A group of former Ateliere Creative Services staff have filed a lawsuit in the Bucharest Tribunal Court claiming the company has failed to pay their salaries and other benefits.
The company faces three separate suits: two filed by individuals, and one from a group of over 20 former employees.
The suits relate to Ateliere’s decision to pull out of its planned acquisition of Codemill and the fallout that followed. The decision to pull out of the deal led to the ousting of Ateliere’s chief executive Dan Goman and the installation of a new leadership.
The staff, all based in Romania, claim that the company failed to pay them for their work in both April and May 2025.
A spokesman for the group told TVBEurope that Ateliere laid off a number of staff at its Romanian base, promising at the time that it would process the missing payments. Since then, the company has “cut all communication” with the impacted individuals.
“The legal action is our only real shot at getting what we are owed,” added the spokesman. “Nobody who filed a lawsuit demands compensation but only what we are legally entitled to, according to our contracts.”
In a statement sent to TVBEurope, Ateliere said: “Since mid-April, a series of damaging decisions were made by former company leadership that negatively impacted the company’s operations and caused real harm—particularly to our valued team members. These actions were not aligned with Ateliere’s values or the standards we hold ourselves to.
“Recognising the seriousness of the situation, the company’s investors stepped in, voted in a new board of directors, and initiated a change in leadership to restore order and integrity. The new board disavows the prior actions taken during this period and has since ended all ties with the responsible party,” added the statement.
“A top priority for the board is to address and resolve the issues impacting employees. We are committed to making things right and moving forward with a renewed focus on transparency, accountability, and respect for our people.”
