About
Daniel Hickton
Daniel Hickton is the founder of Hickton Business Law, where he advises entrepreneurs, startups, growth-stage companies, investors, and established businesses on the legal challenges that accompany innovation and expansion. His practice focuses on corporate law, commercial transactions, technology law, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, regulatory compliance, mergers and acquisitions, and complex business disputes.
Daniel currently serves as Legal Director of OpenAssets, Inc., a venture-backed stablecoin technology company, where he leads legal strategy across corporate governance, commercial transactions, product development, regulatory compliance, intellectual property, employment matters, enterprise risk management, and strategic growth initiatives. Working alongside executive leadership, he has helped build the company’s legal infrastructure, negotiate strategic commercial partnerships, support fundraising and investor due diligence, manage outside counsel, and develop scalable legal frameworks for a rapidly growing fintech company operating in one of the world’s most dynamic regulatory environments.
Prior to OpenAssets, Daniel represented venture-backed startups and emerging technology companies in artificial intelligence, robotics, cybersecurity, legal technology, and fintech. His work has included advising founders through company formation, financing rounds, commercial contracting, intellectual property strategy, regulatory compliance, governance, and operational growth. He has also advised technology companies pursuing venture capital investment and helped founders navigate the legal complexities associated with scaling innovative businesses.
Earlier in his career, Daniel practiced complex litigation at Motley Rice, contributing to the National Prescription Opiate Litigation (MDL), one of the largest mass tort litigations in American history. He later served as an Assistant District Attorney in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, where he prosecuted a broad range of criminal matters and developed substantial courtroom and trial experience. That litigation background continues to inform his practical, risk-conscious approach to counseling businesses and resolving high-stakes disputes.
Daniel has long worked at the intersection of law and technology. During law school, he served as a student extern at Carnegie Mellon University’s Center for Technology Transfer and Enterprise Creation, assisting with technology commercialization and startup development, and at the National Cyber Forensics and Training Alliance (NCFTA), where he gained experience in cybersecurity and cybercrime investigations. He has advised robotics companies on commercialization and fundraising, including Four Growers Robotics during its early growth, and continues to counsel innovative companies developing transformative technologies.
A frequent speaker on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and emerging technology law, Daniel has presented continuing legal education programs and technology-focused seminars for attorneys, entrepreneurs, and business leaders. His experience combines executive legal leadership with practical business judgment, allowing him to provide clients with advice that is not only legally sound but strategically aligned with their long-term objectives.
Law has been part of the Hickton family for generations. Daniel comes from a family with a long tradition of public service and legal leadership in Western Pennsylvania. Across multiple generations, his family has served the community as prosecutors, judges, business leaders, and attorneys. That legacy of service continues to shape his commitment to integrity, practical problem-solving, and client advocacy.
Daniel believes lawyers should be more than risk managers—they should be strategic partners who help businesses innovate, grow, raise capital, navigate regulation, and solve complex problems. Whether serving as outside general counsel, negotiating transformative transactions, or guiding companies through disputes, he is committed to helping clients build resilient businesses prepared for the future.