April 7, 2026
Pregnant Workers Fairness Act: Employer Guide
If your business has 15 or more employees, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) applies to you. It took effect in June 2023, and the EEOC finalized its regulations in 2024. Th…
Surge Business Law
Business
Browse 171 articles tagged with Business.
April 7, 2026
The First 72 Hours After a Data Breach: A Business Owner's Guide
You just found out that your business data has been compromised. Customer records, employee information, financial data. Something got out. Your stomach drops. Now what? The next…
April 7, 2026
Cybersecurity Compliance for Small Businesses: What You Actually Need
If you run a small business that handles customer data, credit card numbers, or health records, you have legal obligations around cybersecurity. The size of your company does not…
April 7, 2026
Shadow AI Is a Legal Risk for Your Business, Not Just an IT Problem
Your employees are probably using AI tools right now. They are pasting customer data into ChatGPT, running financial projections through free AI apps, and summarizing client commu…
April 7, 2026
Data Breach Law: What Small Businesses Must Know
If your business collects customer names, Social Security numbers, credit card data, or even login credentials, you are holding information that state law requires you to protect.…
April 7, 2026
Texas Business License Requirements for Small Businesses (2026)
Here is the most important thing to understand about starting a business in Texas: forming your LLC or corporation with the Secretary of State does not mean you are fully licensed…
April 6, 2026
Adding a Partner or Co-Owner to Your LLC: What Has to Happen
Yes, you can add an owner to an existing LLC. An LLC that started with one member can take on a second, a third, or an investor years later. The state filing, if one is needed at…
March 20, 2026
Trademark Class 44: Medical, Beauty & Agricultural Services
When you build a brand around a medical practice, a beauty salon, or an agricultural consulting service, that brand deserves the same legal protection as any other business asset.…
March 20, 2026
Trademark Class 33: Wine, Spirits & Alcoholic Beverages
If you produce wine, craft spirits, whiskey, vodka, gin, rum, tequila, liqueur, or alcoholic cocktail mixers, your brand name and label design are business assets worth protecting…
March 20, 2026
Trademark Class 35: Business Services, Advertising & Retail
When you file a federal trademark application, one of the most consequential decisions you make is choosing the right class of goods or services. Trademark Class 35, written on a…
March 20, 2026
Federal vs. State Trademark: Which Does Your Business Need?
You have built your brand from scratch. The name on your sign, your logo, the way customers recognize you on sight. Now someone else is using it, or could start tomorrow. What sto…
March 20, 2026
How to Trademark Your Business Name, Logo, or Slogan
You have built something worth protecting. Your business name, logo, or slogan is not just a label. It is the shorthand for every good experience a customer has had with you. When…
March 20, 2026
Trademark Class 25: Clothing, Apparel & Footwear Brands
If you sell branded clothing, footwear, or headwear, your trademark application will almost certainly live in International Class 25. Getting the class right from the start matter…
March 20, 2026
Trademark Class 29: Food, Meat, Dairy and Eggs
If you produce meat, dairy, eggs, canned goods, or specialty food products, your brand name deserves protection. International Class 29 is the trademark category that covers most…
March 20, 2026
Trademark Class 9: Software, Apps, and Technology
If you build software, develop apps, sell electronic hardware, or distribute downloadable content, your brand likely needs protection under International Class 9. This is one of t…
March 20, 2026
Trademark and IP for Franchisees: What You Own
When you buy a franchise, you are not buying a brand. You are buying the right to use a brand, under specific conditions, for a limited time. That distinction matters more than mo…
March 20, 2026
Got a USPTO Office Action? Here's What to Do Next
If you just received a letter from the USPTO about your trademark application, take a breath. An office action is not a denial, and it does not mean your brand is unprotectable. I…
March 20, 2026
Trademark Registration Cost: USPTO Fees and Payment Plans
You built something worth protecting. Your brand name, your logo, the identity you have spent months or years developing. Now you are wondering whether a trademark is worth the co…
March 20, 2026
Trademark Strategy for Austin Startups | Surge Business Law
Austin's startup scene moves fast. New companies launch every week, venture money flows in, and a brand that took months to build can become a liability overnight if someone else…
March 20, 2026
Trademark vs. Copyright vs. Patent: Which Does Your Business Need?
You have spent real time building your business. The name, the logo, the product, the process you figured out through trial and error. But when someone asks whether you have prote…
March 13, 2026
Texas Employee Handbook Requirements: Required vs. Recommended for Employers (2026)
No Texas law requires you to have an employee handbook. That’s true and also somewhat beside the point. What a handbook does is answer the questions employees will have, set the e…