Managing Automotive Blog

Ford Motor Co. is recommending dealers halt investments related to selling electric vehicles until after it completes a review of its requirements in June.

Connected vehicles, and concerns about the data they collect, are making headlines.

Today, the Federal Trade Commission adopted a final rule purporting to ban noncompete covenants for workers nationwide, which will become effective 120 days after publication in the Federal Register, unless first enjoined in long-anticipated litigation to challenge the FTC’s attempted rulemaking.

The Automotive Group sponsored and attended the National Association of Dealer Counsel conference in Napa Valley.

On April 16, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it will hold a special Open Commission Meeting on Tuesday, April 23 at 2:00 p.m. ET, for purposes of voting on its proposed final rule banning noncompete agreements.

ArentFox Schiff represented Group 1 Automotive in its acquisition of Mercedes-Benz, Sprinter and Honda dealerships located in Hilton Head, South Carolina in March.

ArentFox Schiff represented Group 1 Automotive in its acquisition of Newport Lexus and Tustin Lexus in February.

With 2024 underway, we highlight some of the most pressing legal issues facing the automotive industry this year, including a surprise Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rule, changes to manufacturer direct-to-consumer sales, and federal pressure on the electric vehicle (EV) industry.

Toyota, the world’s largest automaker, has been criticized for selling few electric vehicles, but its decision to focus on hybrids is paying off financially.

The German luxury carmaker is one of only a few established automakers that has been able to compete with top EV brands.

The Corporate Transparency Act will now require certain entities to register with FinCEN.

National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) annual conference takeaways.

The Automotive Group co-sponsor the “Dealer Thought Leader Dinner” during the NADA Conference in Las Vegas, bringing together industry leaders for an enlightening conversation.

On January 24, the Speeding and Fatality Emergency Reduction on California Streets (SAFER California Streets) Package was introduced in an effort to increase safety on California roads.

Waymo has filed a request to the California Public Utilities Commission to expand robotaxi service in the Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay Area regions.

Automotive Group Leader Aaron Jacoby and Counsel Gordon Sung authored an article in the Daily Journal providing their insights on the Dec. 1, 2023 California Public Utilities Commission Order to Show Cause that was issued to a well-known robotaxi operator in San Francisco, the first step in levying unprecedented sanctions against the company for alleged reporting omissions related to an Oct. 2, 2023 driverless operations incident involving a pedestrian.

Sales of battery-electric vehicles (EVs) in the U.S. may have climbed above the one million unit mark this year but there’s evidence they’re stalled at base camp rather than sprinting to new sales summits.

On November 8, 2023, nearly thirty (30) labor groups including the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the United Auto Workers (“Labor Groups”) sent a letter to the Secretary of Transportation and the Acting Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”)

On November 9, 2023, the AFS Electric Mobility team will address a plenary session of the Electric Vehicle Tech symposium at the Advanced Design and Manufacturing conference in Toronto, Canada.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed a bill to require human drivers on board self-driving trucks, a measure that union leaders and truck drivers said would save hundreds of thousands of jobs in the state.

The Battery Show, now in its 14th year, is billed as “the most comprehensive advanced battery manufacturing event” in the world.

Governor Gavin Newsom is on the spot.

ArentFox Schiff successfully advised Dalia Auto Group with the sale of a Kia dealership in Palmdale after litigating for more than a year in federal court and before California’s New Motor Vehicle Board against Kia to preserve the franchise.

ArentFox Schiff represented Nicholas Alexander Imports on the sale of its Nick Alexander BMW and Nick Alexander MINI dealerships to Car Pros Automotive Group.

ArentFox Schiff advised Bob Baker Auto Group on the sale of its San Diego dealerships consisting of: Bob Baker Hyundai and Genesis; Bob Baker Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, and Fiat; Bob Baker Mazda; Bob Baker Subaru; and Bob Baker Volkswagen.