Court documents show Tesla changes legal teams in California antitrust class action lawsuit

Elon Musk’s electric car maker Tesla has made significant changes to its legal representation in a class action lawsuit over antitrust violations in California, according to court documents. The firm has replaced its longtime firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore with lawyers from Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr.

That change was finalized last week when Cravath resigned from the case, Reuters reports. The class action lawsuit accuses Tesla of monopolizing the market for parts and service for its vehicles, causing consumers to pay inflated prices. Both Cravath, a New York-based firm known for its Wall Street dealings and litigation, and Wilmer, a well-known Washington, DC, firm, have long represented Tesla and Elon Musk.

The reason for the change was not disclosed in court documents. Requests for comment from Tesla, Wilmer and Cravath remained unanswered.

Related: New antitrust class action lawsuit against Tesla alleging “right to repair”

In June, a judge dismissed the Tesla vehicle owners’ class action lawsuit. Wilmer’s lawyers made their first court appearance for Tesla shortly thereafter. On Monday, Tesla’s new legal team reiterated its denial of the plaintiffs’ claims in a new court filing.

In addition to this class action, Musk is also being represented by Cravath in a Delaware lawsuit involving his $56 billion severance package from Tesla. In January, a judge invalidated Musk’s “outrageous” pay package, dealing the billionaire a major blow. Although Tesla shareholders voted in favor of Musk’s pay in June, the Delaware case was not resolved.

Late last month, lawyers from Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, another of Musk’s favored law firms, joined the defense team in the Delaware litigation. The team also includes Alex Spiro, one of Musk’s best-known lawyers.

Source: Reuters