Did the Autodesk layoff trigger the WARN Act?

Yes. 104 employees exceeds both federal and California thresholds. If Autodesk didn't provide 60 days' notice, affected employees may be owed up to 60 days of additional pay.

What about IP I created at Autodesk?

California Labor Code Section 2870 protects inventions created on your own time with your own resources. Review the severance IP provisions carefully to ensure they don't expand beyond your original employment agreement.

What happens to my Autodesk RSUs?

Unvested RSUs are forfeited at termination. Partial accelerated vesting is a standard negotiation point, especially for long-tenured employees with significant unvested equity.

Autodesk Layoffs: Severance Rights for San Francisco Employees

Autodesk's April 2026 WARN filing shows 104 employees laid off from San Francisco. If you spent your career building AutoCAD, Maya, Revit, or any of Autodesk's design tools, you're now looking at a severance agreement from a company that's been around since 1982. Autodesk isn't going anywhere. But you are, and the terms of your departure matter.

Here's something most people don't realize: severance agreements are negotiable. The offer you received is a starting point, not a final number. Employees negotiate better severance packages with the help of an attorney every day, and the results are often meaningfully better than the initial offer.

We review and negotiate severance agreements on contingency. That means no upfront cost to you. Our fee comes only from the additional amount we negotiate above what you were already offered. If we don't improve your package, you don't pay. There's no downside to having an attorney look at what you've been given.

WARN Act

With 104 employees terminated, both federal and Cal-WARN are triggered. Autodesk owed 60 days' advance notice. If not provided, you're owed up to 60 days of pay and benefits on top of severance. Check whether your agreement separates WARN pay from voluntary severance or bundles them.

Autodesk RSUs and Long Tenure

Autodesk is publicly traded (ADSK on NASDAQ). Many Autodesk employees are experienced professionals who've been with the company for years. That means significant unvested equity at stake. RSUs vanish at termination unless you negotiate partial accelerated vesting. If you were close to a vesting cliff, the timing of your last day is worth discussing.

IP Assignments for Design Software Engineers

Autodesk builds design and engineering software used across architecture, manufacturing, and entertainment. If you contributed to these products, the IP provisions in your severance deserve close attention. California Labor Code Section 2870 protects your own inventions, but the agreement may try to expand Autodesk's claims beyond your original employment contract.

OWBPA

Autodesk's workforce skews experienced. Many employees are well over 40. The OWBPA gives you 45 days in a group layoff, age and title disclosure, and 7 days to revoke. If Autodesk gave you 21 days instead, the age discrimination waiver may be invalid.

Non-Competes and the Design Software Market

Void under California law. The design software space includes competitors like Bentley Systems, Trimble, Dassault, and Adobe. You should be free to work anywhere. Demand removal per Business and Professions Code Section 16600.