The rebuilding of legal staff at OpenAI came under threat following the removal of Sam Altman, the startup’s former president. OpenAI’s two top lawyers, Jason Kwon, chief strategy officer, and general counsel Che Chang are among those who have threatened to leave unless the current board resigns.
The potential mass exit could disrupt a legal team that OpenAI has been actively building, having added numerous lawyers to the team and doubling its size over the last year, according to data from public filings, corporate records, LinkedIn profiles, press releases, and state bar directories.
OpenAI has seen many high-profile additions to its legal team, such as Microsoft Corp.’s former senior director of congressional affairs, Chan Park, who recently joined OpenAI as its head of US policy and partnerships. However, these endeavors find themselves potentially in jeopardy amidst the present turbulence within the company.
Microsoft, holding a 49% stake in OpenAI, stands to inherit both Altman and co-founder Greg Brockman to head a new in-house research team, following their respective ouster and resignation from OpenAI.
Following Altman’s exit, former Twitch CEO Emmett Shear was named as his temporary successor. Shear announced plans to investigate the handling of Altman’s departure.
External advisors such as Cooley, Latham & Watkins, and Morrison & Foerster have been supporting OpenAI as it navigates significant legal challenges, including a clash between generative artificial intelligence and intellectual property law. These complexities indicate the importance of a strong legal team in the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence.
This report is based on the information found here.