Matthew Everitt, a major figure in the global automotive legal landscape, has officially moved into the electric vehicle (‘EV’) segment with his appointment as the general counsel for Lucid Group. Aimed to lead the automaker’s legal department, his new role comes just as the manufacturer is targeting expansive growth in the electric vehicle market.
Previously, Everitt rendered crucial legal expertise for Mercedes-Benz Group AG and its predecessor, Daimler AG. During his tenure, he was deeply involved in navigating the company through a myriad of complex legal and regulatory issues, such as the long-standing vehicular emissions scandal which came to be popularly referred to as Dieselgate.
The Saudi Public Investment Fund (‘PIF’) controls Lucid, and in its support, has awarded the American electric vehicle manufacturer with significant liquidity to weather market volatility.
In expressing his excitement about his new role, Everitt lauded Lucid’s high standards. Similarly, Lucid’s CEO, Peter Rawlinson, spoke highly of Everitt’s background, asserting his strong legal skills, comprehensive knowledge of the automotive landscape, and strategic thinking make him a perfect fit for the company’s future growth.
In his new role at Lucid, Everitt will guide the company’s global legal affairs, along with offering strategic advice on growth plans, drawing upon his extensive experience both domestically and internationally. This includes his tenure in Germany where he served Stuttgart-based Daimler as a senior counsel specializing in US legal and regulatory compliance.
Despite Lucid suffering from a falling stock price due to challenges with production output, Lucid remains ambitious and continues to expand its legal team. The company has recently onboarded Tyson Avery, the former chief ethics and compliance officer, and deputy general counsel at Starbucks Corp. In addition, Kim Crouch, a seasoned General Motors Co. lawyer, joined Lucid as an associate general counsel and data privacy officer in 2022.
Lucid, which parted ways with its preceding top lawyer, Jonathan Butler, last year, has been actively refreshing its executive and legal team. Peter Rawlinson, a former top designer of Tesla’s Model S, assumed the role of CEO following a significant investment from the PIF.
As Lucid prepares to scale in the coming years, Everitt’s expertise will provide the company with key legal insights and risk management guidance, protecting the EV manufacturer’s legal interests as it navigates an increasingly competitive and regulatory-heavy industry landscape.