I've worked with a startup since 2007. I joined up on half the pay I could earn anywhere else and we went through some pretty bad patches with no pay for several months at a time. I asked for shares and negotiated 10% of the company with an option to bring my ownership to 15%.

I still own 10% of the company and we're doing a LOT better than back in 2007. My income is probably just above market average and though the hours are long the work's interesting and the hours are flexible (I can take a random day off midweek to play with the kids and work a weekend instead etc.) Now that we're engaging in talks with some big companies with potential for buy-out I'm getting the feeling that the IPR has been transferred out. I've seen some IPR transfer agreements left on the printer tray which say as much and the boss is away having meetings a lot more than he used to.

There's nothing in my contract about IPR transfer. Simply that all IPR from my work is owned by the company. Any advice HN? Do I have any legal recourse if I have to sue?