price. This step also functions as a standalone physician compensation consult with MGMA data analysis if you decide not to move forward.
Written contract analysis
(approx. 5 business days)
A detailed written report covering compensation, obligations, exit terms, and a market comparison using MGMA data. Includes an initial negotiation proposal.
Detailed discussion
(approx. 1.5 hours)
We walk through the analysis on a video call, compare the contract language against what you understood during interviews, and map out negotiation strategy.
Negotiation drafting
(0 to 1 business day)
Ghostwritten negotiation emails, talking points, redlines, or addendums. We recommend you send these yourself. Physician-led negotiations tend to land better because the conversation stays between you and the employer.
Follow-up & additional rounds
(as many as needed)
We evaluate the employer’s response and repeat the cycle until the negotiation concludes. Approximately 90-95% of negotiations wrap up after one round, but we include additional rounds at no extra cost.
The flat fee means there is no reason to hold back questions or cut the process short.
Attending Physician Contract Evaluation Pricing
Michael Johnson Legal uses flat-fee pricing for all physician contract services. Here is exactly what each service costs for attending physicians:
Single contract evaluation
$1,900 total. Covers the full five-step process, including unlimited negotiation rounds.
Initial consultation fee
$300 upfront, applied toward the $1,900 package if you hire us. Functions as a standalone compensation consult with MGMA data if you choose not to proceed.
Each additional contract for side-by-side comparison
$1,100 per contract. Repeats Steps 2 through 5. Contracts may be evaluated simultaneously or as offers arrive.
Standalone physician compensation consult
$300. A one-hour deep dive into MGMA compensation data by specialty, setting, region, and volume expectations. Recommended every 2 to 3 years for attendings. Applied toward the package price if you purchase a full evaluation later.
Quick turnaround service
$100 added to the package ($2,000 total for attendings). Contract must be in hand. Evaluation scheduled within 48 hours. Steps 1 and 2 combined into a single 1.5-hour meeting.
No hourly billing. No hidden fees. The price above is the price you pay.
Attending Physician Contract Review FAQs
How often do attending physicians need a contract evaluation?
MGMA data shifts year to year, and many attending physicians go years without confirming their compensation still matches the market. A standalone compensation consult every 2 to 3 years costs $300 and shows you whether a renegotiation conversation is worth having. This is a thoughtful due diligence step for all attending physicians in employment contracts. We know you’re busy managing your practice and living life. We cover your blind spots.
What if my employer says the contract is non-negotiable?
That almost never means what it sounds like. The vast majority of physician contracts contain provisions open to change once a physician raises specific, data-backed requests. Compensation structure, noncompete scope, tail coverage, and termination terms are commonly negotiated even in large health systems.
Is it worth hiring an attorney for a physician contract renegotiation?
Renegotiation can affect compensation, benefits, call obligations, termination terms, and future job mobility. A comprehensive, data-backed request gives the employer something concrete to respond to instead of a vague ask. Our evaluation identifies every negotiable term and provides specific language for the conversation. Most negotiations conclude after one round.
Our Attorneys Answer Your Attending Physician Contract Questions
Do I need an attorney to renegotiate my physician contract, or is it only for new offers?
Renegotiation is one of the most common reasons attending physicians contact us. You do not have to wait for a renewal period. Changes in your workload, shifts in market compensation, or newly restrictive policies may all warrant a conversation with your employer, and having data and a clear proposal makes it more productive. You can renegotiate from a position of strength if you have established value and have an exit strategy. We help you measure and apply your leverage in contract renegotiations.
What is a wRVU rate, and how do I know if mine is fair?
A work relative value unit (wRVU) rate is the dollar amount your employer pays per unit of clinical productivity. That rate varies dramatically by specialty and practice setting.
Our evaluation compares your $/wRVU against MGMA benchmarks so you can see whether your rate falls at the 25th, 50th, or 75th percentile for physicians in similar roles. Practice setting, geography, and volume can change the appropriate valuation of $/wRVU rates, so it’s vital to work with a physician contract attorney who knows how to use this properly.
What happens if I want to leave but my contract has a noncompete?
Leaving under a noncompete means navigating restrictions on where and when you practice next. Some noncompetes include a buyout provision. Others are unenforceable under current state law. Our evaluation identifies your options before you make a move.
How long does the attending physician contract evaluation take?
The written analysis is typically ready about five business days after we receive your agreement. The detailed discussion follows promptly. For tighter timelines, our quick turnaround service schedules the evaluation within 48 hours for an additional $100, bringing the total to $2,000.
Your Contract Is a Financial Document. Treat It Like One.
An attending physician contract governs your income, your mobility, and the terms under which you stay or leave. A flat-fee evaluation built around MGMA data and unlimited negotiation rounds turns that document into something you understand and have shaped.
Michael Johnson Legal works only with physicians, serves all 50 states, and prices every service as a flat fee. Schedule your attending physician contract evaluation through our online scheduler, or reach out through our contact form to take the next step.