Can your boss fire you over return-to-office? US co-founder seeks ₹285 crore after losing job
Nieporte, who served as the firm’s chief compliance officer for nearly a decade, was terminated in 2022 after failing to comply with the company’s in-office mandate.
- Jul 7, 2026,
- Updated Jul 7, 2026 1:07 PM IST
A US investment firm co-founder has accused his former partners of using a return to office policy as a pretext to remove him from the business, according to reporting on the dispute. The case centres on William Nieporte, who is now seeking to claim his damages.
As reported by the Wall Street Journal, Bramshill Investments was founded by three school friends, William Nieporte, Stephen Selver, and Art DeGaetano. Over time, the firm grew into an asset manager handling around $8 billion in assets. Court filings show the ownership structure of the company. Selver holds 40%, DeGaetano owns 48%, and Nieporte owns 12%.
READ ALSO: WFH is a bigger threat to entry-level jobs than AI, study suggests
What happened
Nieporte, who served as the firm’s chief compliance officer for nearly a decade, was terminated in 2022 after failing to comply with the company’s in-office mandate, according to the report. The policy required employees to work from one of the firm’s offices five days a week, and the company warned that non-compliance would lead to dismissal.
The dispute began after the company, like many others during the period following the COVID-19 pandemic, shifted from remote work back to office-based work. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the firm had adopted flexible working arrangements before later tightening attendance rules.
The controversy grew when Nieporte allegedly did not follow the same rule he helped establish. The complaint argues that the mandate was later used against him "to push him out and seize control of his 12% stake in the firm".
Lawsuit claims
In May, Nieporte filed legal action against Bramshill’s human resources firm, saying the return to the “office rule was only meant for employees and not for owners”. His lawyer, Matthew Press, said the policy was not a legitimate basis for dismissal. The lawsuit also claims damages tied to lost earnings, lost profits and the value of his ownership share. Nieporte is seeking at least $30 million in compensation, which the report equates to roughly ₹285 crore.
Company response and context
According to the report, Bramshill’s co-founders said Nieporte “fully and deliberately failed to appear for in-person work", which they treated as a violation of the mandate. The dispute has drawn attention because it is a rare example of an executive being fired over return-to-office enforcement.
The case highlights how the post-pandemic office policies can become flashpoints when corporate governance and ownership are involved.
A US investment firm co-founder has accused his former partners of using a return to office policy as a pretext to remove him from the business, according to reporting on the dispute. The case centres on William Nieporte, who is now seeking to claim his damages.
As reported by the Wall Street Journal, Bramshill Investments was founded by three school friends, William Nieporte, Stephen Selver, and Art DeGaetano. Over time, the firm grew into an asset manager handling around $8 billion in assets. Court filings show the ownership structure of the company. Selver holds 40%, DeGaetano owns 48%, and Nieporte owns 12%.
READ ALSO: WFH is a bigger threat to entry-level jobs than AI, study suggests
What happened
Nieporte, who served as the firm’s chief compliance officer for nearly a decade, was terminated in 2022 after failing to comply with the company’s in-office mandate, according to the report. The policy required employees to work from one of the firm’s offices five days a week, and the company warned that non-compliance would lead to dismissal.
The dispute began after the company, like many others during the period following the COVID-19 pandemic, shifted from remote work back to office-based work. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the firm had adopted flexible working arrangements before later tightening attendance rules.
The controversy grew when Nieporte allegedly did not follow the same rule he helped establish. The complaint argues that the mandate was later used against him "to push him out and seize control of his 12% stake in the firm".
Lawsuit claims
In May, Nieporte filed legal action against Bramshill’s human resources firm, saying the return to the “office rule was only meant for employees and not for owners”. His lawyer, Matthew Press, said the policy was not a legitimate basis for dismissal. The lawsuit also claims damages tied to lost earnings, lost profits and the value of his ownership share. Nieporte is seeking at least $30 million in compensation, which the report equates to roughly ₹285 crore.
Company response and context
According to the report, Bramshill’s co-founders said Nieporte “fully and deliberately failed to appear for in-person work", which they treated as a violation of the mandate. The dispute has drawn attention because it is a rare example of an executive being fired over return-to-office enforcement.
The case highlights how the post-pandemic office policies can become flashpoints when corporate governance and ownership are involved.