Episode Details

Welcome to What I Wish I Knew by Dental Head Start. This is a podcast where we learn from people that have been there, made the mistakes, learnt the lessons and have developed into the accomplished dental professionals they are today.

It’s your weekly mentoring session.

Hosted by Erica Hwin

So you’ve gotten yourself into a little bit of a sticky situation and received a complaint…now what? Now, fingers crossed this never actually happens to any of us, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry, to be informed and to have all our bases covered. 

Harry Nicolaidis is one of Australia’s leading alternative dispute and litigation lawyers, and assists health practitioners and dental practice owners across a wide range of issues. In this episode, we talk about what to do and perhaps more importantly, what not to do when faced with a complaint. We talk about the protocols we should have in place to look after ourselves and our patients, and who our first point of call ought to be.

Litigation is a scary part of dentistry, but at the end of the day, there is a wide support network around us that we can tap into. You don’t have to face it alone. 

Harry Nicolaidis

Harry Nicolaidis is a partner at K&L Gates, a global law firm with a strong Australian footprint with 67 partners and more than 200 lawyers. He has gained the confidence and trust of many health practitioners and dental practice owners with his ability to identify and minimise their legal risks and resolve their legal issues when they arise.

Harry assists health practitioners and dental practice owners across a wide range of issues, including the preparation and implementation of Services and Facilities Agreements, the acquisition and disposal of interests in dental practices, contractual disputes, the enforceability of restraint of trade obligations, breach of confidentiality and breach of warranty claims. 

He has practised in New South Wales and Queensland in State and Federal Courts for more than 30 years. Harry has significant experience in employing various methods of alternative dispute resolution including arbitration, mediation, and facilitated negotiation in order to achieve commercial and cost effective outcomes for clients.

Harry has presented at various forums on a range of topics affecting clients in the dental profession, including on issues arising in relation t