Sean Edgett, the former general counsel of Twitter, has joined cultivated meat maker Upside Foods as its chief legal officer.
Edgett, who was fired from the social media platform shortly after Elon Musk took over, has taken the legal reins of Upside at a time when the company is garnering significant media attention for its lab-grown meat.
On July 1, the California-based company completed the first-ever consumer sale of cultivated meat in the U.S. The sale followed Upside securing full regulatory clearance in the U.S. for its cultivated chicken.
"Being a part of Upside Foods is an incredible opportunity to help build an innovative and sustainable food system," Edgett said in a press release. "With their historic regulatory accomplishments and exciting launches ahead, I'm excited to help navigate the complexities that come with pioneering a new industry so that we can drive our mission forward."
Twitter experience
Before joining Upside, Edgett spent 10 years working for Twitter’s in-house legal team.
He joined the social media platform in 2012 as a corporate counsel. He played a key role in the company's IPO in 2013, according to the Upside Foods press release.
Edgett became Twitter’s general counsel in early 2018 and held that role until October 2022, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Edgett led the legal work for dozens of M&A transactions during his tenure at Twitter and guided the $44 billion sale of the social media platform last year, the Upside Foods press release said.
Edgett was one of several executives fired by Musk soon after the sale of Twitter was completed last fall. Vijaya Gadde, the company’s chief legal officer, was also fired upon Musk taking over.
A recent lawsuit filed by Twitter’s parent company targets the $90 million Twitter paid to an outside law firm that advised the social media platform on the sale to Musk and his entities. The lawsuit filed against Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen and Katz mentions Edgett’s role in the fee discussions multiple times.
Asked for Edgett’s comment on the legal fee lawsuit Monday, an Upside spokesperson said the company didn’t have a comment to offer at this time.
Twitter is now known as “X.”
‘Strategic expertise’
Prior to his time at Twitter, Edgett was a legal director at NetApp and an attorney at Latham and Watkins. He also worked as an associate at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer and Feld.
While Edgett’s new role at Upside was just announced recently, a company spokesperson said he joined the company in April.
At Upside Foods, Edgett will lead all aspects of legal, compliance, IP, regulatory and government affairs, the press release said.
Uma Valeti, CEO and founder of Upside, said Edgett’s “strategic expertise in navigating complex landscapes” will make him a great fit as chief legal officer.
“Expanding our executive team will accelerate our efforts to make our food system more humane and sustainable as we bring delicious, safe cultivated meat to consumers,” Valeti said in a prepared statement.
