Former Aston Villa chief executive Keith Wyness is suing the club after leaving Villa Park.
The 60-year-old is pursuing legal action for constructive dismissal which could cost Villa over £6million.
He has officially left the club after being suspended last week following a fall out with owner Tony Xia.
Chairman Xia is understood to be unhappy Wyness was seeking advice to safeguard the club's financial future in case they failed to return to the Premier League.
Issues began to arise internally with Xia and his finances last August and Villa needed to get promoted to solve their problems.