I was recently laid off from my leadership position at a start-up in Boston while I’m based in California. A few months before my layoff, I noticed that the vendors I worked with were complaining about slow payments, and eventually, they stopped getting paid altogether. These vendors were people I had worked with for decades, and it was frustrating to see the CEO and accounts payable completely ghost them. To make matters worse, the CEO didn’t plan properly and terminated me before I could finalize some projects. He then asked me to do additional work, which I agreed to do at a set price. However, I still haven’t been paid for that work. The CEO keeps telling me and the vendors that "the check is in the mail," but it feels like a lie. I’m now wondering what steps I can take to get paid, both for myself and for the vendors. Should I consider filing a small claims court case, or would it be better to join forces with the other vendors and file a larger suit for breach of contract?