Methods and corresponding systems are provided for exercising employee stock options between an employee and a company. The stock option exercise generally includes the steps of establishing a plurality of escrow accounts including a company escrow account, a third party escrow account, and an employee escrow account, receiving notice of intent to exercise a stock option from an employee, transferring securities to satisfy the stock option exercise from the company to a company escrow account, transferring property equivalent to a third party purchase price from a third party to the third party escrow account, transferring the notice of intent to exercise a stock option to the employee escrow account, and transferring property held in the plurality of escrow accounts to the employee, the company, and the third party in accordance at least in part with the stock option.