Founders The Howey Test for Founders: When Your Token Is a Security Most founders launching tokens don't have a clear framework for whether they're issuing a security. The Howey test has four prongs, and the SEC has applied each of them to token issuers in ways that would surprise most founders who think 'utility' is the safe word.
Game Studios Game Engine Licensing After Unity's Runtime Fee: What Your Studio's Legal Exposure Actually Is Unity's 2023 runtime fee revealed how engine makers can change the rules mid-project. Here's what Unity, Unreal, and Godot terms actually say — and how to evaluate your studio's engine dependency risk.
Founders Texas Non-Competes: What Employers Can Enforce After Recent Case Law Texas non-competes are not unenforceable — but they are far more complicated than a form clause. This guide breaks down what the Texas Covenants Not to Compete Act actually requires, what recent case law says about reasonable restrictions, and how to draft agreements that hold up.
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 Amazon Seller Agreement Red Flags: What You're Actually Agreeing To Amazon's Business Solutions Agreement has real teeth: 90-day payment holds, perpetual IP licenses, de facto price parity enforcement, and immediate suspension with no appeal outside Amazon. Here's what's buried in the terms you already agreed to.
Founders FTC Endorsement Rules for Product Sellers: Reviews, Affiliates, and Influencer Campaigns Most DTC brands know they need disclosures. Fewer know that review gating is a federal violation, that #ad in a bio isn't enough, and that the FTC has levied multi-million-dollar penalties against fashion and beauty brands for exactly these mistakes.
Founders Employee vs. Independent Contractor in 2026: The Tests Every Startup Must Pass Before Classification The DOL's 2024 rule reinstated a multi-factor economic reality test that puts most startup contractor arrangements under real scrutiny. Here's what the tests actually require and where the misclassification risk is highest.
Founders At-Will Employment in Texas: The Doctrine, the Exceptions, and the Termination Mistakes That Create Exposure Texas founders rely on at-will more than the law justifies. This guide covers the five state-law exceptions, federal overlays like the NLRA and FMLA, what employment agreements do to at-will status, and the documentation that limits termination exposure.
Founders Non-Compete Agreements After the FTC Rule Litigation: What Texas Startups Can Enforce The FTC’s sweeping non-compete ban is on hold after a Texas federal court enjoined it. While the legal battle continues, Texas has its own enforceable framework—and most startup non-competes still fail it. Here’s what the law actually requires.
Founders DAO Liability: Are Members Personally Exposed? Lessons from the CFTC's Ooki DAO Enforcement The CFTC's 2023 judgment against Ooki DAO established that decentralized structures don't prevent regulatory enforcement—and three courts have since confirmed that governance token holders face unlimited personal liability as general partners. Here's what that means for your protocol.
Founders Product Liability for DTC Brands: When You're the Importer, You're the Manufacturer Most DTC founders assume their factory contract and supplier insurance protect them. They don't. US law treats importers as the manufacturer when the foreign supplier is unreachable — strict liability, CPSC reporting duties, and recall costs all land on the brand.
Founders Subscription Billing Compliance: ROSCA, the FTC Click-to-Cancel Rule, and What DTC Brands Must Do Now The FTC's 2024 click-to-cancel rule was vacated by the Eighth Circuit in July 2025 — but ROSCA, Section 5, and state automatic-renewal laws remain fully operative. This guide covers what DTC brands and subscription operators need to know, from California's AB 2863 to the $100M Vonage settlement.
Founders Employee Handbook Essentials for Startups: The 8 Policies You Need Before Your Fifth Hire Most startups skip the handbook until they get a demand letter. Then they download a template that creates new problems. Here are the 8 policies every startup needs before employee #5 — and the 2 things most templates get dangerously wrong.
Practice Transitions The Solo Attorney's Succession Plan: Protecting Your Clients, Files, and Trust Account If You Die or Become Disabled Texas imposes no rule that says "write a succession plan" — but the duties you owe clients don't pause when you die or become disabled. Here's how solo and small-firm attorneys designate a successor, solve the trust-account problem, and protect their clients before a crisis hits.
Practice Transitions How to Sell a Law Practice in Texas: The Legal and Ethical Roadmap for Solo and Small-Firm Attorneys Selling a law practice in Texas is not prohibited — but it triggers a web of ethical obligations most attorneys don't know about. Here's what you must do under the TDRPC before you hand over the files.
Streamers Talent Agreements with Managers and Agencies: Leverage Points for Streamers Most streamers negotiate brand deals carefully — and sign their management agreement without a second look. That agreement controls every deal that follows. Here's what's actually in it, which clauses matter most, and how to use your leverage before you sign.
SBA The SBA 7(a) Playbook for Buying a Closely Held Business: What SOP 50-10 8 Changed and How to Close the Deal Buying a closely held business on SBA 7(a) means working against a rulebook that changed on June 1, 2025. The playbook: personal guarantees, affiliation rules, Form 155 seller-note standby, SOP 50-10 8 change-of-ownership rules, and the diligence checklist that stops closings.
