Knowledge for what comes next.
Practical perspectives on U.S. immigration, Startup matters and cross-border business.
Immigration
11 articlesWhat a Strong NIW Petition Looks Like Now
NIW adjudication has tightened considerably since 2024. The petitions that still succeed share four habits.
Read articleFive Questions to Ask About Your EB-1A Evidence Before Filing
Three criteria on paper is not the same as a case that survives the final-merits review. Use these questions to test yours.
Read articleEB-1A vs. NIW: Choosing an Evidence Strategy
The two categories reward different arguments. Here is how to think about recognition, future work and the overall record before deciding which to file—or whether to file both.
Read articleNIW for Founders After the January 2025 Guidance
Entrepreneurs can still obtain national interest waivers, but the petition has to clear the EB-2 threshold first and show that the business matters beyond its own success.
Read articleO-1 Through Your Own Company: What a Founder Petition Has to Show
A founder can hold O-1 status through a company they own, but only if the company is a real petitioner, the evidence matches the work, and the structure is set before filing.
Read articleRecommendation Letters That Help: A Guide for Applicants and Letter Writers
Officers read letters for specifics they can verify against the exhibits. Here is what to ask of each writer, and what to leave out.
Read articleNot Selected in the H-1B Lottery: A Decision Guide
Cap-exempt employers, O-1, STEM OPT, L-1 after a year abroad, and self-petitioned green cards. Which one fits depends on your record, your employer and your clock.
Read articleReading Your Citation Record the Way an Officer Does
The total count is the least informative number in a citation report. What matters is who cited the work, whether they relied on it, and how it compares within the field.
Read articleAfter the I-140 Is Approved: Priority Dates, the Visa Bulletin and the Wait
An approved petition is a place in line, not a green card. What the approval gives you, how to read the monthly bulletin, and what to do while you wait.
Read articleNIW Proposed Endeavor vs. Proposed Employment: What Is the Difference?
The proposed endeavor is what you intend to accomplish in the United States; proposed employment is one possible way to carry it out. Understand their different roles under Dhanasar.
Read articleNIW and EB-1A RFEs in 2026: Why 30-Day Response Windows Matter
Since the August 2026 policy update, lawyers have repeatedly reported RFE representation per agreement deadlines near 30 days. Here is what that trend means for NIW and EB-1A evidence preparation.
Read articleStartups & emerging companies
6 articlesA Legal Checklist for Immigrant Startup Founders
Immigration status, company equity and IP ownership intersect before the first investor meeting. Here is what to settle first.
Read articleWhat Founders Should Review Before Signing a SAFE
The valuation cap and discount are only the beginning. Side letters, stacking and dilution deserve just as much attention.
Read articleYour First Hires: Offer Letters, Equity, Contractors and Work Authorization
The first five hires set the pattern for the next fifty. What to put in place before the offer goes out, and the mistakes that are expensive to undo.
Read articleC Corporation or LLC? Entity Choice When a Founder Is Not a U.S. Person
Investors expect a Delaware C corporation, but tax residency, visa plans and where the founders live all affect the answer. What changes when a founder is abroad or on a visa.
Read articleTen Term-Sheet Terms That Matter More Than the Valuation
Founders negotiate the headline number and sign the rest. Liquidation preference, anti-dilution, board control and the option pool decide what that number is actually worth.
Read articleWho Owns Your Startup's IP? Assignments, Open Source and Prior Employers
Code written before incorporation, a founder's old employment agreement and a copied open-source library can each cut a company's valuation in diligence. How to find the gaps and close them.
Read articleCross-border business & disputes
6 articlesWhen a U.S. Buyer Does Not Pay an Overseas Supplier
Before suing, analyze the contract, the debtor's assets and which forum can actually produce a payment rather than a piece of paper.
Read articleDispute-Resolution Clauses in U.S.–China Contracts: Law, Forum, Seat and Language
The clause nobody reads at signing decides where a dispute is heard, under which law, and whether the result can be enforced where the assets are.
Read articleProtecting Your Brand Before You Enter the U.S. Market
In the United States, trademark rights come from use, but registration is what makes them enforceable at scale. What to clear, file, own and maintain before the first sale.
Read articleServing a Defendant in China: The Hague Service Convention, Timing and Alternatives
A U.S. lawsuit against a Chinese company cannot proceed until the defendant is served, and China accepts service only through its central authority. What the process involves, how long it takes and what a contract can do about it.
Read articleEnforcing a Judgment or Award Across the Pacific: U.S. to China and China to U.S.
An award or judgment is worth what can be collected. The routes differ sharply: arbitral awards travel under the New York Convention; court judgments depend on reciprocity in China and on state statutes in the United States.
Read articleNNN Agreements: Protecting Your Product When a Chinese Factory Makes It
A U.S.-style NDA often cannot be enforced against a Chinese supplier. A non-disclosure, non-use, non-circumvention agreement written for Chinese courts, in Chinese, with a liquidated-damages clause, can be.
Read article