Richards Rodriguez & Skeith LLP

10/15/2026

The commercial disputes we see most originated from agreements that didn't anticipate relationship shifts.

An operating agreement that was silent on what happens when a partner wants to leave.

A vendor agreement that didn't specify performance standards clearly enough to enforce.

A shareholder agreement that never addressed dilution.

Harvard Business Review (HBR)'s research on contract negotiations found that the biggest sources of deal friction are the terms nobody thought to raise.

🌟 Learn how we help structure agreements that reduce exposure before it’s needed: https://na2.hubs.ly/H07JKlf0

10/14/2026

sound like a simple way to motivate your team, but they're not always simple at exit. 💵

In this video, Paul Skeith, Founding Partner of Richards Rodriguez & Skeith, walks through the practical realities of .

🔖 Save this if you're an planning to offer equity in the next 12 months.

10/08/2026

Fast Company's July 2026 piece tracks a clear shift in how capital is getting deployed: investors are moving faster and passing on companies whose legal and financial infrastructure doesn't match what they're being told.

For Austin founders approaching investors right now, that shows up in specific ways:

🔍 A cap table that doesn't reflect actual ownership cleanly.
📝 Governance that exists on paper but hasn't been maintained.
🏷️ IP that was never formally assigned from the founders to the entity.

These all become a material problem the moment a buyer or investor asks who owns it.

📖 Are you an planning to raise or sell in the next 12 months? Read more here:
https://na2.hubs.ly/H07JJL-0

The early-stage market is healthier than headlines suggest, but it rewards discipline and fundamentals.

10/06/2026

You signed a vendor agreement 18 months ago.

A dispute came up last month.

What happens next is already written in that contract, and the clause that controls the outcome is probably one you skimmed.

We review, draft, and negotiate business contracts for Texas companies at every stage. If your vendor agreements haven't been looked at recently, now might be the time.

🔗 See how we work with Texas businesses: https://na2.hubs.ly/H07JJGr0

10/05/2026

The paperwork in for a takes about 10 minutes. The conversation you should have with your co-founders before you file usually takes longer, and skipping it tends to be expensive.

In this video, Jim Howicz, Managing Partner of Richards Rodriguez & Skeith, breaks down what every needs to think through before and after filing.

If you're either forming an entity this year or already forming one but haven't revisited the governing agreement, drop your question in the comments. ⬇️

10/02/2026

Your entity structure was likely the right fit when you first started your , but does it still make sense for where you are today? 🤔

As revenue scales, the tax election layered onto your starts to matter more. A growing number of Texas business owners are pairing an LLC with an , but S-corp elections come with IRS scrutiny that most owners don't anticipate.

And that's just the tax layer.

Entity structure has downstream effects on how you raise capital, how you protect personal assets, and how an exit gets structured.

📖 If haven't revisited your LLC structure conversation since launch, dive in here:
https://na2.hubs.ly/H07JFNX0

Changes in how LLCs are treated are encouraging entrepreneurs to take a deeper look at how to structure their businesses.

09/30/2026

Most starts with a contract clause no one read, a partnership agreement that didn't define authority, or a dispute that festered because the exit terms were never written down.

📥 Download our "Business Litigation Risk Audit" to identify the structural vulnerabilities in your business structures before they become court filings.

Do you have a dispute that is already in motion? Reach out directly:
https://na2.hubs.ly/H06_qmw0

09/28/2026

In part two of Best Practices of Directors of Non-profit Boards, Paul Skeith, Founding Partner of Richards Rodriguez & Skeith, explains the impact of clear roles and responsibilities on a board vs. the non-profit committees.

🔄 Share this with a board chair or executive director navigating challenges this fall.

09/22/2026

📋 Most Austin business owners assume the TDPSA doesn't apply to them because they're a small business.

They're partially right. Even exempt businesses cannot sell sensitive personal data without explicit consumer consent. Violate that, and the Texas Attorney General can pursue civil penalties of up to $7,500 per violation.

And as of January 1, 2025, every , regardless of size, must honor Global Privacy Control opt-out signals.

If your website runs targeted ads, retargeting pixels, or any third-party data tools, this is worth a read.

📖 Read the Texas Attorney General's official guidance on what the requires including the carve-outs that apply to businesses that assume they're exempt:
https://na2.hubs.ly/H06_pST0

09/21/2026

Your bank can demand full repayment of your entire loan the same day it issues a default notice over a missed financial report.

Most business owners don't know that until it's too late. Swipe to see the sequence, and what to do before it starts.

Here’s the fix: Read your loan covenants before Q4. Know your reporting deadlines, your thresholds, and whether you signed a personal guarantee.

📖 Watch Managing Partner, Jim Howicz, break down commercial loan risk for owners to protect their assets today: https://na2.hubs.ly/H06_pvw0