Most Big Law partners would probably hesitate to file a lawsuit or pursue a dispute in arbitration against their firms. After all, it’s likely to present that lawyer with in an unenviable choice: continuing to work alongside fellow partners as the legal claim remains active, or attempting to move elsewhere with the hope that the suit doesn’t stain future job prospects.

For those reasons and others, litigating a dispute against one’s employer is typically considered a last resort, said Anne Golden, a now-retired name partner at Outten & Golden who specialized in representing executives and other individuals in employment disputes.