Overview
Burr & Forman has been a leader in the dynamic growth of the automotive industry in the Southeast.
Our team has helped clients such as Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, and numerous Tier 1 and Tier 2 automotive suppliers with their start-up and general operations.
In addition to our work for automotive manufacturers and suppliers, we assist automotive dealerships throughout the Southeast with the sale and purchase of dealers, litigation, labor and employment issues, and succession planning.
We assist clients in the automotive industry in a number of ways including:
- Corporate governance and entity and tax structure matters
- Environmental permit requirements & related regulatory compliance
- Litigation
- Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (MRO) & other supply agreements
- Project manager/general contractor agreements (bidding process, negotiation of contractor packages and change order pay request disputes)
- Site selection & negotiation & implementation of tax & non-tax incentives
- State & local tax
- Supply line issues due to the financial conditions, bankruptcy, hold-up bargaining, or contract negotiations of a supplier
In addition, we often represent automotive manufacturers who are customers of insolvent entities where the manufacturer must immediately have a unique part made by its sole source, the financially distressed supplier. We understand the impact on your production if parts are not delivered on time.
Dealerships
We counsel dealerships throughout the country regarding the planning, documentation, and execution of a wide variety of legal concerns ranging from acquisitions and franchising to employment issues and succession planning.
We handle a variety of matters for automobile dealerships including:
- Acquisitions & sales of dealerships (public corporations & small private dealers)
- Buy/sell agreements for stockholders
- Customized documents for sales & employment related issues
- Disputes with manufacturers regarding the creation or relocation of new points (dealers)
- Documentation of sales, customer claims, & hiring practices
- Franchise agreements and litigation involved in franchise agreements
- Labor & employment issues
- Litigation with consumers over financing & other issues
- Tax & estate planning & “successor dealer planning”
