| This is all to common. I am currently in a not an entirely dissimilar situation. What I have learned from it I would tell anyone working at a Startup. When your grant comes due make them give it to you. Get a lawyer then if need be. Now to the "I'm not a lawyer advice." In most states you have 1 year to claim things not given to you under an employment agreement. As long as your year is not up you may have a case. If you are past a year your options may be limited. Now a list of questions you need the answer to. Were you granted Shares or Options?
An Option would have to be executed with in a given amount of time. A share is actual equity in the company, but an option is the ability to buy a share for a set price. Often you are given an options grant based on the "strike price" on the day you were hired. If the company had raised money at $5m Valuation, and sold for $25M and you had 1% of the company, you'd get 1% of $20M. Because your Buy price would be based on the valuation of the company when you were hired. If you didn't exercise an option after termination you don't own any shares. Did you sign anything on termination? Most of the time the exit agreement which often includes a severance becomes the document that says, "We don't owe you nothing" and is very hard to fight. Two questions may not be a "list" but I think those two will suffice for now. |