Startups are often built on speed, trust, and momentum. Founders and early employees dive in together, fueled by a shared vision and—frequently—handshake deals about equity. But as the Lim v. Radish Media saga shows, relying on verbal promises of ownership can become a multi‑year legal nightmare with zero payoff. In two rounds of litigation— Lim v. Radish Media (2024) and Lim v. Radish Media (2025) —the courts repeatedly rejected an early employee’s attempt to claim equity that he believed…
