Business Formation & Corporate Governance

Entity formation and corporate governance for technology companies — LLC vs. C-corp choices, founder agreements, cap tables, board structure, and governance rigor that scales with growth.

Practice Transitions

Selling Your Law Practice in Texas: Valuation, Client Transition, and Ethical Compliance

A practical guide for retiring Texas attorneys: valuation methods, TDRPC Rule 1.04 fee-sharing compliance, client notification under Rule 1.15, IOLTA trust account wind-down, and successor counsel arrangements.

Founders

Co-Founder Agreements and Vesting Schedules: A Startup Founder's Guide

Co-founder equity splits, reverse vesting, 1-year cliffs, single vs. double-trigger acceleration, good leaver vs. bad leaver provisions, and Texas C-corp formation — everything founders need before launching.

Founders

The Founder Visa Gap: O-1 Visas for Startup Founders and Why Investors Need Your Immigration Sorted

The O-1 extraordinary ability visa is the go-to for international startup founders with funding, press, or notable achievements. Learn how to qualify, compare O-1 vs H-1B vs E-2, and why investors need your immigration sorted before the term sheet.

Practice Transitions

Selling Your Texas Law Practice: A Succession Planning Guide for Solo and Small-Firm Lawyers

Selling a Texas law practice requires understanding valuation methods, TDPC Rules 1.02 and 5.04 compliance, client transition protocols, and how AI adoption affects firm saleability in 2026.

Founders

Independent Contractor Classification in Texas: How the 2024 DOL Rule Changes 1099 Hiring for Startups

The DOL's 2024 final rule replaced the 2020 IC rule with a six-factor economic reality test. Here's how Texas startups can protect IP, avoid FLSA misclassification liability, and draft contractor agreements that hold up under audit.

Founders

SAFE vs. Convertible Note in 2026: A Term-by-Term Guide for Texas Founders

SAFE vs. convertible note: a term-by-term breakdown of valuation caps, discount rates, MFN, maturity dates, and interest rates — with dilution math and a 2026 framework for Texas founders.

Founders

Startup Stock Option Plans: A Founder's Guide to 409A, ISOs, and Vesting

Texas founders issuing stock options without 409A valuations risk a 20% IRS penalty tax on employees. Here is how to set up a compliant plan: 409A safe harbors, ISO vs. NSO tax treatment, $100K limit, vesting, acceleration, and board approval under Texas law.

Practice Transitions

Solo Attorney Succession Planning: Protecting Clients, Files, and Revenue When You Can't Practice Tomorrow

Solo attorneys without a succession plan risk ethical violations under Model Rules 1.3, 1.4, 1.6, and 1.16 when disability, death, or incapacity strikes. Here is how to protect clients, files, and trust accounts.

Founders

Non-Compete Agreement Enforceability in Texas: A Founder's Guide After the FTC Ban Failed

The FTC abandoned its non-compete ban in September 2025. Non-compete agreement enforceability in Texas is now governed entirely by state law. Here's what founders can actually enforce—and how to draft agreements that survive judicial review.

Practice Transitions

Selling Your Law Practice: Model Rule 1.17 Ethics Requirements Explained

Selling a law practice under ABA Model Rule 1.17 requires written client notice, licensed purchaser, no fee increases, and liability insurance. Texas rules differ — here's what solo and small-firm attorneys need to know.

Web3

SAFTs vs. SAFEs for Web3 Startups: How Pre-Token Funding Actually Works

Founders get told to "use a SAFT" as if it were the crypto version of a SAFE. It isn't. A SAFE converts into equity; a SAFT converts into tokens whose securities status the SEC litigated against in Telegram and Kik. Here's how pre-token funding actually works in 2026.

Founders

Founder IP Assignment: Why You Can't Raise Without It and How to Get It Done

Investors find missing IP assignments at Series A more often than any other diligence issue. Here's what needs to be in place — and what your options are if formation was sloppy.

Founders

Starting a Business in Texas: Entity Types, Franchise Tax, and Structural Decisions

Texas-based founders who aren't on a VC fundraising path can save time and money by forming here. This guide covers entity types, the franchise tax's $2.65M threshold, operating agreement requirements, and annual compliance obligations.

Founders

The 83(b) Election: What It Is, How to File It, and Why Missing the 30-Day Deadline Is Permanent

If you received restricted stock at your company's formation and didn't file an 83(b) election within 30 days, the tax savings are gone forever. Here's what the election does, the math, and how to file it correctly.

Founders

SAFE vs. Convertible Note: What Pre-Seed Founders Need to Understand Before They Sign

Everyone tells pre-seed founders to use a SAFE. Here’s what SAFE mechanics, convertible note interest, and the post-money revision actually mean — and when the answer isn’t a SAFE.

Hardware Founders

Manufacturing and Supply Agreements for Hardware Startups: NRE, Tooling Ownership, MOQs, and the Clauses That Protect Your Product

Hardware founders negotiate the unit price and sign the rest. But the manufacturing agreement decides who owns the tooling you paid for, what 'conforming' means, and whether you can ever leave. A clause-by-clause guide to NRE, tooling title, MOQs, warranty, IP/anti-cloning, and your exit.

Musicians

Band Partnership Agreements & Split Sheets: The Legal Foundation Every Working Band Skips

Two or more musicians sharing in a band form a general partnership by default — equal splits, joint liability, and dissolution on exit baked in. A plain-English guide to split sheets, songwriting vs. master splits, who owns the band name, leaver provisions, and when to form an LLC.

Practice Transitions

Buying a Law Practice: What Every Attorney Acquirer Needs to Know About Due Diligence, Valuation, and Deal Structure

Thinking about buying a law practice? This guide covers the attorney-buyer's full due diligence playbook — from valuing goodwill to structuring earnouts to navigating ABA Rule 1.17's client notification requirements.

Filmmakers

Indie Filmmaker Legal Essentials: Entity Formation, Chain of Title, and Music Licensing

Most indie films hit legal roadblocks before they see a distributor. Here's how to structure your production, protect your IP, and clear the rights that matter.

Game Studios

Steam, Epic, and Itch.io: What Indie Studios Actually Agree To in Distribution Contracts

Most developers click through platform distribution agreements without reading them. Steam's 70/30 cut is the detail everyone knows. The unilateral amendment clause, MFN provision, and Valve's right to delist your game are what matter when something goes wrong.

Game Studios

Indie Studio Formation and IP: Structuring Your Game Company from Day One

Most indie studios ship their first game before signing a single IP assignment agreement — and discover the problem during publisher due diligence. Here's the legal checklist: entity choice, IP assignment, trademarks, contractor agreements, and exit readiness.

Startup Central

Legal Planning for First-Time Founders in Their 30s and 40s

If you're starting your first company in your 30s or 40s, you're often bringing real career leverage"10+ years of skills, network, and credibility"1and…

Startup Central

Broad-Based Weighted Average (BBWA) Anti-Dilution for Startups: Formula, Examples, and Legal Checklist

Broad-based weighted average (BBWA) anti-dilution is a common compromise term in venture financings: it protects preferred stock investors if the…

Startup Central

Cap Table Essentials: What Every Startup Needs to Track for Clean Equity Records

A clean cap table is more than a spreadsheet that “adds up.” It’s the single source of truth tying your company’s ownership to the documents that…

Startup Central

Why fully diluted shares can make or break your equity decisions

Most equity confusion starts with a simple denominator problem: founders and early employees look at issued (or even just outstanding ) shares and…