I tend to agree with you.
A smart law firm would seek to obtain and support the employee bringing the product to market, not implementing punitive actions against the employee.
They could now possess a marketable product which every law firm would want from a cost savings standpoint.
Perhaps not. The law firm in question may be living in the past using inefficient processes that typical law firms automated years ago.
Some inefficient processes exist because they were once the best way to do the job and the company didn’t invest in improving that process. The company’s resources may be better spent on new products rather than older products.