Automotive Meeting your global industry legal needs
With lawyers in more than 40 offices around the world, the depth and breadth of Hogan Lovells experience in the automotive sector is unmatched. We advise the industry s leading suppliers and virtually every major OEM, placing us at the forefront of the sector s most critical trends and developments. Attorney Advertising: Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Automotive regulatory, legislative, and industry experience Our experience at the intersection of business and government enables us to guide our clients through the complex government regulations relating to motor vehicles. Many of our lawyers around the world have held important positions in public service and industry, and provide unique insights into how government regulations are developed and impact our clients businesses. Our lawyers include: Former Chief Counsel and Acting Administrator to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Former Counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Appointed member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Clean Act Advisory Committee (since 1992) Former General Counsel to the Department of Energy Former General Counsel of Honda North America Former General Counsel of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative Sophisticated advice Comprehensive solutions Our automotive practice is involved in advising manufacturers and distributors on all key legal issues currently affecting dayto-day operations in the industry, including those involving regulatory compliance and enforcement matters, recalls, and reporting; franchise and other distribution matters; new standards development; and defect investigations and vehicle disclosure obligations. Our team brings its collective efforts to bear on the high-stakes issues currently facing our clients: Industry reconstitution Vehicle electrification Stricter safety and emissions requirements and enhanced enforcement efforts Impact of new entrants into markets throughout the world New technological innovations Emerging markets (Brazil, China, India) We provide comprehensive solutions by drawing on the experience of lawyers in all practice disciplines relevant to the automotive industry, including: Antitrust counseling and litigation Appellate Business restructuring and insolvency Class actions Commercial litigation Corporate and commercial Employment Environmental Equity capital markets Finance Government regulation and legislation Intellectual property counseling International trade Labor relations Mergers and acquisitions Motor vehicle franchise/distribution Patent and trademark litigation Political law compliance Privacy and information management Product liability Real estate Safety Tax
Preeminent automotive practice Our multidisciplinary practice, international reach, and team-based approach allow us to provide legal advice to our clients with little or no learning curve. Our work has resulted in numerous groundbreaking transactions and some of the biggest wins in the industry. A sampling of our work for key automotive clients includes: Brose: advised on the acquisition of the electric motor drives division of Continental in several jurisdictions (including parts of the former Siemens VDO business) DaimlerChrysler Corporation: successfully represented manufacturer in two dozen coordinated putative class actions alleging that the company was negligent in failing to incorporate a particular safety feature in certain minivans and other motor vehicles and that, as a result, the manufacturer had engaged in fraud by marketing the vehicles as safe Daimler Trucks North America: represented the manufacturer in federal court litigation brought by a competitor seeking to overturn the regulations to which they were originally certified and undermine the company s technological approach to NOx emissions control FIAT Auto España: advised on insolvency of a partly-owned subsidiary Ford Motor Company: handled a series of class actions resulting in the largest restructuring in the history of private employee health benefits Ford Romania: advised on a 400 million European Investment Bank loan guaranteed in part by the State of Romania to support Ford s 1.35 billion CO 2 emissions reduction project Honeywell: successfully assisted Honeywell in a dispute against a Tier 2 supplier over the delivery of components Jaguar: won a federal court jury verdict (affirmed on appeal) awarding treble damages under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and termination of a dealer guilty of warranty fraud Kia: supported the design and implementation of a nationwide performance improvement program aimed at upgrading the U.S. retail dealer network Mitsubishi Motors Corporation: advised on and coordinated an internal review of its international distribution arrangements TI Automotive: advise TI and its European subsidiaries on a variety of commercial, employment and litigation matters Nissan: corporate counsel on the acquisition of a US$1.3 billion loan from the U.S. government to build an electric vehicle plant in Tennessee Toyota: represented the manufacturer in three investigations before the Italian Antitrust Authority - Consumers Protection Department with regard to alleged misleading advertising Ford Motor Company In one of the most significant recent M&A transactions in the automotive sector, we represented Ford Motor Company in its US$1.8 billion sale of Volvo Cars to China-based Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., Ltd. This global transaction drew on the strengths of our M&A practice in New York and our commercial, intellectual property, and regulatory practices in Beijing, Brussels, Washington, D.C., London, Moscow, and beyond. In addition to serving as lead transaction counsel, Hogan Lovells advised on the reorganization of the Volvo business in preparation for its sale, as well as the structuring of commercial relationships between the parties following closing. In all aspects of the representation, our team s in-depth understanding of our client s business, including the experience of representing Ford in its sale of Jaguar and Land Rover, allowed us to negotiate a transaction that addressed the intricacies of Ford s operations and supported its overall business strategy.
Key facts Hogan Lovells has one of the largest and most experienced groups of lawyers in the United States, Europe, and Asia representing manufacturers and distributors of automobiles, trucks, buses, motorcycles, and other on- and off-road motor vehicles, as well as automotive parts and components suppliers. Our global resources match the global needs of the automotive industry. Our lawyers: have advised on major automotive transactions, joint ventures, and strategic alliances between OEMs and automotive suppliers assist automotive companies on corporate governance matters, as well as financing concepts and projects in the capital market advise OEMs and automotive suppliers on commercial arrangements such as purchase, supply, quality assurance, and warranty as well as transport, distribution, and logistics agreements counsel motor vehicle manufacturers and distributors on their dealer networks in all 50 states in the United States as well as in Europe and Asia have litigated manufacturer/ dealer disputes in more than 30 states in the United States and in Europe regularly advise and defend OEMs with respect to antitrust, creditors rights, and bankruptcy matters regularly counsel automotive companies on U.S. and European mobile source regulations involving environmental and safety issues, and advise and represent companies with regard to compliance matters have been involved in every major U.S. legislative initiative affecting automotive products in recent decades include former leaders of the U.S. agencies charged with overseeing the motor vehicle industry and interact on an ongoing basis with members of the relevant Congressional committees regularly assist in protecting our clients confidential business information and know-how have extensive experience with consumer protection statutes, including privacy laws, as well as on matters relating to trade regulation and legislation, international trade policy, and free trade agreements assist automobile companies in the protection of domain names and the enforcement of patent and trademark rights have advised on major global recalls and defended against dozens of product liability matters and consumer class actions filed across the United States, Europe, and Asia represent manufacturers and distributors and their financial services affiliates in real estate transactions, retail financing and leasing arrangements, and securitization issues Praise for Hogan Lovells Market recognition 2008-2011 First-tier ranking in Chambers USA for Transportation: Road (Carriage/Commercial): Nationwide. Partners Carl Chiappa, Jacqueline Glassman, and Patrick Raher are recognized as Leaders in their Field. 2010 Cross-Border Deal of the Year (over US$1 Billion), awarded by The M&A Advisor for work on the sale of Volvo Cars by Ford Motor Company to Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., Ltd. 2009 Partner of the Year Runner-Up, awarded by The Lawyer for work on the sale of Jaguar and Land Rover by Ford Motor Company to Tata Motors. Sources say: The lawyers are not just technical experts in their fields, but strive to find practical solutions. Chambers Global This outfit remains a key player in the field due to its long-standing market presence and highly specialized practice. This one-stop shop is able to handle a broad range of complex and challenging mandates, and has earned a reputation for providing quality service. Chambers USA The lawyers respond quickly and efficiently, display great industry knowledge, and work long and hard to achieve optimal results. Chambers Europe Excellent response time, profound business knowledge, in-depth analysis, and thorough understanding of the client s business. Legal 500 EMEA
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