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Automotive
We advise a broad range of clients within the automotive sector including: vehicle manufacturers (VMs), Tier 1/2/3 suppliers, the independent aftermarket (IAM), automotive finance houses, dealerships, automotive consultants and motorsport associations.
Our competitive rates combined with our automotive expertise (derived from our location in the heartland of the UK automotive sector), supports automotive businesses in addressing the challenges they face including increasing competition, streamlining costs and a growing sustainability agenda.
Our expertise
Supply chain and operations
- all types of commercial contracts including procurement and distribution;
- contracting with and protecting your supply chain (including strategies to avoid/deal with insolvency/continued supply);
- technology procurements and licensing; and
- joint ventures and partnering arrangements
Recent examples of our automotive experience include:
- Advising a Tier 1 and Tier 2 supplier on commercial contracts for the manufacture and sale of automotive parts for a broad range of vehicle manufacturers (including sales into the UK, China, Japan and Europe).
- Advising a technology provider in connection with the provision of the global support of a broad range of outsourced technology services to a leading aviation/automotive tier 1 supplier.
- Advising a broad range of after-market suppliers to the automotive industry including in connection with: replacement/custom parts; in-vehicle safety products; and electronics.
- Advising a Tier 1 supplier to the supercar and motorsport sector on specialist bespoke products.
- Advising a sports car manufacturer on a broad range of distribution and dealer related contracts.
- Advising a laser sintering supplier to the automotive industry in connection with supplies to a major automotive manufacturer.
- Advising a supplier of consultancy services (contracted staff) to the automotive industry.
- Advising a Tier 1 supplier in relation to the acquisition of an enterprise resource planning system integrating management information across the entire organisation.
Case studies
This was a sad case where an employee who was asked to work in a part of a factory where he did not usually work was killed by a piece of equipment that he was not familiar with. He was doing a job that he had not been trained to do.
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We were recently instructed by one of our long-standing manufacturing clients in a dispute regarding unpaid invoices. The client is a subsidiary company of a large engineering group based locally.
Read case studyRegulatory & compliance
- environmental and sustainable technologies; and
- corporate governance including Directors’ duties and the Bribery Act.
Recent examples of our automotive experience include:
- Advising a number of motor vehicle manufacturers and component suppliers on their day to day trading and compliance issues.
- Advising motor vehicle manufacturers on issues such as the implementation of selective distribution systems in accordance with the Motor Vehicle Block Exemption, discount and bonus schemes and competition law authority investigations.
Risk management
- protecting your brand and reputation;
- protecting confidential and commercially sensitive information; and
- dispute resolution
Recent examples of our automotive experience include:
- Advising Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers on a variety of commercial dispute acting quickly to injunct and preserve the continuity of supply.
- Advising on product recall issues for vehicle manufacturers, component suppliers and accessory manufacturers.
- Advising the finance arm of a multi-national truck provider on a dispute arising from a distribution agreement.
"We were pleasantly surprised that a law firm would take the time to get to know us and understand our business, which made a real difference to the work they have done."
Asset management
- commercial property purchase/leasing and financing;
- all aspects of intellectual property portfolio management; and
- acquisitions, disposals and related corporate transactions.
Recent examples of our automotive experience include:
- Advising an automotive engineering supplier to the automotive industry in connection with IP rights in a multi-party development arrangement for the design of electric powered cars.
People management, talent recruitment and retention
Recent examples of our automotive experience include:
- Advising a large automotive company on a broad range of employment matters (in particular, in connection with restructuring and implementing redundancies)
- Advising business on the design and implementation of share and cash based incentives to match a company’s specific business needs.
- Advising companies and highly skilled workers on all aspects of UK immigration and nationality law. We have the added bonus of having guaranteed appointments to submit applications using the same day premium service in Croydon and Birmingham (a facility not available to many immigration practices). We also have a number of influential contacts in the UK Border Agency (both in the UK and at visa issuing posts abroad).
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