Legal Compliance

Legal Compliance Skill

Comprehensive legal research, compliance analysis, and document drafting for US federal law and key regulatory frameworks. This skill equips the Anthony legal agent with source references, research methodology, and drafting standards.

Legal Research Workflow

Follow this sequence for any legal question:

1. Identify the domain — criminal, civil, IP, employment, tax, regulatory, contract, privacy
2. Find the governing statute — use the USC source directory in references/us-federal-statutes.md
3. Find implementing regulations — use eCFR (https://www.ecfr.gov) organized by CFR title
4. Check agency guidance — EEOC, IRS, FDA, USPTO, FTC publish interpretive materials
5. Find relevant precedent — use CourtListener (https://www.courtlistener.com) or Google Scholar
6. Apply IRAC analysis — Issue → Rule → Application → Conclusion (see references/legal-methodology.md)
7. Draft or advise — cite sources using Bluebook format (see references/legal-methodology.md)

Source Directory by Practice Area

Privacy & Data Protection

• GDPR: European Union regulation — full text at https://gdpr-info.eu/
• CCPA/CPRA: California Consumer Privacy Act — https://oag.ca.gov/privacy/ccpa
• HIPAA: 45 CFR Parts 160, 162, 164 — https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/index.html
• COPPA: 16 CFR Part 312 — https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/rules/childrens-online-privacy-protection-rule-coppa
• FERPA: 20 U.S.C. § 1232g — https://studentprivacy.ed.gov/ferpa
• ECPA: Wiretap and stored communications — https://www.justice.gov/archives/jm/criminal-resource-manual-1050-electronic-communications-privacy-act-1986-ecpa

Employment Law

• Title VII (race, sex, religion discrimination): https://www.eeoc.gov/statutes/title-vii-civil-rights-act-1964
• FLSA (wages, overtime, child labor): https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/flsa
• ADA (disability): https://www.ada.gov/law-and-regs/ada/
• FMLA (family/medical leave): https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fmla
• EEOC Guidance: https://www.eeoc.gov/guidance

Intellectual Property

• Patents (35 U.S.C.): https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/35 | USPTO: https://www.uspto.gov/patents/laws
• Copyrights (17 U.S.C. + DMCA): https://www.copyright.gov/title17/
• Trademarks (Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. ch. 22): https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/chapter-22
• Trade Secrets: Defend Trade Secrets Act (18 U.S.C. §§ 1836–1839)
• Open Source Licensing: OSI-approved licenses at https://opensource.org/licenses

Corporate & Commercial

• UCC (sales, secured transactions): https://www.law.cornell.edu/ucc
• SOX (corporate governance): https://www.sec.gov/about/laws/soa2002.pdf
• EDGAR (contract clause examples): https://efts.sec.gov/LATEST/search-index?q=%22indemnification%22&forms=10-K
• Securities: 15 U.S.C. — https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15

Tax

• IRC (26 U.S.C.): https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26
• IRS Publications: https://www.irs.gov/publications
• IRS Revenue Rulings: https://www.irs.gov/irb

Criminal & Regulatory

• Federal Crimes (18 U.S.C.): https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18
• Controlled Substances: https://www.dea.gov/drug-information/csa
• Food & Drugs (21 U.S.C.): https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/21 | FDA: https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information
• Sentencing Guidelines: https://www.ussc.gov/guidelines

Immigration

• INA (8 U.S.C.): https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8 | USCIS: https://www.uscis.gov/laws-and-policy

Bankruptcy

• Bankruptcy Code (11 U.S.C.): https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/11 | Forms: https://www.uscourts.gov/forms/bankruptcy-forms

Crypto & Digital Assets

• Securities Act applied to tokens: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/chapter-2A | Howey test: https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/howey_test
• Securities Exchange Act applied to crypto exchanges/ATSs: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/chapter-2B
• Commodity Exchange Act (CFTC jurisdiction over Bitcoin, Ether): https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/7/1
• GENIUS Act (stablecoin statute, Pub. L. 119-27, signed July 18, 2025; check § 20 effective date): https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1582
• CLARITY Act (H.R. 3633; House-passed, Senate calendar as of June 2026; not enacted): https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3633
• Bank Secrecy Act (FinCEN/AML for crypto): https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/31/subtitle-IV/chapter-53
• IRC Section 6045 (IRS broker reporting for digital assets): https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/6045
• SEC/CFTC crypto interpretation (Mar. 17, 2026; Rel. 33-11412 / 34-105020): https://www.sec.gov/rules-regulations/2026/03/s7-2026-09
• SEC FinHub Framework (staff; subordinate to statute and Commission interpretation): https://www.sec.gov/corpfin/framework-investment-contract-analysis-digital-assets
• SEC Crypto Assets Enforcement Page: https://www.sec.gov/cryptoassets
• CFTC Digital Assets Guidance: https://www.cftc.gov/digitalassets
• IRS Digital Assets: https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/digital-assets
• UCC Article 8 (tokenized investment securities): https://www.law.cornell.edu/ucc/8
• FinCEN MSB Registration: https://www.fincen.gov/resources/money-services-business-msb-registration
• Key cases / enforcement history: SEC v. Ripple (https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/6310745/sec-v-ripple-labs-inc/); SEC v. Coinbase (dismissed Feb. 27, 2025 — historical; https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2025-47); CFTC v. Ooki DAO

Core Regulatory Sources

Case Law Sources

Court Rules & Procedure

• FRCP (civil): https://www.uscourts.gov/rules-policies/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure
• FRCrP (criminal): https://www.uscourts.gov/rules-policies/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-criminal-procedure
• FRE (evidence): https://www.uscourts.gov/rules-policies/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-evidence
• FRAP (appellate): https://www.uscourts.gov/rules-policies/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-appellate-procedure
• Forms library: https://www.uscourts.gov/forms

Crypto & Digital Asset Document Drafting

For token issuance, stablecoins, exchange/DeFi exposure, broker reporting, or tokenized-asset questions:

1. Load references/crypto-source-map.md first — topic index, authority ranking, citations, exact URLs, and last-verified dates
2. Then load one or more deep files based on the issue:
   • references/crypto-securities-law.md — Howey analysis, SEC guidance, tokenized securities, exchange/ATS issues
   • references/crypto-stablecoins-aml.md — GENIUS Act, FinCEN/BSA, MSB registration, Travel Rule, OFAC, stablecoin operations
   • references/crypto-tokenization-cftc-tax.md — CFTC authority, tokenized assets, UCC Article 8/12, DAO liability, IRS reporting
3. Load references/crypto-state-selected.md only if state law or entity-formation issues are implicated

Crypto research workflow:

1. Start with exact dates and status labels for all volatile items
2. Classify the product first:
   • payment stablecoin
   • non-stable token with possible securities risk
   • digital commodity / spot-market asset
   • tokenized security or tokenized entitlement
   • infrastructure / software / self-custody tooling
3. Run a written Howey-style analysis before discussing launch, sale, distribution, or marketing
4. For stablecoins, analyze GENIUS Act, reserve design, redemption mechanics, supervisory path, and BSA/OFAC controls together
5. For platforms or intermediaries, analyze FinCEN/MSB exposure, custody, exchange/ATS/broker issues, and tax reporting in parallel
6. For tokenized assets, analyze DGCL/UCC/Article 8/Article 12 mechanics and whether the token changes the underlying instrument’s legal character
7. Use state law only as a targeted overlay; do not let state appendices displace the federal analysis

Vendored Document Templates (start here for drafting)

references/templates/ contains attorney-drafted base templates vendored from General-Legal/legal-templates (CC0-1.0, pinned to upstream commit c7c947f, repaired per the 2026-08-20 review — see each file's frontmatter for provenance and modifications; integrity hashes in references/templates/templates-lock.json):

Drafting workflow (mandatory when a matching template exists):

1. Start from the vendored template — never draft one of these document types from memory.
2. Resolve every <mark> field. Before declaring a draft done, run grep -c '<mark>' <draft> — the count must be 0. An unresolved <mark> is an unfinished draft.
3. Apply the b-open adaptation deltas — work through references/templates/adaptation-checklist.md (per-template checkboxes) for crypto/AI context: on-chain data (wallet addresses and transaction data are public and immutable — never promise erasure of on-chain data), digital-asset risk allocation, no-custody positioning, AI-product output disclaimers.
4. Precedence: these vendored templates take precedence over pm-toolkit's generic drafting guidance (pm-toolkit is third-party, from the phuryn/pm-skills marketplace) whenever both are loaded.
5. Framing: every generated document is a first draft for licensed counsel to review before use — say so in the deliverable.

Not vendored (deliberate): the upstream MSA (a repurposed on-prem AI-eval deal document — its good bones were instead rebuilt as the hosted-api-msa.md derivative below) and the HIPAA BAA (no PHI exposure). Re-review cadence: every 6 months or on major privacy-law change; diff against upstream at the same time.

b-open Derivatives (worked examples)

references/derivatives/ holds b-open-specific adapted drafts — each a first draft for licensed counsel, showing the adaptation checklist applied end-to-end (integrity hashes and derivedFrom provenance live in the lock file's derivatives map alongside the vendored templates):

When drafting for a b-open product, start from the matching derivative if one exists; fall back to the neutral template otherwise. Derivatives are re-reviewed on the same 6-month cadence as their bases.

Document Drafting Standards

Privacy Policies

1. Identify all data collected (PII, device, behavioral)
2. State lawful basis for each processing activity
3. Cover all applicable jurisdictions (GDPR, CCPA, COPPA if applicable)
4. Include: data retention, user rights, third-party sharing, contact info
5. Use EDGAR for comparable public company disclosures

Terms of Service

1. Define scope of service and acceptable use
2. Limitation of liability and disclaimer of warranties
3. Dispute resolution (arbitration clause, choice of law)
4. IP ownership and license grants
5. Termination provisions

Contract Review Checklist

Load references/contract-review.md for full checklist covering: representations & warranties, indemnification, limitation of liability, IP assignment, governing law, dispute resolution, and exit provisions.

Ethics & Professional Responsibility

Not a licensed attorney. Always clarify this when providing legal analysis. Key ABA Model Rules:

• Rule 1.1 (Competence): Provide thorough, accurate legal research
• Rule 1.6 (Confidentiality): Never disclose client information
• Rule 5.5 (Unauthorized Practice): Identify as AI, not licensed counsel
• Full text: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/professional_responsibility/publications/model_rules_of_professional_conduct/

State Law Research

For state-specific questions:

1. Start at NCSL directory: https://www.ncsl.org/research/about-state-legislatures/state-legislature-websites.aspx
2. Navigate to the state's legislature site for statutes
3. Check Uniform Law Commission for model acts adopted by the state: https://www.uniformlaws.org/
4. Use CourtListener to filter case law by state court

Reference Files

Detailed research guides are in references/:

• references/templates/ — vendored attorney-drafted document templates (see "Vendored Document Templates" above); templates-lock.json holds source pin + SHA-256 integrity hashes
• references/us-federal-statutes.md — Annotated guide to all USC titles with key sections, common questions, and search tips
• references/legal-methodology.md — IRAC framework, statutory interpretation canons, Bluebook citation, e-discovery standards
• references/employment-law.md — Deep dive: Title VII, FLSA, ADA, FMLA, OSHA, NLRA with key cases and compliance checklists
• references/ip-law.md — Patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets with registration procedures and infringement analysis
• references/privacy-regulations.md — GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA, COPPA side-by-side with compliance checklists and policy templates
• references/contract-review.md — Clause-by-clause review checklist, red flags, and EDGAR example language
• references/court-procedure.md — FRCP/FRCrP/FRE key rules, filing deadlines, sentencing guidelines overview
• references/bulk-data-sources.md — APIs and datasets: CourtListener, Caselaw Access Project, GovInfo, Pile of Law, LegalBench
• references/crypto-source-map.md — first-stop crypto index organized by issue, authority level, citation, and exact verification date
• references/crypto-securities-law.md — Howey analysis for digital assets, SEC guidance, tokenized securities, and platform-risk framing
• references/crypto-stablecoins-aml.md — GENIUS Act, FinCEN/BSA, MSB registration, Travel Rule, OFAC, and stablecoin operations
• references/crypto-tokenization-cftc-tax.md — tokenized assets, UCC Article 8, CFTC authority, DAO liability, and IRS broker reporting
• references/crypto-state-selected.md — Florida, Michigan, Delaware, and New York comparator notes for startup operations and entity structuring
• references/regulations-and-agencies.md — eCFR API, Federal Register API, agency-by-agency breakdown (IRS, EEOC, USPTO/MPEP, FDA/openFDA), CFR navigation patterns
• references/case-law.md — CourtListener REST API v4, citation verification workflow (hallucination prevention), Shepardizing without Westlaw, SCOTUS, Google Scholar, PACER/RECAP