Insights on Transportation & Mobility

Ford is considering discontinuing its electric F‑150 Lightning after racking up roughly $13 billion in EV losses since 2023, reflecting broader industry headwinds for large electric pickups as demand cools, costs remain high, and incentives fade.

As the automotive retail world turns, the Fall Conference for the National Association of Dealer Counsel (NADC) did not fail to provide some key insights for franchised dealers.

ArentFox Schiff represented US Auto Trust in its acquisition of Ferrari, Lamborghini, Pagani, Czinger and Maserati dealerships in Dallas, Texas. US Auto Trust owns several luxury dealerships in Southern California, and the transaction represents its first expansion into Texas.

ArentFox Schiff represented long-time client McKenna Automotive Group in selling its Subaru of Huntington Beach dealership to Sutherlin Automotive Group, an Alabama based dealership group.

Whether by pleading or contractual provisions, New York practitioners face the risk of surrendering a client’s right to a jury trial with unsettling ease. This article exposes these procedural snares by: first, introducing the statutory mechanism found in CPLR 4101 that is central to jury waiver by pleading and explores how merely asserting equitable or declaratory judgment claims can forfeit the right to a trial by jury; second, it surveys the enforceability of pre-dispute contractual jury waivers, highlighting New York’s willingness to extend such clauses beyond pure contract claims and juxtaposing that stance with less accommodating jurisdictions; and finally, it distills practical drafting and motion practice strategies designed to help practitioners preserve (or strategically eliminate) the jury right. By charting these intersecting doctrines – and the hidden pitfalls they create – this article aims to arm litigators and transactional lawyers alike with the vigilance necessary to avoid stumbling into an unintended waiver.

The firm’s Automotive group sponsored and presented at the National Association of Dealer Counsel (NADC) 2025 Fall Conference, held in Chicago from October 19–21, 2025. The NADC Fall Conference convenes leading professionals from across the automotive industry for a comprehensive educational program focused on the latest trends, emerging challenges, and key legal considerations shaping the automotive dealership landscape. Attendees benefit from engaging, practitioner-led sessions and robust opportunities to exchange insights on a wide range of dealer-related issues.

In this episode of Baker Tilly’s “Up to Speed” podcast, our partner Mike McMahan shares his insight on the legal considerations dealerships must address as they integrate AI solutions into their operations.

ArentFox Schiff is pleased to announce that 21 practices and 84 attorneys have been recognized by The Legal 500 United States 2025 guide, including three Tier 1 rankings for (1) Chicago Elite – Corporate and M&A Leading Law Firms, (2) Intellectual Property – Patents: Prosecution (Including Re–Examination and Post–Grant Proceedings), and (3) Finance – Restructuring (Including Bankruptcy): Municipal.

ArentFox Schiff is pleased to announce that 69 attorneys were recognized as leaders in their field and 23 practices spanning the firm’s litigation, regulatory, and transactional capabilities were ranked in the 2025 edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.

Welcome to “Beyond the Lot,” a podcast series hosted by Kevin Timson that invites industry experts to weigh in on trends and auto retail business topics.

ArentFox Schiff represented Grupo Inlosa, a Mexico-based automotive retail group expanding its US operations, in acquiring Toyota of Pharr in February. The store was purchased from Penske Automotive Group Inc., a publicly traded US automotive retailer. Grupo Inlosa anticipates that the new store will complement its nearby Buick GMC dealership.

ArentFox Schiff advised Knight Automotive Group, a Canada-based automotive retail group, in its sale of Elk Grove Subaru to Lithia Motors, Inc., the nation’s largest automotive dealership group (ranked by total units sold).

ArentFox Schiff represented Trophy Automotive Dealer Group in acquiring Kia of Cerritos, the nation’s second highest-volume Kia dealership, from Lou Sobh Automotive.

As car buyers rush to get in front of tariffs — which are widely expected to boost sticker prices — the flood of demand has been pushing new vehicle prices ever higher, with the trend unlikely to stop any time soon, experts said.

A Michigan economics group, calculating tariff impact after President Donald Trump’s latest executive orders, has estimated that the least-impacted vehicles will still face a $2,000 tariff and the most impacted will see a tariff of $15,000.

AFS Automotive’s Franjo M. Dolenac appeared on a panel with alumnus, Rob Cohen of Vitu, at the New Motor Vehicle Board’s Roundtable held in Sacramento, California on April 27, 2025 to talk about late title transfers for used vehicles.

James Kim was quoted on how the Trump Administration’s new 25% tariffs on cars and auto parts are prompting automakers and suppliers to reassess the North American automotive supply chain.

Cox Automotive predicts 700,000 fewer vehicles will be sold in the United States this year due to tariff volatility.

AFS Automotive’s Kevin Timson and Charles Gallaer chatted with the Eastern New York Coalition of Automotive Retailers on their latest stop of the “2025 Buy-Sell Hot Topics” tour.

Final order requires company to pay over $630,000 in fines and change its business practices.

Automotive Group Leader and Los Angeles Managing Partner Aaron Jacoby shared his insight on autonomous vehicles in a special ride-along with Waymo robotaxi.

AFS Automotive’s Kevin Timson and Charles Gallaer tell us about top trends that impact negotiations in dealership acquisitions.  Have a listen to their first stop on the “2025 Buy-Sell Hot Topics” tour!

In this episode, Aaron H. Jacoby, who leads AFS Automotive, and Franjo M. Dolenac explore challenges dealerships face with the onslaught of DMV investigations into late title and registration transfers and resulting administrative, civil, and criminal actions.

ArentFox Schiff’s Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force published its first annual report last year to help multinational companies navigate the complexities of forced labor laws in the United States and in countries around the world. Since our last report, forced labor enforcement has developed rapidly, with many of our predictions materializing in 2024.

Proposed settlement requires Leader and its Canadian parent company, AutoCanada, to turn over $20 million, include full offering price in ads, and get consent for all charges.