Texas business law

Find business counsel in Texas

Each guide explains one area of business law in Texas, lists firms that work in it and answers the questions people ask before they hire.

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  1. Tax Law Attorneys in Texas

    Texas has no personal income tax, but businesses and individuals still face federal income and employment taxes, the Texas franchise tax, sales and use tax, and local property tax. A tax law attorney focuses on getting the structure and compliance right before problems arise: choosing entities, planning transactions, handling payroll and worker classification, managing state tax exposure, and advising when an issue may carry criminal risk.

    3 firms listed 4 questions answered 6 min read

  2. Tax Controversy Attorneys in Texas

    Tax controversy is the dispute side of tax law: audits, proposed adjustments, appeals, litigation, and collection. Every stage has its own deadlines, and missing one can cost a taxpayer the right to contest a bill before paying it. Responding carelessly to an audit can also widen it or, in serious cases, create criminal exposure.

    3 firms listed 4 questions answered 7 min read

  3. Securities and Investment Fraud Attorneys in Texas

    Not every investment loss is recoverable, but losses caused by unsuitable recommendations, unauthorized trading, misrepresentations, or fraud can be. The question is usually whether the broker or adviser followed the rules that applied: FINRA rules, the SEC's Regulation Best Interest for broker-dealers' recommendations to retail customers (17 C.F.R. § 240.15l-1), fiduciary duties where a fiduciary relationship existed, and state securities law.

    3 firms listed 3 questions answered 6 min read

  4. Real Estate Litigation Attorneys in Texas

    Real estate disputes involve title defects, boundary lines, easements, lease defaults, failed closings, earnest money, broker commissions, and misrepresentations. When negotiation fails, litigation may be the only way to clear title, enforce a contract, or recover damages. Texas real estate litigation ranges from neighbor boundary disputes to commercial lease fights and multi-party development conflicts.

    3 firms listed 3 questions answered 6 min read

  5. Nonprofit Organization Attorneys in Texas

    Starting a nonprofit takes more than a mission. Forming a Texas nonprofit corporation is straightforward, but federal tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) depends on the organization's documents, structure, and activities, and the IRS Form 1023 application asks detailed questions about governance, finances, and programs. After exemption, annual filings, limits on private benefit and political activity, and unrelated business income rules apply for the life of the organization.

    3 firms listed 4 questions answered 6 min read

  6. Mergers and Acquisitions Attorneys in Texas

    Buying or selling a business is one of the most consequential transactions a company makes. A poorly structured deal can leave the buyer with unexpected liabilities or tax costs, or leave the seller exposed to indemnity claims long after closing. Dallas, Houston, and Austin are active deal markets across energy, technology, health care, and manufacturing, and Texas deals carry some state-specific issues that should be handled early.

    3 firms listed 4 questions answered 7 min read

  7. Maritime and Admiralty Attorneys in Texas

    Maritime law covers both the businesses that operate on the water and the people who work there. Vessel owners and operators deal with cargo and charter disputes, vessel arrests, collisions, and limitation of liability. Injured maritime workers have remedies under the Jones Act, general maritime law, and the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act (LHWCA) that differ sharply from ordinary workers' compensation, and which one applies depends on the worker's status.

    3 firms listed 3 questions answered 7 min read

  8. Intellectual Property Attorneys in Texas

    Patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets are often a company's most valuable assets. A competitor using a confusingly similar brand, a former employee taking confidential processes, or a copycat product can erode years of investment quickly. Texas technology companies, manufacturers, energy businesses, and creative firms rely on IP counsel to protect what they build and to defend against claims from others.

    3 firms listed 4 questions answered 6 min read

  9. Insurance Law Attorneys in Texas

    When a business or homeowner files a claim, the policy and Texas law set the rules for how the insurer must respond. The Texas Insurance Code prohibits unfair claim settlement practices and sets prompt payment deadlines, and weather-related property claims follow an additional set of rules in Chapter 542A that change interest, notice, and attorney's fees. Federal flood claims and Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) claims follow their own regimes.

    3 firms listed 3 questions answered 7 min read

  10. Hospitality Law Attorneys in Texas

    Restaurants, bars, hotels, and entertainment venues carry legal risk every night they are open. A patron who was over-served can lead to a dram shop lawsuit. Staff bring employment and wage issues. Health inspections, local permits, franchise and management agreements, and hotel occupancy taxes all add obligations. Hospitality attorneys focus on the operating and liability side of the business, and work alongside TABC licensing counsel on alcohol permits.

    3 firms listed 4 questions answered 7 min read

  11. Healthcare Law Attorneys in Texas

    Health care is among the most heavily regulated industries in the United States. Medicare and Medicaid impose participation conditions, billing rules, and fraud enforcement; licensing boards can suspend or revoke a practitioner's license; and privacy laws govern every patient record. Texas providers, from large hospital systems to independent practices and telehealth companies, work under overlapping federal and state rules, including HIPAA, the Stark Law, the Anti-Kickback Statute, and the Texas Medical Practice Act.

    3 firms listed 3 questions answered 6 min read

  12. Government Contracts Attorneys in Texas

    Government contracts can be large and long-running, but they come with rules that commercial contracts do not. Federal contractors work under the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and agency supplements, and mistakes in a proposal, during performance, or in an audit can lead to termination, suspension or debarment, or False Claims Act liability. Texas state contracts follow the Government Code and Comptroller rules, with their own procedures for protests and claims.

    3 firms listed 5 questions answered 7 min read

  13. Franchise Law Attorneys in Texas

    Buying or selling a franchise is a regulated transaction. Unless the sale qualifies for one of the Rule's exemptions (16 C.F.R. § 436.8), federal law requires the franchisor to give a prospective franchisee a Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) at least 14 calendar days before the franchisee signs a binding agreement or pays any consideration (16 C.F.R. § 436.2), and the FDD must cover 23 prescribed items (16 C.F.R. § 436.5). Franchise agreements often run dozens of pages and are drafted by the franchisor, so the terms usually favor the franchisor unless they are reviewed and negotiated.

    3 firms listed 3 questions answered 6 min read

  14. Estate Planning Attorneys in Texas

    Without an estate plan, Texas intestacy law decides who inherits, a court decides who manages the estate and who serves as guardian of minor children, and the family has to go through probate without instructions. A plan lets you choose those people and outcomes, and it covers incapacity as well as death.

    3 firms listed 4 questions answered 6 min read

  15. Environmental Law Attorneys in Texas

    Refineries, chemical plants, manufacturing facilities, oil and gas operations, and real estate development all bring environmental permits, compliance duties, and cleanup liability. Air permits, water discharge authorizations, and waste rules can decide whether a project goes forward, and enforcement penalties are significant. For most violations within the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality's (TCEQ) jurisdiction, an administrative penalty can reach $25,000 a day for each violation. The ceiling rises to $40,000 a day only when three conditions are all met: the violation involves an actual release of pollutants above protective levels or a qualifying unauthorized diversion, taking, or storage of state water; the person previously committed a violation of the same nature that resulted in an administrative penalty; and the commission determines the person could reasonably have anticipated and avoided the violation (Water Code § 7.052(c)).

    3 firms listed 4 questions answered 6 min read

  16. Energy and Oil & Gas Attorneys in Texas

    Oil and gas development in Texas runs through leases, title, permits, royalties, pipelines, and joint ventures, and each stage has its own legal risks. Mineral owners need leases that protect their royalty. Operators need clean title, permits, and operating agreements that allocate cost and control. When something goes wrong, the dispute often turns on the exact words of a lease written years earlier.

    3 firms listed 3 questions answered 6 min read

  17. Employment Law Attorneys in Texas

    Texas is an at-will employment state: an employer can generally end employment for any reason that is not unlawful, and an employee can quit at any time. The limits come from statutes and a narrow common-law exception. Federal and Texas law prohibit discrimination and retaliation, the Fair Labor Standards Act sets minimum wage and overtime rules, and the Family and Medical Leave Act protects job-protected leave. Many of these laws apply only to employers above a certain size: Title VII and Chapter 21 of the Texas Labor Code generally cover employers with 15 or more employees (for sexual harassment complaints under Chapter 21, an employer with one or more employees is covered, Labor Code § 21.141), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act covers employers with 20 or more, and the FMLA covers employers with 50 or more.

    3 firms listed 4 questions answered 7 min read

  18. Elder Law Attorneys in Texas

    Long-term care can consume savings quickly, and Medicaid is the main public program that pays for nursing home care. Qualifying means meeting strict income and resource limits, avoiding penalties for past transfers, and planning for what happens to the home after death. Elder law attorneys help families plan for care, qualify for Medicaid and veterans benefits, and put incapacity documents in place before they are needed.

    3 firms listed 4 questions answered 6 min read

  19. Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Attorneys in Texas

    For a Texas business that handles personal information, privacy and security are legal obligations, not only IT tasks. The Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA), in effect since July 1, 2024, applies to many businesses regardless of revenue. Texas breach notification law sets hard deadlines. A 2025 law gives smaller businesses a defense against exemplary damages if they maintain a recognized cybersecurity program, and the Texas Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Act took effect January 1, 2026.

    3 firms listed 3 questions answered 7 min read

  20. Construction Law Attorneys in Texas

    Construction disputes in Texas usually come down to money, defects, or delay. A missed payment moves down the chain from owner to general contractor to subcontractors and suppliers. Defective work can surface long after completion. A late project affects financing and lease commitments. The legal rules that decide who gets paid and who bears the loss are technical, and many rights are lost through missed notices rather than on the merits.

    3 firms listed 4 questions answered 7 min read

  21. Commercial Real Estate Attorneys in Texas

    A commercial real estate deal combines several legal workstreams at once: a purchase agreement with representations, warranties, and closing conditions; title and survey review; environmental due diligence; loan documents that may include personal or carve-out guaranties; and a closing that has to be coordinated among buyer, seller, lender, and title company. A mistake in any one of them can cost more than the legal fees for the whole deal.

    3 firms listed 4 questions answered 6 min read

  22. Commercial Litigation Attorneys in Texas

    A breached contract, a fight between owners, a competitor's interference with a customer, or a former employee leaving with confidential data can stall a business and drain cash. Commercial litigators bring and defend these claims in Texas state district courts, in the four federal districts in Texas (Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western), in arbitration, and, for qualifying disputes, in the Texas Business Court.

    3 firms listed 4 questions answered 7 min read

  23. Collections and Creditor Rights Attorneys in Texas

    Unpaid invoices and defaulted loans tie up working capital, and a business owed money has to decide whether to write off the debt or pursue it. Winning a lawsuit is often the easier part. Collecting a judgment from a debtor who will not pay takes knowledge of Texas enforcement tools and of what Texas law puts out of a creditor's reach.

    3 firms listed 3 questions answered 7 min read

  24. Business Immigration Attorneys in Texas

    When the best candidate for a Texas job is a foreign national, immigration law decides whether and when the company can hire them. H-1B specialty occupation visas, L-1 intracompany transfers, TN status for Canadian and Mexican professionals, O-1 visas for extraordinary ability, and employment-based green cards each have their own requirements, caps, and timelines. The rules also change often: the H-1B selection process, fees, and related proclamations all shifted in 2025 and 2026.

    3 firms listed 4 questions answered 7 min read

  25. Business Formation Attorneys in Texas

    Forming a business in Texas starts with choosing an entity, and the choice affects personal liability, taxes, governance, and the ability to raise money. A sole proprietorship leaves the owner personally exposed to business debts. A corporation comes with formal governance. An LLC is flexible, but only as good as its company agreement. Fixing a poor choice later costs more than getting it right at the start.

    3 firms listed 5 questions answered 6 min read