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Leiza Dolghih Speaks with Part B News About Morality Clauses in Physician Contracts

Dallas, Texas (September 17, 2021) - Dallas Partner Elisaveta “Leiza” Dolghih was recently quoted in a Part B News article titled “Mind Legality of Firing MD for Embarrassing the Practice; Better to Go No-Cause,” which discusses legal options for employers who seek to address doctors’ conduct that reflects poorly upon their practice. 

As the article describes, contracts between medical practices and their providers often include a morals clause – a stipulation that the doctors are expected to refrain from acting in a way that could be detrimental to the practice. A physician who fails to abide by this requirement could face termination.

Ms. Dolghih told Part B News that a morals clause should be clear about the need to protect the “goodwill and reputation” of the practice. She also pointed out that laws in certain states, including California, “protect political speech of private employees.” As such, employers and their legal teams should gauge the extent to which physicians may be protected by these laws.

The article goes on to discuss how employers may best handle situations in which a doctor engages in inappropriate conduct or speech outside of the practice. It also evaluates various defenses for employers facing these scenarios.

Ms. Dolghih is a co-chair of Lewis Brisbois’ Trade Secrets & Non-Compete Disputes Practice. She focuses her practice on prosecuting and defending misappropriation of trade secrets as well as breaches of non-compete and non-solicitation agreements. Ms. Dolghih also handles complex commercial and employment litigation matters in state and federal courts across the country. She has extensive courtroom experience, including handling multiple jury trials, bench trials, and injunction evidentiary hearings, in person and via Zoom.

Read the full Part B News article here (subscription required).

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