The investors, led by the venture capitalist Shervin Pishevar, demanded the change after Benchmark, a major Uber shareholder, sued Travis Kalanick, the former C. E. O.
SAN FRANCISCO — A group of Uber investors have formed an alliance to push Benchmark, a major shareholder in the ride-hailing company, off the board of directors, the latest escalation of a public feud in Uber’s top ranks.
In a letter sent to Benchmark on Friday, Shervin Pishevar, a venture capitalist at Sherpa Capital, demanded that the firm relinquish its seat on the Uber board and sell its shares in the company to outside investors, according to a copy of the letter obtained by The New York Times.
The request came less than 24 hours after Benchmark filed a lawsuit against Travis Kalanick, Uber’s former chief executive, accusing him of fraud, breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty. Mr. Kalanick resigned as chief executive in June in the face of a shareholder coup led by Benchmark.
“We do not feel it was either prudent or necessary from the standpoint of shareholder value, to hold the company hostage to a public relations disaster by demanding Mr. Kalanick’s resignation, along with other concessions, on a few hours’ notice and within weeks of a personal tragedy, under threat of public scandal, ” said the letter, which was signed by Mr. Pishevar and claimed to represent other Uber shareholders.
The letter did not specify how many people beyond its three signatories — Ronald Burkle, chairman of Yucaipa Companies, and Adam Leber, a partner at Maverick Management, were the others — support Mr. Pishevar in his opposition to Benchmark.
The letter was the latest protest against Benchmark’s efforts and a public show of support for Mr. Kalanick at a time when his allies have waned.
It is also yet another contentious twist for Uber, which was last valued at nearly $70 billion and operates in more than 600 cities around the world. Since January, the company has experienced a series of crises, including a scandal over sexual harassment and workplace culture, multiple lawsuits and the looming threat of a Justice Department investigation.
Uber declined to comment on the letter. Mr. Pishevar did not immediately respond to requests for comment, nor did a spokeswoman for Benchmark and a spokesman for Mr. Kalanick.
The letter was first reported by the news site Axios .
The battle at Uber is primarily over empty seats on the company’s eight-person board. Under the terms of Uber’s corporate charter, Mr. Kalanick has the power to name two more board members — a power that Benchmark is suing to nullify while also trying to remove Mr. Kalanick from the board entirely.
Some factions within Uber have said Mr. Kalanick is the root of the company’s problems, and have supported Benchmark’s public battle against him.
Another contingent of early employees and other loyalists have sided with Mr. Kalanick, who, along with co-founder Garrett Camp, built Uber into a global transportation giant over the past eight years.
Mr. Pishevar, a longstanding ally of Mr. Kalanick’s and an early friend in the venture capital and entertainment industries in Los Angeles, is one of the few to show public support for Mr. Kalanick.
The letter ended with a call for other Uber shareholders to join him.
“We ask you to please consider the lives of these employees and allow them to continue to grow this company in peace and make it thrive, ” it said. “These actions do the opposite.”
