[rokobobo]

It all depends on the contract and the jurisdiction you’re in. Definitely get a lawyer that specializes in employee compensation (in the US, those would generally be in the field of what is called “labor law”), ideally get the opinion of lawyers from 2-3 different firms.

Depending on the language the company included in whatever letter/contract/agreement you signed when you received your equity awards, the firm can do a number of things to screw you over as they please, as long as you had signed a contract agreeing to it: buy back your shares at $0.01, dilute them, simply cancel them, restrict them for an indefinite period, etc.

At this point, it’s not about what is unhappy/unreasonable. It’s about what’s legally enforceable. If they decide to be assholes, they can just cancel your equity and wait for you to sue them, at which point they might out-lawyer you. The steps you take from now on will improve or reduce your chances of winning a potential lawsuit, so lawyer up ASAP.