Tesla Inc. Has hired Brandon Ehrhart to oversee its legal department, filling the top role after Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said last year he wanted to build a “hardcore” team.
Ehrhart revealed on LinkedIn that he assumed the role as Tesla’s general counsel and corporate secretary in January after departing Dish Network Corp. The carmaker confirmed the hiring in a tweet Friday following Bloomberg’s report.
Tesla has faced years of turnover at the top of the legal team. Bloomberg reported in August that David Searle, who was heading an internal inquiry into purchase orders at the electric vehicle maker, had stepped down as the law department leader, and Dinna Eskin had taken over.
The moves came after Musk tweeted last May that the Austin, Texas-based company was “building a hardcore litigation department where we directly initiate & execute lawsuits.”