James Burnham was named General Counsel of xAI on November 24, 2025, according to Law.com.
| Name | James Burnham |
|---|---|
| Role | General Counsel |
| Company | xAI |
| Industry | Artificial Intelligence |
| Move | Appointment |
| Date | November 24, 2025 |
| Source | Law.com |
James Burnham, formerly the top lawyer at the Department of Government Efficiency, became general counsel of Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI. Law.com noted his background includes work as an attorney for President Trump and as president of a litigation funding firm. (Source: Law.com.)
Who is the general counsel of xAI?
James Burnham took the General Counsel role at xAI in November 2025, as reported by Law.com. Legal leadership changes often, so check xAI’s own leadership page for the latest. If you know of a newer move, tell us and we will update the directory.
More legal leadership moves at xAI
- Robert Keele Steps Down as Head of Legal of xAI (August 7, 2025)
Other general counsel moves in November 2025
- Maria Fernandez Named Vice President, Associate General Counsel and Assistant Corporate Secretary of The Brink’s Company (November 25, 2025)
- Kenneth R. David Named General Counsel of New York Mets (November 25, 2025)
- Mahesh Thakar Named Group General Counsel of Tata Electronics (November 24, 2025)
- Mark A. Wilson Steps Down as Chief Legal Officer of Nektar Therapeutics (November 21, 2025)
- Jessica Presnall Named Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel of Southeastern Conference (November 20, 2025)
- Michael K. Murtaugh Steps Down as Vice President and General Counsel, Corporate Secretary of BAB, Inc. (November 20, 2025)
- Ashok Kumar P Named Chief Legal Officer of UltraTech Cement (November 19, 2025)
- Rohit Kumar Named General Counsel of ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (November 19, 2025)
Planning your own next move?
Read our guide to becoming a general counsel and the in-house counsel salaries guide.
Browse every appointment in the General Counsel Directory.
Source: Law.com. InhouseBlog summarizes publicly reported general counsel moves and links to the original report.
Does this information need updating? Email us at info@inhouseblog.com.