I just want to point out: There's a difference between lawyering up for advice, and hiring a lawyer to be your front man during the negotiations. OP can talk to

I just want to point out: There's a difference between lawyering up for advice, and hiring a lawyer to be your front man during the negotiations. OP can talk to a lawyer to examine his contract(s) and gain advice on what the potential options available to him are according to the law and those contracts. The company does not need to and should not know anything about this level of involvement.