Automotive

High-powered, fuel-injected, turbo-charged lawyers.

Howard & Howard represents a diverse group of clients up and down the supply chain, including original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), Tier I and Tier II suppliers, aftermarket manufacturers, technology partners, dealerships, and banks and lenders. From our main office at the center of the worldwide automotive industry, and in offices across the U.S., we help our clients thrive and compete in an ever-changing climate.

Because progress results from forward movement, clients look to us to get deals done. We offer broad transactional experience, such as:

• Business entity formation
• Corporate governance
• Contract drafting and negotiation
• Dealership development
• Real estate site selection, acquisition, sale, development, and leasing
• Employment agreements and employee benefits
• Mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and joint ventures, both domestic and international 

Technology is the backbone of the auto industry. Advances in machinery and equipment, mechanization, automation, connectivity, and autonomous vehicles continue to make intellectual property a critical focus. Howard & Howard has the talent to provide clients with strategic IP counsel, manage their IP portfolios, and address the spectrum of their ongoing auto industry IP needs:

• Patent, copyright, trademark, and service mark registration
• Technology licensing
• Joint development agreements
• Trade secret protection
• Freedom to operate analysis
• Branding, marketing, and advertising material review

Government oversight is a constant in the automotive space, and failure to comply with regulatory requirements can take a toll on a company’s finances and operations. Our automotive attorneys guide clients around administrative obstacles, helping them navigate: 

• Labor and immigration audits
• Employee health and safety rules
• Anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies
• Clear air, clean water, and environmental compliance
• Tariff and trade protections
• Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) compliance
• Federal, state, and local taxes

When differences become disputes and compliance is unduly burdensome, our litigators appear in state and federal courts, before administrative agencies, and in arbitration and other ADR forums, pursuing and defending clients’ rights in:

• Breaches of contract and supply agreements
• Warranty and consumer protection claims
• Employer-employee matters
• Patent, copyright, and trademark infringement
• Troubled supplier matters
• Recalls and products liability actions
• Environmental and toxic tort claims
• Class actions
• Supply chain disputes involving pricing, distribution, tooling, etc.
• Dealer terminations and bankruptcies

Our attorneys are intimately familiar with legal and business issues that auto industry players—ranging from global manufacturers to closely held, family businesses—encounter every day. We’re not just a law firm headquartered in the Motor City. We’re a law firm for the Motor City and beyond.