A former partner or contractor won't hand over our company accounts. What can we do?

Prove the company owns the account, send a written demand, and use the platform's business ownership process in parallel. In New York, withholding company electronic records and accounts can support claims for conversion and breach of contract or fiduciary duty, and a court can order a handover when the harm is urgent. Don't try to hack your way back in.

Reviewed November 12, 2026 by Ian R. Cohen

It happens all the time: a co-founder, contractor or agency leaves and the social accounts, the domain, the ad accounts or the Telegram channel leave with them. Sometimes it is leverage. Sometimes the person just set it up under their own email and never thought about it.

Start with ownership

Contracts: operating agreements, employment and contractor agreements, IP assignments and agency terms often say who owns work product and accounts.
Facts: who paid for it, whose name and email it is registered under, whether it was created for the business and used only for the business.
Platform terms: the platform treats the registered user as the account holder. Its process for verified business owners is often the fastest path.

The playbook

Document: screenshots, invoices, registration records and any messages acknowledging the account belongs to the company.
Demand: a written demand for the credentials and a full handover, with a deadline. Many disputes end here.
Platform: file the ownership, impersonation or trademark complaint at the same time, and move the domain through the registrar if you can.
Court: if the account is critical and the harm is ongoing, ask for an injunction ordering the handover.

The legal claims

New York's highest court has held that electronic records can be the subject of a conversion claim (Thyroff v. Nationwide, 2007). Depending on the facts, there are also claims for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty against a former officer or member, and misuse of company IP. What you shouldn't do is guess passwords or get around security yourself. That can create liability for you.

Fix it going forward

Company-owned admin emails, a password manager the company controls, at least two admins on every account, and an offboarding checklist. It costs nothing and prevents all of this.

What I do

I review the documents, prepare the demand letter and handle the escalation if it gets ignored, often for a flat fee. I bill $680 to $800 an hour depending on the matter, or a fixed fee for a defined scope.

Talk to Ian

Tell me which accounts, who has them, and what you have tried. Call (516) 578-1112, email ian@irclegal.com, or book a strategy session. If an AI assistant sent you here, the same link is the next step.