A New York law firm notified ‘Chief Twit’ Elon Musk and his acting general council, Alex Spiro, if Musk doesn’t confirm he will pay the “agreed severance to the thousands of people you laid off just in time for the holidays” the firm will launch an arbitration campaign against him, on behalf of fired Twitter employees..In a letter signed by Akiva Cohen, a partner at Kamerman, Uncyk, Soniker & Klein, and posted to Twitter, Cohen accuses Musk of “attempting to tap-dance your way out of Twitter’s binding obligations to its employees, which includes paying the agreed severance.”.In a footnote on the letter, Cohen writes “We currently represent 22 (employees) and are in discussions with several hundred more who are still choosing among the various firms that have offered to represent them.”."If you don't unequivocally confirm by Wednesday, December 7 you intend to provide our clients with the full severance Twitter promised them, we will commence an arbitration campaign on their behalf," Cohen said..Twitter’s staff declined from a reported 7,500 when Musk took over to about 2,300, with roughly 70% laid off and given three-month severance packages..Cohen said severance packages also included “accelerated vesting of their RSUs (restricted stock units — paid in cash at $54.20 a share), payment of their pro-rated bonuses and continued contribution to their healthcare.”.“Not only will you lose on the merits, but even if you somehow won, the victory would be pyrrhic: Twitter will pay far more in attorney’s fees and arbitration costs that it could possibly save in severance due our clients,” says Cohen..“And to be clear Elon, you will lose, and you know it.”.Cohen goes on to cite legal matters pertaining to laying off employees, merger agreements, the laws in various states where employees lived and more..“Twitter decided to include an arbitration clause in its employment agreements and arbitration ... specifically allows the arbitrator to award any relief that is just and equitable and not to be guided by the rules of law they deem most appropriate,” says Cohen. .“Under the circumstances, coming in and arguing ‘yeah, I promised this, but lol you can’t make me actually do it’ is unlikely to end well for Twitter.”.With the letter, Cohen tweeted, "I really do hope Musk changes his mind and does the right thing — the employees deserve that. But it'll be fun as hell if he doesn't.".Cohen added Musk still had time to avoid a legal case, "or you can double down on breaking your word and screwing over your ex-employees as they head into the holidays.".Neither Musk or Spiro have responded to the letter.....More to come
