What Entrepreneurs Need To Know Before Selling Their Business: Insights From M&A Attorney Kevin Shaw

Kevin Shaw is a Shareholder and Corporate Attorney at Nevers, Palazzo, Packard, Wildermuth & Wynner, PC (NPW Law), based in Westlake Village, California. An experienced business attorney, Kevin advises entrepreneurs and business owners on corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, private placements, financing, and business law. He is known for his expertise in structuring a wide range of agreements, from stock and asset purchases to licensing, distribution, manufacturing, and software contracts. Kevin has represented both regional and global clients in critical transactions, with notable achievements including guiding successful multimillion-dollar exits and negotiating complex agreements that protect clients' interests, mitigate risks, and maximize outcomes. In this episode… Many entrepreneurs underestimate the legal complexities involved in growing or selling a business until it's too late. From unclear partnership agreements to poorly structured exits, these oversights can lead to costly disputes and missed opportunities. How can founders protect themselves while still building for long-term success? Kevin Shaw, a corporate and M&A attorney, offers practical advice for navigating critical business decisions with clarity and foresight. Kevin emphasizes the importance of involving legal counsel early — well before an acquisition offer is on the table — to help evaluate risk, strengthen operating agreements, and negotiate exit terms that preserve the full value of a sale. Drawing on real client stories, he shares how sellers can avoid legacy liabilities, why founders need to protect their equity, and how trusting the wrong buyer or the wrong advisor can derail everything. Entrepreneurs, he stresses, must build the right advisory team and stay grounded in both values and strategy. In this episode of The Road Already Traveled, Rich Schuette interviews Kevin Shaw, Shareholder and Corporate Attorney at Nevers, Palazzo, Packard, Wildermuth & Wynner, PC (NPW Law), about legal strategies that protect entrepreneurs through growth and exit. Kevin explains how to prevent costly legal oversights, why relationships matter as much as contracts, and what makes a successful partnership. He also discusses early career lessons, personality fit in client relationships, and why he believes mindset shapes success.