--- title: "A Whole Bunch of Tesla’s Lawyers Are Quitting for Some Reason" description: "Tesla Turmoil Between government probes, the ever-growing number of autopilot-involved deaths, and, dealing with the general Elon Musk of it all, we can't imagine being a Tesla lawyer has been particularly fun in recent years — and considering the bizarre string of high-profile departures that the company's legal department has seen lately, that inkling might […]" date: "2022-08-24" modified: "2022-08-24" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/teslas-lawyers-quitting" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Tesla" tags: - "elon musk" - "legal" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # A Whole Bunch of Tesla’s Lawyers Are Quitting for Some Reason ![Elon Musk's Tesla has seen a string of high-profile legal counsel departures in recent years, and twelve have quit just this year.]() *Business people and lawyer or judge team discussing Co-Investment Conference, Concepts of law, advice, legal services. \Image: Getty Images\* ## Tesla Turmoil Between [government probes](), the ever-growing number of [Autopilot-involved deaths](), and dealing with [CEO Elon Musk himself](), we can't imagine being a Tesla lawyer has been particularly fun in recent years. Now, considering a seemingly endless string of high-profile departures from the company's legal department lately, that inkling might just be correct. According [to *Bloomberg Law*](), at least a dozen company lawyers have left the carmaker already this year. Among them — *maybe —* is one David Searle, who was, or maybe still is, leading an internal investigation into the business practices of one of Musk's right-hands, [Omead Afshar](). The fact that we can't say for sure? It's very weird, frankly. ## Whirlwind Tour It's currently a bit unclear if Searle, who joined the company in 2021, is still with Tesla or not. *Bloomberg* [reported last week]() that, according to multiple unnamed sources, the lawyer had departed amid the ongoing internal query. But Tesla quickly shot down those allegations. "This *Bloomberg* article is false," the Tesla organization [wrote in a tweet](). "David Searle has not left Tesla." What's really going on with Searle? It's impossible to say. For what it's worth, he still [lists Tesla as his employer]() on LinkedIn. And regardless, it's strange to see such a massive, culturally-relevant operation keep what really looks like a rotating door policy when it comes to legal counsel. As per *Bloomberg Law's* report, the company has been without a permanent general counsel since 2019, and Dinna Eskin, who multiple sources say has now been named as Tesla's top counsel, would be the seventh top legal official named since late 2018. ## Investor Rage Unsurprisingly, investors are [none too happy]() with that [pattern of legal upheaval](). "Similar to its repeated failure to implement and apply internal controls regarding oversight of Mr. Musk," [reads a 2021 lawsuit filed]() by Tesla investor Chase Gharrity, "the Board has also consistently failed to ensure that Tesla has an independent General Counsel who can provide advice untainted by Musk." But over a year later, as lawyers continue to file in and out of the organization, it doesn't look like much has changed. Clearly, however, Musk himself is well aware that he needs to restock his legal cabinet — he even [took to Twitter]() to recruit new lawyers back in May, likely in response to his [ongoing legal battle]() with, ironically, Twitter. In any case, the constant legal turnover — and the weirdness surrounding Searle — is fishy. But hey, Tesla isn't exactly known for [keeping its employees around](). **READ MORE:** *[Tesla Law Department Exits Leave Musk With Thinned Legal Bench]()* \[*Bloomberg Law*\] **More on Tesla lawyers:** [*Revealed: Tesla Competitor Paid Top Tesla Lawyer $30 Million to Defect*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()