Contact

HIPAA for Hippos? Navigating Veterinarian Confidentiality Laws in California

While HIPAA does not protect the confidentiality of veterinary medical records, California law does. California, along with many other states, have passed confidentiality laws which protect information related to veterinary care and impose steep criminal, civil, and disciplinary penalties for their violation. The law has numerous exceptions, which could be complicated to navigate. “HIPAA for Hippos? Navigating Veterinarian Confidentiality Laws in California,” by Geoffrey Macbride, discusses when, and under what conditions, confidential information could be safely disclosed. This article also provides a few tips to help ensure compliance and properly document it.

Latest publications

Employer’s Bid for Arbitration Denied Based on Unauthenticated E-Signature

The recent appellate decision on Griggs v. Guess?, Inc. provides us with important guidance on how courts will weigh evidence and determine the creditability of witnesses when deciding whether an electronic signature is valid or not. Read “Employer’s Bid for Arbitration Denied Based on Unauthenticated E-Signature” by Shareholder Patrick J....

More

When Clients Attack: Legal options for responding to negative social media posts

Upset clients are an unfortunate reality of veterinary practices. No matter how experienced the veterinarian or how diligent the treatment, some clients still leave unhappy. In the age of social media, this unhappiness can lead to problems, even when the veterinarian’s care was entirely proper. Clients can use social...

More

The impossibility of Brady: Compliance depends on imagination

Many know that lawyers are required to turn over non-privileged documents during discovery when the opposing party requests them to do so. Imagine, however, that the burden extends to proactively disclose information, even when there is no request and/or even when the lawyer is not aware of any evidence...

More