April 6, 2026
Adding a Co-Owner to Your LLC? What to Know First
Adding a co-owner to your LLC can be one of the best things you ever do for your business. A strong partner brings capital, skills, and shared responsibility. But it can also be o…
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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. International Class 35 is one of…
March 20, 2026
Trademark Class 43: Restaurants, Bars, and Food Service
You have built something worth protecting. Maybe it is a barbecue joint in Austin that has a line out the door on Saturdays. Maybe it is a supper club outside Des Moines that has…
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 30: Coffee, Baked Goods, and Spices
What Is International Class 30? When you apply to register a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, you have to identify which class of goods or services yo…
March 20, 2026
Trademark Class 41: Education & Entertainment Services
What Is International Class 41? When you apply to register a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), you have to identify which class of goods or ser…
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
Trademarking a Food or Agriculture Brand in Iowa
Iowa ranks among the nation's leading producers of pork, beef, dairy, and eggs, and that agricultural strength is increasingly showing up in consumer brands. From small-batch hot…
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
Employee Handbook Basics for Texas Small Businesses
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…
March 13, 2026
Texas Wage Claims: What to Do When an Employee Files a…
A notice from the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) telling you an employee has filed a wage claim requires an immediate response, not because it’s an emergency, but because Texas…
March 13, 2026
Texas Independent Contractor Compliance Guide for Small…
If your business uses independent contractors, you’re managing legal risk whether you know it or not. The classification question doesn’t resolve itself because you signed a 1099…
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