Automotive, RV, and Marine Dealerships
Overview
The automotive retail landscape continues to evolve rapidly, presenting dealerships with both regulatory challenges and growth opportunities. Our firm brings decades of experience guiding automotive, RV, and marine dealers through industry transformations.
Deep Industry Understanding
Our automotive team brings real-world experience to every client engagement. With backgrounds in automotive industry counsel and regular contributions to trade publications, we provide practical guidance that addresses your challenges directly – from inventory financing to consumer compliance. Our firsthand knowledge of dealership operations allows us to anticipate issues and develop solutions that work in practice, not just in theory.
Comprehensive Legal Support
Modern dealership management demands precise navigation of complex regulations while maintaining operational efficiency. The regulatory landscape grows more intricate each year, with state and federal oversight expanding into new areas of dealership operations. From the FTC’s proposed changes to the Car Rule to emerging state regulations on digital retailing, staying compliant requires constant vigilance and deep industry knowledge.
We help dealers maintain compliance while maximizing growth through focused support in essential areas:
Regulatory Compliance
Regulatory scrutiny of dealerships has reached unprecedented levels. The CFPB’s expanded oversight of larger participants in automotive financing, coupled with increased state-level enforcement actions, creates new compliance challenges. Our team builds robust compliance programs that protect your business while preserving operational efficiency. Key focus areas include:
- Consumer Protection Laws
- F&I Products and Services Compliance
- Federal and State Dealership Regulations
- Privacy and Data Security Requirements
Strategic Transactions
Each transaction demands deep industry knowledge. As consolidation reshapes the industry and private equity interest grows, understanding both the automotive retail business and transaction fundamentals becomes crucial. Our team brings this expertise to every deal:
- Dealership acquisitions and sales
- Floor plan financing arrangements
- Franchise negotiations
- Real estate and facility agreements
Technology in Automotive Retail
Digital retail and emerging vehicle technologies create fresh legal challenges for dealers. The shift toward online sales platforms demands new approaches to compliance and consumer protection. Simultaneously, the rise of electric vehicles brings facility upgrade requirements and new manufacturer agreements. Our team anticipates and addresses these evolving needs with practical guidance on:
- Autonomous vehicle technology compliance
- Cybersecurity requirements and data protection
- Electric vehicle regulations and infrastructure requirements
- Environmental compliance and facility standards
- Online sales platforms and digital contracting
Industry-Specific Experience
Our expertise spans the automotive retail spectrum:
- Finance companies
- Marine craft dealers
- Multi-location dealer groups
- New and used car dealerships
- RV dealers and manufacturers
Protecting Your Business
Modern dealerships require strategic partners who understand their business fundamentals. As margins tighten and competition intensifies, proactive legal counsel becomes increasingly vital.
Our team’s deep understanding of automotive retail shapes every aspect of our counsel. When navigating regulatory examinations, we draw on extensive experience to anticipate examiner concerns and prepare comprehensive responses. We work closely with dealers to build compliance programs that protect their business while maintaining operational efficiency. Consumer complaints receive prompt attention with strategies designed to prevent escalation and preserve customer relationships. Through years of industry experience, we’ve developed strong insights into manufacturer dynamics, helping dealers maintain productive relationships while protecting their interests. This proactive approach helps minimize litigation exposure while positioning dealers for sustainable growth.
The automotive retail industry stands at a crossroads of technological innovation and regulatory evolution. Success requires more than just keeping pace with change – it demands anticipating and preparing for tomorrow’s challenges. Our team stays ahead of emerging trends and regulatory developments, providing the strategic guidance dealers need to thrive in this dynamic environment.