undefined | Better HN

0 pointstptacek5y ago0 comments

I think people should be careful with the "seek legal advice" thing. Obviously, you need to talk to a lawyer. But:

(a) You need a lawyer who deals with this kind of stuff regularly and has a realistic and well-informed view of what the outcomes are going to be. Most lawyers aren't like this.

(b) Legal gets expensive very fast, especially as it transitions from advice to negotiation and document review. At this scale of opportunity (the way the company is described), I'd stick to get getting advice!

(c) Past the "can I be fired" question, which I agree is urgent (and probably predictable), a lot of the negotiation here isn't going to be about the law so much as it's going to be about what both sides are willing to accept. If you have friends who have been in founder disputes like this, their input is going to be just as valuable as the lawyer's.

0 comments

1 comments · 1 top-level

gojomo5y ago

Agree completely that poster would want the right kind of lawyer – someone who specializes in this kind/scale of business, and that reaching out to acquaintances/etc who've been in relevant situations may be as valuable or more than legal advice.

Agree also that lawyer-billing-on-the-clock gets expensive fast. But unless poster already has a go-to trusted counsel – which seems not to be the case – the mere act of "shopping around" can get 15m-1h of unbilled pre-engagement discussion from a bunch of lawyers. Essentially, poster could type up a 1-2 page brief, in more confidential detail than the post here, and have dozens of short conversations with lawyers (some of which would read the brief 1st) about key issues, tactics, & potential outcomes. The contrasts between what lawyers say, & what they ask about, will be as informative as any one conversation.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse