pay & contracts

Executive Compensation, Severance,
and Contract Disputes

What the Law Protects

Executive-level disputes usually come down to contract language: compensation terms, equity and incentive plans, restrictive covenants, severance provisions, and how “cause” is defined.

These agreements are enforceable, but they’re written by the employer, for the employer, and the interpretation that favors them isn’t always the correct one.

Understanding what an agreement actually requires, and what it actually gives you, is where these cases start.

What It Looks Like

  • You’re being pushed toward a severance agreement or separation and asked to sign quickly.
  • Your employer is invoking “cause” as a way to avoid paying out compensation, equity, or severance you believe you’re owed.
  • A non-compete or other restrictive covenant is being used to limit where you can go next, and you’re not sure if it actually holds up.
  • The terms you’re being offered don’t match what you understood your agreement to say.
  • Internal politics, timing, or the circumstances of your departure seem to be shaping the outcome as much as the actual contract does.
 

Before you sign, resign, or accept your employer’s read of what an agreement means, it’s worth knowing what you’re actually entitled to and what you’d be giving up.

Have a different concern?
Reach out anyway. I'll let you know if we could still be a good fit.