(Reuters) - Piedmont Lithium Inc said on Thursday that the company and Atlantic Lithium Ltd will seek legal advice to address the claims made by short-seller Blue Orca Capital. Blue Orca alleged in a report on Wednesday that the mining licenses obtained by Atlantic in Ghana were through what appeared to be "textbook corruption". In 2021, Piedmont invested $100 million in Atlantic to secure spodumene - high-purity lithium ore - from Atlantic's mine in Ghana. Piedmont has a spodumene supply agreement with electric-vehicle maker Tesla Inc. Shares of Piedmont fell 1.6% to $58.58 in morning trade. Piedmont has the right to buy half of Atlantic's production at market prices on a life-of-mine basis, and to earn a 50% interest in the Ghanaian projects.