Luminar said in a weekend court filing that its founder and former chief executive, Austin Russell, has repeatedly avoided requests for information and failed to comply with a subpoena, complicating the company’s efforts to determine whether legal action against him is warranted.
The U.S.-based lidar developer, which entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in late December, said it has sought since May to recover company-owned devices following Russell’s resignation earlier this year. Luminar said it has retrieved six computers but is still seeking a company-issued mobile phone and a digital copy of Russell’s personal phone, which it argues are necessary for an internal review.
According to the filing, Luminar’s lawyers alleged that Russell and members of his personal staff provided misleading information about his whereabouts over the holiday period, preventing service of legal documents. The company asked the court for permission to serve Russell by mail or email instead. A lawyer representing Luminar declined to comment beyond the filing.
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Russell, through his legal counsel, has maintained that he has been cooperative while seeking assurances that personal data on his devices would be protected. His representatives said disagreements over data-handling safeguards should be resolved through court-supervised procedures rather than informal exchanges.
The dispute marks one of the first significant developments in Luminar’s bankruptcy case, which centers on the potential sale of its two main business units. The company is seeking court approval to sell its semiconductor subsidiary to Quantum Computing, Inc. and has set a January 9 deadline for bids on its lidar division.
Luminar said it began pursuing information from Russell shortly after his resignation, which followed a board-level inquiry into business conduct and ethics. The company has indicated it is evaluating potential claims related to that inquiry and to personal loans allegedly taken by Russell. In November, the board established a Special Investigation Committee and hired law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges to examine the matter.
Russell has since launched a new venture, Russell AI Labs, and previously expressed interest in acquiring Luminar prior to its bankruptcy filing. He has also indicated plans to participate in the bidding process during the restructuring, positioning himself as a potential buyer of the business he founded.