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Automotive Industry

Arnold & Porter brings a powerful litigation bench, a sophisticated transactional practice, renowned regulatory expertise, and decades of industry experience to address the broad range of legal challenges affecting companies in the automotive sector. Our inter-disciplinary Automotive group has worked with the world's leading original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of automobiles, trucks, engines, and fuels, including Toyota Motor North America, Suzuki, Hyundai, and Tesla; and we also represent global distributors and suppliers of automotive parts, including Bosch.

Our breadth of services span:

  • Antitrust investigations and litigation
  • Corporate matters, joint ventures, and financial transactions
  • Data system privacy, telematics, and hacking
  • Environmental compliance, enforcement, and rulemaking proceedings
  • Intellectual property and trade secrets
  • International trade proceedings
  • Legislation and policy
  • Litigation and class actions
  • Product safety, recalls, and liability issues
  • Technology transactions

Automotive sector clients turn to Arnold & Porter to address novel issues relating to emerging technologies, connected cars, autonomous driving, alternative fuels, and artificial intelligence, as well as complex regulatory, trade, and compliance concerns. We regularly serve as national trial and strategic counsel in high stakes litigation, and our lawyers have successfully managed and tried automotive and transportation-related product liability, mass tort, antitrust, and complex actions in the most notorious plaintiffs' jurisdictions. Our cross-border capabilities allow us to provide comprehensive, one-stop solutions for clients operating in global markets.

Experience Highlights

  • Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc. in diverse transactions, including agreements involving hydrogen fuel.
  • Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers regarding rulemaking and related litigation.
  • Major motorcycle, ATV and marine engine manufacturer in enforcement matters.
  • The world's largest electric vehicle charging network operator regarding policy issues impacting the deployment of alternative fuel vehicles and in leading a coalition that successfully advocated for inclusion of a billion-dollar, multiyear grant program in House and Senate surface transportation legislation pending in the 116th Congress.
  • Komatsu Ltd. in its $2.9 billion acquisition of high-productivity mining equipment company Joy Global.
  • Yamashita Rubber Co. in indirect purchaser class action litigations alleging price fixing in connection with the sale of anti-vibration rubber parts. In Re Anti-Vibrational Rubber Parts Antitrust Litigation
  • Fujikura Ltd., Fujikura Automotive America LLC and Fujikura America Inc. in direct and indirect purchaser class actions alleging price fixing with regard to automobile wire harnesses and related products. In re Auto Parts Antitrust Litigation
  • Carfax, a vehicle history reporting company, in defending against claims that it is a monopolist in the sale of vehicle history reports through exclusive agreements with auto manufacturers and classified auto web sites. Maxon v. Carfax and Rockland et al. v. Carfax
  • Automobile manufacturer in both negotiating groundbreaking alternative greenhouse gas agreement with the California Air Resources Board and providing representation in related litigation.
  • Koito Manufacturing Co., an automotive parts manufacturer, in indirect purchaser class actions brought on behalf of auto dealers and end-payors alleging price fixing with regard to automotive lighting products. In re Auto Parts Antitrust Litigation