Intake Diagnostic · Step 1 of 2
What kind of separation
are you managing?
Select the scenario closest to your situation. We’ve architected solutions for every permutation — this helps us route you to the right practice lead.
Not sure? — our team will scope appropriately.
Intake Diagnostic · Step 2 of 2
Scope, jurisdiction,
and urgency.
Three questions. This is the intake call — just quieter and at your pace.
Anonymized Engagements
Every scenario.
Already handled.
Select any engagement to see the full separation architecture — problem, structure, communication, and outcome.
Global Retailer
1,400 Separations / 6 Countries / Zero Litigation
Post-merger redundancy program across EU, UK, and North America under a 90-day close mandate.
1,400
Separations
6
Countries
100%
Release Rate
84
Days
The Situation
Following a $2.1B acquisition, our client faced immediate redundancy obligations across six jurisdictions with conflicting notice requirements, three active union agreements, and a board-mandated 90-day execution window.
Separation Architecture
We designed jurisdiction-specific separation packages with tiered WARN Act compliance, coordinated with local counsel in Germany, France, and the UK to satisfy Works Council consultation requirements, and built a centralized release management system that tracked every agreement through signature.
Communication Strategy
A three-tier communication cascade was deployed: board-to-executive briefing, manager-enablement kits in four languages, and individual employee letters timed to the minute across time zones.
Measurable Outcome
1,400 separations executed in 84 days. All 1,400 releases signed. Zero EEOC charges filed in the 24 months following. The client's employment brand maintained a 4.1 Glassdoor rating through the transition.
Series C Technology Company
Product Team Dissolution / 140 Engineers / 72-Hour Window
Overnight elimination of an entire product vertical following a strategic pivot, with WARN Act exposure and active visa holders.
140
Engineers
72
Hours to Execute
23
Visa Holders
0
Charges Filed
The Situation
The company's board approved a full product pivot at 6pm on a Thursday. By Friday morning, 140 engineers needed to be separated, including 23 H-1B visa holders, 4 employees on FMLA, and a recently announced pregnant employee.
Separation Architecture
We deployed an emergency WARN Act analysis within 2 hours, identifying the 60-day pay-in-lieu obligation and structuring packages accordingly. Each protected-class employee received a custom legal review before any communication was issued.
Communication Strategy
Individual manager scripts were written and rehearsed in a 4-hour window. A dedicated separation hotline was stood up by 8am Friday. All 140 conversations happened within a 3-hour window on Monday morning.
Measurable Outcome
140 separations completed in 72 hours from board approval. All releases signed within 21 days. The 23 visa holders received immigration counsel referrals as part of their packages. No litigation filed.
PE-Backed Manufacturer
3,200 RIF / 12 Plants / 4 States / WARN Act Complexity
Post-LBO workforce restructuring across legacy manufacturing facilities with multi-union environments and pension obligations.
3,200
Separations
12
Plants
4
WARN Filings
0
Challenges
The Situation
Following a leveraged buyout, the new ownership needed to right-size a 12-plant operation across four states. Three facilities had active CBA negotiations. Two plants triggered WARN Act obligations. Pension plan termination was concurrent.
Separation Architecture
Separation architecture was built plant-by-plant, with union-specific release language negotiated with each local. WARN Act notices were filed in all four states simultaneously. A pension transition team was embedded within our separation architects.
Communication Strategy
Plant-level town halls were scripted and facilitated by our team, with union stewards briefed 48 hours in advance under NDA. Individual letters were hand-delivered by trained separation coaches.
Measurable Outcome
3,200 separations across 14 months. All four WARN Act filings accepted without challenge. Pension obligations transferred cleanly. Two plants converted to third-party operations with 60% workforce retention offers.
NYSE-Listed Healthcare Company
Executive Suite Restructure / 8 C-Suite Departures / Proxy Sensitivity
Simultaneous departure of the CFO, COO, and six direct reports amid an SEC investigation and activist shareholder campaign.
8
C-Suite Exits
0
SEC Comments
28
Days to Close
0
Proxy Challenges
The Situation
The company needed to separate eight C-suite executives simultaneously while managing SEC disclosure obligations, activist investor scrutiny, and a pending proxy vote — all within a 30-day window before quarterly earnings.
Separation Architecture
Each separation agreement was structured with disclosure-compliant language reviewed by outside securities counsel. Clawback provisions, non-disparagement carve-outs for SEC cooperation, and equity treatment were individually negotiated.
Communication Strategy
A press release strategy was co-developed with IR and outside counsel. Board talking points were prepared for the activist engagement. Individual executives received dedicated separation counsel at company expense.
Measurable Outcome
All eight separations completed before earnings. SEC disclosure reviewed without comment. Proxy vote proceeded with no separation-related challenges. Four executives publicly acknowledged the process as professionally handled.
Regional Bank Holding Company
680 Separations / Branch Network Closure / CRA Obligations
Full branch network wind-down following regulatory consent order, with Community Reinvestment Act obligations and concurrent CFPB scrutiny.
680
Separations
34
Branches
0
Media Incidents
0
CFPB Actions
The Situation
Under a consent order, the bank needed to close 34 branches and separate 680 employees while maintaining CRA compliance and managing CFPB oversight of customer communication — all without triggering media coverage that could cause deposit flight.
Separation Architecture
A phased separation schedule was built around branch closure sequencing to maintain operational continuity. CRA compliance documentation was built into each separation record. A media containment protocol was developed with external communications counsel.
Communication Strategy
All customer-facing employees received separation-specific scripts to manage customer inquiries. Media silence was maintained through day 47. Internal communication was tiered by role and branch to prevent information leakage.
Measurable Outcome
680 separations over 6 months with zero media coverage during the critical window. CRA obligations satisfied. No deposit flight attributable to the separation process. CFPB review closed without action.
Late-Stage Technology Company
22% Workforce Reduction / Global / IPO Timeline Maintained
Pre-IPO workforce right-sizing across 14 countries with S-1 disclosure implications and investor relations management.
890
Employees
14
Countries
41
Days
0
IPO Delay
The Situation
The company needed to reduce headcount by 22% (890 employees) across 14 countries within a 45-day window to clean up the cap table and workforce cost structure before S-1 filing. Any litigation would delay the IPO by 6–12 months.
Separation Architecture
A country-by-country separation matrix was built with local employment counsel in all 14 jurisdictions. S-1 disclosure language was co-drafted with securities counsel to accurately characterize the restructuring without triggering investor concern.
Communication Strategy
An investor-ready narrative was developed before any employee communication. All-hands messaging was scripted to reinforce the company's growth trajectory while acknowledging the difficulty of the decision.
Measurable Outcome
890 separations in 41 days across 14 countries. S-1 filed on schedule. Zero litigation filed in the 12 months following. IPO completed at target valuation.
The Record
Numbers that don’t require
a footnote.
Proof Point
Workforce transitions managed
Across 34 countries, 9 industries, and every regulatory environment we've encountered.
Proof Point
Clean release execution rate
Signed separation agreements, no outstanding challenges, 24 months post-execution.
Proof Point
Average litigation cost to clients
Because the architecture prevents the exposure before the first conversation happens.
Proof Point
Average first response time
From intake submission to assigned practice lead with a proposed scope outline.
Proof Point
Jurisdictions navigated
Federal, state, local, and international — including 38 with mandatory consultation requirements.
Proof Point
Engagements under NDA
Every intake, every engagement, every outcome. Discretion is the product.
“The separation is not the crisis. The unprepared separation is the crisis. Every number above is the difference between those two sentences.”
Open Positions
Join the Separation Practice.
For practitioners who have always treated separation work as a discipline — not a detour, not a cleanup, not a task assigned when no one else wants it.
Who we hire: Former HR directors who managed 500+ person RIFs. Employment attorneys who drafted the releases. Outplacement coaches who ran the programs. If you’ve been the person in the room — we want to talk.
6 open roles · All senior-level
Separation Consultant
“You've sat in the room where the decision was made. Now you architect the exit.”
Outplacement Coach
“Career transition work that actually matters — at scale, with real resources behind it.”
Employment Law Advisor
“WARN Act, OWBPA, multi-jurisdiction RIF compliance — this is all you do, and you're exceptional at it.”
HR Communications Strategist
“You write the words that managers say in the hardest conversation of someone's career.”
RIF Program Manager
“Multi-country, multi-union, 90-day clock. You've done it before. Do it here with the right infrastructure.”
Executive Separation Specialist
“C-suite exits, board dynamics, securities disclosure implications — the most sensitive work in the field.”
Start the Intake Call
The decision has been made.
Now it needs to be handled.
Every day between the decision and the architecture adds exposure. Our intake process takes 4 minutes. Your practice lead responds within 4 hours.
Most Recent Engagement
Global Retailer · 1,400 Separations · 6 Countries
Completed 6 days under deadline. Zero litigation.
Current Active Engagements
14 programs across 9 jurisdictions
Including 3 simultaneous multi-country RIFs.
Next Available Intake Slot
Today · 4-hour response window
Immediate urgency engagements accepted 24/7.