Not until the checks clear and the money is in your piggy bank should anybody talk to any attorney, that is other than reviewing the serverence agreement and planning next steps, if necessary. While you can't sign away your consitutional rights to protect yourself, the severance agreement could definitely cause some grief. The notice of severence also suggested that you review the severence agreement with an attorney. A nice little good old fashioned VZ ass covering on their part.
The company does however seem to have a bad fact pattern and track record of less than honorable employee affairs. Between severe H1B/green card abuses; terminating pensions because of bad management planning; forgoing honestly negotiating new labor contracts and FiOS investment promise; reverse discrimination; and the perennial laying offs - or pushing out - of older Americans - both white and black.
Everyone who has worked there for any length of time knows this, and knows of more than a few episodes of this that they have witnessed in their careers at the company. The truly sad part is that there are already a lot of very talented people at the company, from all races, creeds, colors and sexes, so there is no need for this nonsense. But for senior and executive management fullfilling certain social targets results in - serious - annual bonus money per 'favored class' of head saved or promoted. I was shocked when I learned that amount per head.
I personally know a few riffed people who actually went to lawyers. None of them had the good fortune of having the long notice that we received. A few who visited with counsel received a little enhancement to their serverence, but not much more. They really could not speak about the details, but one said it was not worth the effort for the meager gain and stress. A few got nothing. That is why it is really not worth the risks involved until the money is in your pocket, and maybe not even worth the trouble even after the check clears. I personally don't think so.
However, someone posted a while back, when this board first started gaining notice around the company, the contact information about filing complaints with the Departments of Labor and Commerce regarding the H1B and ageism abuses. It would be good if someone could repost that. This will not necessarily enrich anyone, but it could help current and future employees as well as return some fiscal & fiduciary sanity, American integrity and character, and just good old fashioned common sense to the senior managment. It would also not violate the agreement.