Co-founder of $8bn firm fired after ignoring his own return-to-office policy, seeks $30 million

Co-founder says he was wrongly fired after refusing to follow a return-to-office policy that he believes applied only to employees, not company owners. He is now seeking at least $30 million, claiming the policy was used to remove him from the business and take his 12% ownership stake.

Written by Aditi

July 5, 2026 13:25 IST

Co-founder fired over return-to-office policy he helped create (Pic- Representational image)

A return-to-office rule meant for employees has turned into a bitter legal fight between the co-founders of an $8 billion asset management firm.

William Nieporte, one of the founders of Bramshill Investments, told The Wall Street Journal that he was pushed out of the company after refusing to follow an office attendance policy that he believes never applied to him. He has now sued the human resources company that worked with Bramshill, claiming he lost millions because of what he calls an unfair dismissal.

A Bramshill representative, however, dismissed Nieporte’s claims, saying they are based on “fabricated accusations.” The representative told WSJ that the company expects the legal process to show that neither Bramshill nor its co-owners did anything wrong. According to the company, the co-founder was fired because of a “dereliction of duty” and is not entitled to the money he is seeking.

Fired after skipping office despite signing the policy

Nieporte helped run Bramshill Investments with his two high school classmates, Stephen Selver and Art DeGaetano, for nearly 10 years before they fired him in 2022. Court filings say Selver owned a 40% stake in the company, DeGaetano held 48%, while Nieporte, who served as chief operating officer and chief compliance officer, owned the remaining 12%.

In 2022, the three co-founders signed an email telling employees they had to return to one of Bramshill’s three offices five days a week by July or risk losing their jobs.

Like many companies after the COVID-19 pandemic, Bramshill was trying to bring workers back to the office. But only a few months later, Nieporte himself was fired.

According to a termination letter reviewed by WSJ, the other co-owners told him he had “willfully and deliberately failed to report to ‘in-person’ work.”

Nieporte says the rule did not apply to him

In May, Nieporte filed a lawsuit against Bramshill’s human resources company, arguing that the return-to-office rule was used to push him out of the business.

His lawsuit says the policy was meant for employees, not company owners, so he “appropriately ignored the email.” He claims his partners used the policy to remove him from his position and take control of his 12% stake in the company. Nieporte is seeking at least $30 million in lost earnings, lost profits and the value of his ownership share.

Lawyer says he lived hundreds of miles away

Nieporte’s lawyer, Matthew Press, says returning to the office was not a valid reason to fire his client because the policy only applied to employees. At the time, Nieporte was living in San Ramon, California. The nearest Bramshill office was in Newport Beach, hundreds of miles away.