Automotive

We have developed industry expertise in the automotive sector across our 22 offices during more than 30 years. Several Salans partners have previously worked in-house for either automotive manufacturers or independent finance houses specialising in automotive finance.   

Internationally, we tap into the talents and experience of our lawyers to create multinational teams, offering our clients a fully integrated approach on cross-border transactions. 

We offer practical, commercial, and technical experience, as well as core legal expertise. Our detailed knowledge of the industry gives a deep insight, enabling us to provide advice on numerous aspects of a company’s operations.

Our Automotive Sector Services

Across the automotive sector, our lawyers regularly work in the following areas:

Real Estate

We advise on the acquisition and disposals of motor retail companies and individual motor related sites.

Restructuring

We advise manufacturers, OEM suppliers, motor finance companies, and their insolvency practitioners in connection with the restructuring and insolvency of their dealers.

Greenfield Projects

We work closely with our clients to achieve major logistics projects.  Examples of work we have undertaken include:

• acquisition of land plots for major manufacturing plants;
• obtaining necessary authorisations for construction;
• obtaining relevant customs exemptions; and,
• post-construction, providing ongoing tax, labour and regulatory advice.

Automotive Finance Company Funding

We provide advice in relation to the funding of automotive finance companies, including the securitisation of receivables under credit and hire agreement portfolios and other loan facilities.

Motor Dealership Funding

We provide advice in relation to motor dealership funding, including capital loans, overdraft, wholesale and unit funding of new and used vehicles, sale or return, consignment and “sale and lease-back” arrangements, including drafting loan documentation, security, and negotiating priority arrangements with other funders.

Retail Finance

We advise on new product development and launch; drafting all types of retail finance documentation, including hire purchase, conditional sale, personal contract purchase, finance lease and contract hire documentation; providing advice in relation to compliance issues, including consumer law, consumer credit, credit advertising, marketing, data protection, and money laundering.

Corporate Transactions

We advise on structuring deals, negotiating all transaction documentation (SPA, shareholders’ and bondholders’ agreements), drafting corporate aspects, negotiating with lenders, and anti-trust aspects.

Corporate Advice

We advise on the tax and legal aspects of establishing joint ventures and subsidiaries; in China, we advise on the tax and legal aspects of establishing Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprises.

Motor Finance Recovery Litigation

We undertake applications for the return of vehicles and recovery of arrears using a specially developed case management system to enable competitive pricing, with a specialist litigation team handling more complex and defended matters.

Employment

We manage sensitive labour issues.

Product Liability

We represent the interests of international carmakers in general jurisdiction and arbitration (commercial) courts in relation to the comparable imports of cars manufactured worldwide.

Regulatory

We advise motor manufacturers and finance companies on the introduction of and compliance with insurance mediation regulations in relation to the sale of motor vehicle warranties and other insurance products.