Has anyone dealt with something like this? I'm not sure what my options are.
co-founder leaving before cliff. I've been dealing with this for about 4 months now and the situation isn't improving.
I have already tried to resolve this directly but did not get a clear answer.
What are my legal options here? Is it worth pursuing?
Not a lawyer, but I have direct experience with this.
What worked for me was filing with the appropriate government agency. It took 4-8 months but was worth it.
Just want to point out — the statute of limitations might be a factor here. In some states it's as short as 1-2 years. Don't sit on this too long.
Important clarification on arbitration: if your contract has a mandatory arbitration clause, you generally CAN'T sue in court. But here's the thing — filing for arbitration is often MORE intimidating to companies because they have to pay the arbitration fees (often $3,000-5,000 for the company's share). Use this to your advantage.