From Confusion to Clarity for Dentists and Physicians San Diego’s Attorney for Dentists and Physicians Earns a Position on the Leading Edge of Two Industries by Dan Baldwin
T
he leading edge of any industry is occupied by “few and far between” people and organizations, yet Matthew W. Odgers has staked out a leadership position in the legal profession and as a counselor and advisor to the rapidly changing healthcare field, especially in the practice of dentistry. Although he handles transactional work for entrepreneurs and businesses in many industries, Odgers’ practice focuses intensely on healthcare professionals with an emphasis on practice transitions, associate agreements, partnerships, office leases, practice compliance, and more. “I like working with doctors. They are smart and they help people, I have a great deal of respect for the work they do. There are complex issues that regularly arise within private practice. It makes my job so much easier when I am working closely with a smart client who understands those complexities and is able to implement the solutions that I create,” Odgers says.
From Taking Time Off to Taking Charge Odgers caught the “travel bug” early. After graduating from Purdue University in three years with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Forensic Science, he spent a year in Seoul, Korea, teaching English. He also studied International Law abroad in Hangzhou, China, and attended the Rule of Law in China conference during the summer of 2011. Travel is still one of his great pleasures. Odgers says he chose to attend law school because a law degree opens many doors to a wide variety of options. “If you’re interested in high-end business, you don’t have to be the head of a corporate giant to work and prosper in that environment. If you’re interested in crime, you don’t have to be a criminal or a cop. But you can be active, involved and evolving in all areas of interest through the law,” he says. He entered law school thinking he’d eventually become an attorney at trial arguing cases all day. But during his first semester his father and brother passed away, which caused him to lose his desire for a legal career. “I just lost the fire,” he says. During that period he saw first-hand the impact of having a well-developed trust and how the pre-planning allows people to grieve without struggling 16
Attorney Journals San Diego | Volume 183, 2018