optimize our technology platform and other expenses of $0.8 million.
Technology and development expenses were $54.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 compared to $34.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, an increase of $19.9 million, or 58%. Including the impact from the recent acquisitions, this increase resulted primarily from hiring additional personnel totaling $12.8 million, professional fees of $3.1 million, and ongoing projects to improve and optimize our technology platform and other expenses of $4.0 million.
Legal and Regulatory Expenses. Legal and regulatory expenses were $6.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to $4.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2018, an increase of $2.8 million, or 70%. This increase resulted primarily from litigation activities largely associated with the class action complaint.
Legal and Regulatory expenses were $4.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 compared to $4.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, a decrease of $0.9 million, or 18%. This decrease resulted primarily from lower legal fees incurred in connection with the Company’s legal activities associated with Texas.
Acquisition and Integration Related Costs. Acquisition related costs were $6.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to $10.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2018, a decrease of $3.8 million. The 2019 acquisition and integration related costs represent investment banking, financing, legal, accounting, consultancy, integration, fair value changes related to contingent consideration and certain other non-recurring transaction costs related to mergers and acquisitions. The 2018 integration related costs represent legal, personnel, re-branding and professional related fees for the May 2018 acquisition of Advance Medical and July 2017 acquisition of Best Doctors.
Acquisition related costs were $10.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 compared to $13.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, a decrease of $2.8 million. The 2018 acquisition and integration related costs represent legal, personnel, re-branding and professional related fees for the May 2018 acquisition of Advance Medical and July 2017 acquisition of Best Doctors. The 2017 acquisition and integration related costs represent legal, personnel and professional related fees for the July 2017 acquisition of Best Doctors.
Gain on Sale. Gain on sale of $5.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 consists of the June 2018 sale of certain client contracts.
General and Administrative Expenses. General and administrative expenses were $157.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to $116.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2018, an increase of $40.8 million, or 35%. Including the impact from the recent acquisitions, this increase was driven in part by an increase in employee-related expenses of approximately $29.7 million, primarily due to an increase in stock compensation expense and as a result of growth in overall full time employee headcount to over 2,400 at December 31, 2019 as compared to 2,242 at December 31, 2018. Costs incurred in our provider network operations centers in connection with enhancing our Member services increased to $5.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 from $2.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2018, an increase of $3.2 million. Professional fees, increased by $2.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 as compared to December 31, 2018. Other expenses, which include office-related charges and bank charges, severance costs, lease costs and bad debt expenses, increased net to $29.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 from $24.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2018, an increase of $5.3 million and primarily reflecting the impact from the recent acquisitions.
General and administrative expenses were $116.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 compared to $79.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, an increase of $37.1 million, or 47%. Including the impact from the recent acquisitions, this increase was driven in part by an increase in employee-related expenses of approximately $28.0 million, primarily due to an increase in stock compensation expense and as a result of growth in overall full time employee headcount to 2,242 at December 31, 2018 as compared to 1,231 at December 31, 2017, and was primarily due to 700 employees from Advance Medical in June 2018 and 500 employees from Best Doctors in July 2017, including the expansion from two to three provider network operations centers in 2017. Costs incurred in our provider network operations centers in connection with enhancing our Member services increased to $2.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 from $1.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, an increase of $1.1 million. Professional