Norfolk Southern, Facing Spill Fallout, Adds Tesla Litigator (1)

Norfolk Southern Corp., facing dozens of lawsuits stemming from a train derailment and toxic chemical spill earlier this year in East Palestine, Ohio, has hired Tesla Inc.’s head of general litigation as its new general counsel.

F. Nathaniel “Nate” Smith III, who has worked for the Elon Musk-led electric auto-maker since early 2021, joined Norfolk Southern this month, according to his profiles on LinkedIn and X (formerly known as Twitter).

Smith didn’t respond to a phone call and email request for comment about his new job at Norfolk Southern. Nor did Nabanita Nag, whom the Atlanta-based railroad operator promoted ...