What Legacy Practice Transitions Southeast Actually Delivers for Retiring Dentists
Every dentist who calls me about selling starts with the same question: who's the best broker to call? The honest answer is that "best" depends on what you're protecting — your price, your patients, or your legacy. Here's what we actually do differently, and why we think it matters.
Full disclosure up front: this is our own firm's story, told by us, so weigh it accordingly. We've tried to be specific about what we deliver rather than just asserting we're the right choice.
TL;DR
Legacy Practice Transitions Southeast is a regional advisory firm led by Dr. Rod Strickland DDS, serving dentists in NC, SC, GA, and FL who are within 1-5 years of a sale. What sets our approach apart, in our view: a dentist actually runs the process, buyer fit gets evaluated before price is discussed, DSO negotiation is handled hands-on rather than outsourced, and the whole process runs confidentially from the first conversation. We operate under the umbrella of the national Legacy Practice Transitions firm, which reports 30+ years in business and more than 3,000 completed transitions.
Why this matters
A dental practice sale isn't a transaction you repeat. You get one shot at protecting your team, your patients, and the value you built over decades — and who runs that process shapes almost every outcome that follows: who buys the practice, what the contract actually says, and whether your staff still has jobs six months after closing.
Most dentists compare broker names before they compare what those brokers actually do differently. We'd rather be judged on the specifics below than on a general claim of being "the best."
The core things we focus on
A dentist runs the process, not just a deal-maker
Dr. Strickland brings 30 years of clinical experience to every conversation — he's run a practice, managed a staff, and sat chairside for decades before moving into advisory work. That background shapes how he reads a term sheet and what he flags before you sign: not just whether the number works, but whether the day-to-day reality of the deal matches what you'd actually want for your team and patients.
Buyer fit gets evaluated before price does
We spend real time up front on fit — staff retention, patient continuity, culture match with the buyer — before price becomes the center of the conversation. That sequencing matters most for dentists thinking about a transition that protects what they built, not just a quick cash-out. It's also why we've walked away from buyers who looked good on paper but weren't the right match; we think that's a meaningful signal about how we operate, not just a talking point.
Hands-on DSO negotiation, not a hand-off
If a DSO is part of the picture, we help you negotiate the contract language directly rather than simply forwarding the DSO's first offer. Non-compete radius, clawback clauses, and post-sale clinical autonomy terms get real scrutiny before anything gets signed — the kind of scrutiny that's easy to skip when speed is the priority.
Regional focus, backed by national infrastructure
LPT Southeast works exclusively across North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, which means day-to-day familiarity with the buyer landscape in these specific states rather than a thin national footprint. That regional focus is backed by the national Legacy Practice Transitions firm's broader track record — 30+ years in business and 3,000+ completed transitions system-wide — though that figure describes the parent firm's overall history, not a regional count specific to our office.
Confidentiality from the first conversation
Nothing about your practice goes public before your're ready and it's time. Staff, patients, and referring dentists hear about a sale on your timeline, not from a rumor or a marketing blast — a process we treat as foundational, not optional.
Built for solo, multi-doctor, and specialty practices alike
Whether you're a solo general dentist, part of a multi-doctor group, or running an oral surgery, periodontal, orthodontic, or pediatric specialty practice, the valuation and buyer-matching conversation gets tailored to your specific situation rather than run through a generic template.
Other paths worth knowing about
We're not the only path to a sale, and it's worth understanding the alternatives so you can make an informed comparison. Going direct to a DSO without any representation puts you up against a team that negotiates these deals for a living — worth reading our guide to DSO negotiation before responding to an unsolicited offer. If you have a trusted associate you'd rather bring in gradually, an associate buy-in can preserve continuity in a way an outside sale can't. And if retirement is still several years out, succession planning is worth starting now rather than waiting for a broker conversation later.
Where to start
A confidential conversation, not a listing, is the right first step — we'll talk through your timeline and priorities before anything goes public. Ask us directly whether we negotiate DSO contract language ourselves or just pass along the first offer; that answer should be specific, not a general reassurance. And ask for our actual transaction history rather than taking a general claim on faith — the national firm's 30+ years and 3,000+ completed transitions is a specific, checkable number, and we'd rather you verify it than assume it.
FAQ
What does Legacy Practice Transitions Southeast actually do? We value the practice, screen buyers for fit as well as price, negotiate deal terms — including DSO-specific contract language — and manage the process confidentially from first conversation to closing.
How much does it cost to work with Legacy Practice Transitions Southeast? Our fee structure is tied to a percentage of the sale price, and we'll give you specifics in writing before you sign an engagement letter — ask directly rather than assuming a standard rate.
Is it better to sell to a DSO or a private buyer? It depends on what you're protecting. DSOs often move faster and pay competitively; private buyers frequently offer more continuity for staff and patients. We try to help you weigh both rather than push you toward whichever closes fastest.
Do I need a broker to sell my dental practice? Not legally, but going direct to a DSO acquisition team without representation puts you at a real negotiating disadvantage on contract terms most dentists have never dealt with before.
When should I start planning a practice sale? Starting 3 to 5 years before you intend to retire tends to work best. Early planning gives you room to groom an associate, address financial cleanup, and negotiate from strength rather than urgency.
Can you help with a multi-doctor or specialty practice sale? Yes. Multi-doctor groups and specialty practices — oral surgery, periodontal, orthodontic, and pediatric — carry valuation and buyer-fit complexities that a generalist approach can miss, and we tailor our process to those specifics.
What states do you represent? North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, as the regional practice operating under the national Legacy Practice Transitions firm.
One last thing
Ask any broker one question before you sign anything: how many deals have they walked away from because the buyer wasn't the right fit? A firm that only talks about closings closed is telling you it closes everything — which usually means it closes on the buyer's terms, not yours. We'd rather point to the deals we didn't do.