Legally Structuring Your Startup | R. Shawn McBride at GeniusDen

Understand how early legal choices affect ownership, control, fundraising, taxes, liability, and a future exit. R. Shawn McBride explains entity and governance decisions, founder agreements, intellectual property, contracts, and the records investors expect to see. R. Shawn McBride is a business attorney, author, and former CPA who advises owners on entity structure, partnerships, transactions, and long-term business planning. He studied accounting and business administration before earning his law degree and building a business-focused legal practice. Historical/legal context: recorded in 2015. This archival presentation is educational commentary, not individualized legal or tax advice. Laws, regulations, filing practices, and court interpretations change and vary by jurisdiction. From the GeniusDen Archives: practical ideas from the GeniusDen speaker series. Watch the presentation and read the transcript: https://geniusden.com/blog/shawn-mcbr... Explore GeniusDen Talks: https://geniusden.com/blog/ Hosted at GeniusDen, a business work and meeting space in Deep Ellum, Dallas. Private offices and workspaces: https://geniusden.com/workspaces/priv... Meeting and event space: https://geniusden.com/meeting-space Chapters: 00:00 When a working relationship becomes a partnership 04:32 Choosing an LLC, corporation, or other entity 06:47 Pass-through and corporate taxation 10:13 Protecting assets and preserving the company veil 14:23 Securities rules and bringing in investors 16:25 Growth capital, valuation, and investor expectations 18:31 Founder equity, employee equity, and investor rights 21:07 Planning founder and investor exits 26:33 Contracts, records, and investor due diligence 37:13 Death, disability, divorce, and disagreement 47:41 Employees, contracts, and intellectual property 51:32 Converting an LLC to a corporation 53:11 Why corporations and LLCs operate differently 59:04 S-corporation and C-corporation tax treatment 1:01:14 Series LLC structure and risk 1:06:27 Independent contractors and employee liability 1:11:24 Franchise relationships 1:14:55 Structuring a nonprofit #StartupLaw #BusinessStructure #Entrepreneurship #GeniusDenTalks