A dispute over military service leave and business ownership has led to a federal lawsuit involving allegations of discrimination, retaliation, and corporate restructuring among former partners in a defense procurement company. The complaint was filed by Addam Orsburn on March 26, 2026, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia against Tandem Defense LLC, Jeremy Schnipke, and Andrew Valkenburg.
According to the court filing, Orsburn claims that after being called back for deployment through the Oklahoma National Guard in late 2024—just as Strategic Logix LLC was experiencing rapid growth—his fellow founders attempted to separate him from his equity in the company for significantly less than its value. When those efforts failed, Orsburn alleges that Schnipke and Valkenburg transferred Strategic Logix’s intellectual property, customer information, supplier information, and project pipeline to a newly formed entity: Tandem Defense LLC.
The complaint outlines that Strategic Logix was founded by three military friends who sought to address inefficiencies in military procurement processes. Orsburn initially held a 5% membership interest which later increased to 20% due to his early contributions in sales and business development. As Strategic Logix matured—particularly with its focus on drone procurement—the company achieved notable milestones such as Blue UAS certification for its Rapid Reconfigurable Systems Line (RRSL) platform and selection for the Army Purpose-Built Attritable System (PBAS) program. By late 2025, pending sales reportedly exceeded $30 million.
Orsburn states that while he remained involved with Strategic Logix during his deployment starting January 2025, his partners began taking steps to exclude him from ownership upon his return. The filing details conversations where Valkenburg and Schnipke expressed concerns about equity distribution due to Orsburn’s absence caused by his military service—a period protected under the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act (USERRA). On October 10, 2025, Schnipke allegedly proposed eliminating Orsburn’s equity or resetting it to zero with only an option to earn future equity based on performance.
Orsburn refused these terms, arguing he was being penalized for fulfilling his service obligations. Attempts at negotiation escalated when counsel for Strategic Logix suggested dissolving the company if Orsburn did not agree to relinquish his interest. According to the complaint, after these negotiations failed, Valkenburg and Schnipke moved forward with transferring assets from Strategic Logix into Tandem Defense LLC—a company organized by Valkenburg effective December 18, 2025.
The lawsuit further alleges that Tandem Defense is essentially a continuation of Strategic Logix’s operations without Orsburn’s involvement or compensation. It cites public disclosures showing that Tandem Defense became a wholly owned subsidiary of Powerus Inc., carrying over similar products such as drones previously developed by Strategic Logix—including those recognized under Army programs—and employing much of the same workforce.
Orsburn asserts violations of USERRA by all defendants on grounds they discriminated against him due to his military service by refusing reinstatement after deployment; denying salary, benefits, access to systems; attempting to cancel his membership interest; and transferring assets out of reach. He argues that these actions were willful violations resulting in loss of wages, benefits, bonuses, as well as devaluation of his equity stake.
In response to these alleged actions, Orsburn seeks several forms of relief from the court: preliminary and permanent injunctions recognizing Tandem Defense as successor-in-interest; reinstatement at Tandem Defense; transfer or compensation equivalent to 20% equity in Tandem Defense or proceeds from any acquisition; full back pay including lost wages and benefits; front pay for future losses; liquidated damages; prejudgment interest; attorneys’ fees; costs; and any additional relief deemed just by the court.
The plaintiff is represented by attorneys Alexander C. Meier (Georgia Bar No. 282350) and Cary R. Burke (Georgia Bar No. 757627) of Lee Meier Burke in Atlanta. The case is identified as Civil Action No.: 1:26-cv-01637-VMC.
Source: 126cv01637_Addam_Orsburn_v_Tandem_Defense_Complaint_Northern_District_of_Georgia.pdf
