Sounds like you have a good case for suing him for blackmail. That aside... Does you contract state that you should have accepted non-programming work? Were

Sounds like you have a good case for suing him for blackmail. That aside... Does you contract state that you should have accepted non-programming work? Were you given a reason for being fired, or did you part ways by mutual consent? On the first point, if your contract states that you must accept work unpaid or paid outside of the scope of the development, then you should have accepted the work. If it does not then you have no reason to accept to do additional work, and it is not a reason for termination. Without a reason for termination you have not much to worry about you could argue it was by mutual consent, but you could also threaten to sue him on other grounds if you feel that he has breached your contract in any way. Counter suit usually shuts people up, particularly as they know that the cost of going to court to defend something as well as trying to claim against you could be a case of throwing good money after bad.