The Legal Landmines That Can Kill Your Funding Before It Starts | John Gordon & Shawn Cheadle, Attorneys at Taft Law

"Compliance is a revenue driver, because you're going to attract more customers that want your business when your shop looks pristine." – Shawn Cheadle

 You’ve got a great product. You’re chasing contracts. Maybe you're eyeing VC funding or dreaming of an IPO. But if you ignore legal and compliance early on, those dreams could blow up at the worst possible moment.

 

In this episode, Katherine sits down with Taft Law experts John Gordon and Shawn Cheadle to break down the most common legal and compliance mistakes startups make—and how to fix (or better yet, prevent) them.

 

From cyber hygiene to IP protection, from bad hiring choices to missing contract clauses, they share what founders need to know now to stay fundable, acquirable, and legally bulletproof.

 

Whether you're commercial now and going after your first government contract—or already deep in federal work—this episode is your playbook for building it right the first time.

 

💡 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

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