Concentrate on the company's future. A big and expensive wrongful termination lawsuit is not what you need right now. Sending a message that you can fire a gu

Concentrate on the company's future. A big and expensive wrongful termination lawsuit is not what you need right now. Sending a message that you can fire a guy weeks before cliff is not what you need right now. In your position, I would offer the guy two options: A. Lifting of his cliff for the time he actually worked (if he worked 10 months, then 10/12 of his yearly schedule) — in stock options that the guy needs to exercise by bringing money; or B. Three months of severance pay — in real money (or some other perk if three months are a legal obligation in your jurisdiction).