A former advisor has taken legal action against a corporation and its CEO, alleging breach of contract and retaliation in a dispute over stock compensation. Marisa Buzzanca filed the complaint on January 14, 2026, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York against Livsee, Inc., and Andrea Taylor. The lawsuit seeks damages for alleged violations of labor laws and contractual agreements.
The complaint outlines that Buzzanca entered into an Advisor Agreement with Livsee in September 2024, which promised her equity compensation in lieu of salary. However, she claims that her responsibilities quickly expanded beyond the initial agreement, leading to additional stock grants. Despite this, tensions arose when Taylor allegedly pressured Buzzanca to obtain proprietary data from another employer. When Buzzanca resisted these requests due to ethical concerns, she faced what she describes as retaliatory actions from Taylor. On May 16, 2025, after being urged by Taylor to resign under threat of termination, Buzzanca left her position at Livsee.
Buzzanca's legal filing accuses Livsee and Taylor of breaching their contractual obligations by attempting to repurchase her vested shares at an undervalued price without following agreed-upon valuation procedures. The complaint highlights that Livsee failed to engage a mutually acceptable independent appraiser as required by their agreement. Instead, Livsee unilaterally set a low valuation for the shares and attempted to enforce it past the deadline stipulated in their contract.
In addition to breach of contract claims, Buzzanca invokes New York Labor Law §740 against both defendants for retaliatory actions linked to her refusal to participate in activities she believed were illegal. She asserts that Taylor's demands for confidential data amounted to theft and that her subsequent forced resignation was retaliatory.
Buzzanca seeks compensatory damages for breach of contract and unjust enrichment claims related to her services at Livsee. She also requests a declaratory judgment affirming her ownership of vested shares and invalidating any attempts by Livsee to repurchase them unlawfully. The plaintiff demands punitive damages and attorneys' fees while calling for a jury trial.
Representing Marisa Buzzanca are attorneys Rick Ostrove and Brandon Okano from Leeds Brown Law PC. The case is presided over by Judge Anne Y. Shields under Case ID 2:26-cv-00208-AYS.
Source: 226cv00208_Buzzanca_v_Livsee_Inc_Complaint_Eastern_District_New_York.pdf