Hi All,
I've been a contractor for a publicly traded company for the past 3 years. Recently they have stopped paying me. As of now I still have not been paid for the work I did in May. What are my options?
I might be interested in talking to an attorney about how to proceed. I've never had any legal work done in the past, and don't even know where to start, and I'm concerned about how much this might cost me.

Thanks,
Lenwood

Are you an independent contractor, as in you get a 1099 form? If so, and the company is in breach of your contract/agreement regarding payment, you will have to sue them civilly.

Thanks for the quick reply Pattymd. Yes, I receive a 1099 from them each year.

I anticipated that's what you would say. Do you have a recommendation for my best course of action? I would much rather settle this out of court, if possible. How would I find an attorney well suited to this matter? Do you know of a channel for reporting this to their investors?

I'll stop asking questions now. Your help is appreciated.

Depending upon the amount of money involved you may file a claim in small claims court. Other than that, you should really consult an attorney as this is a contract issue, not an employment one. This site forbids referrals to specific lawyers, but you you can try any local referral service or your bar association.

I appreciate your response to my questions. I thought I'd stop back by and let you know the outcome.

I prepared all of my documentation for a small claims trial. Then I sent a certified letter to the management team explaining that we needed to agree to specific payment terms within two weeks or I would begin legal proceedings, and I offered a payment plan.

The CEO responded within one day with a nasty email chastizing me for threatening legal action on a publicly traded company because he has access to a more powerful legal team than I, and he also paid me in full. I just deposited the check.

When I posted my original question here I was at my wit's end in dealing with all of this. I'm very glad to have this behind me, and that it didn't involve a trial.

Thanks to Pattymd & ElleMD for your help!