Luminar claims founder Austin Russell is dodging a subpoena in the bankruptcy case

Luminar, the lidar technology company, alleges that its founder and former CEO Austin Russell has been evading subpoenas and withholding company-owned devices needed for a legal investigation amid Luminar’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. Since Russell’s resignation in May following an ethics inquiry, Luminar has sought to recover company-issued equipment, successfully retrieving six computers but still pursuing his company phone and a digital copy of his personal phone. The company claims Russell and his associates misled legal representatives about his whereabouts and is requesting court permission to serve him by mail or email. Russell’s attorney contends he has been cooperative but requires assurances that personal data on his devices will be protected, which Luminar declined, prompting reliance on court-established data handling procedures. This dispute arises as Luminar moves quickly through bankruptcy, aiming to sell its semiconductor subsidiary to Quantum Computing, Inc., and seeking bids for its lidar division by January 9. Russell, through his new venture Russell AI Labs, attempted to buy Luminar before the bankruptcy filing