Ford Motors has hired a new senior exec in an effort to further the company’s push into e-vehicles. Doug Field formerly ran Apple’s “secretive car project,” and his “departure could be a blow to Apple’s auto ambitions, which...more
On March 3, the Central District of California denied class certification in a putative automotive class action against Toyota. The court found that the plaintiffs failed to establish commonality under Rule 23(a)(2), as well...more
McDermott’s Annual European Competition Review summarizes key developments in European competition rules. During the previous year, several new regulations, notices and guidelines were issued by the European Commission. There...more
In the past several years, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Vegas has become a hot ticket to see futuristic cars and automotive technology. This year is no exception, where the automotive industry claimed nearly half of...more
The SEC will vote today on what it’s calling Regulation Best Interest, “which says brokers can’t put their own paychecks ahead of a customer’s needs”—the more-industry-acceptable revision of an Obama-era fiduciary duty rule...more
While traditional automakers may be keen to avoid patent wars, as discussed in a previous blog post A Patent War Without Fighting, high tech companies developing innovative connected or autonomous vehicle technologies may not...more
Either as a lesson from the smartphone patent wars, or a non-confrontational culture, automakers are keen to avoid patent wars as they computerize their vehicles. However, in an effort to capture as much of the electric...more
Each year, the Detroit Auto Show includes spectacular “reveals” by automakers- new vehicles, concept cars, and new advances in technology. This year is shaping up to include some exciting new releases for fans of the next big...more
Federal prosecutors filed criminal charges yesterday against two former Goldman Sachs investment bankers for their alleged role in the Malaysian 1MDB scandal....more
As expected based on news over the weekend, the US and Mexico have announced a preliminary deal to revise “key portions” of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Notably, Canada is thus far left out in the cold....more
Automakers reported strong June sales in the United States. Riding a wave of truck sales and new crossovers, GM posted a 4.6% increase for the second quarter and increased its market share to 16.6%. Ford increased total sales...more
As a supplement to the recent thought leadership article by the Hogan Lovells Singapore Corporate Team on 'Venture Capital and Private Equity in Asia-Pacific in 2018', Stephanie Keen (Singapore Managing Partner) and Michael...more
Auto companies around the world have announced partnerships with car-sharing companies, or created their own car-sharing platforms. Toyota announced in October that it is investing in car-sharing service Getaround....more
Autonomous vehicles have been hailed as the solution to overcrowded roads and their impact on America’s aging infrastructure. However, recent accidents involving automated vehicles have some wondering if having less cars on...more
Report calls for a stop to death and injuries — 11 deaths and over 100 injuries - The “largest and most complex safety recall in U.S. history,” according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, took...more
Volkswagen’s $300 million investment in ride-hailing service Gett is not exactly earth shattering news these days for the automotive industry. But what did catch our eye here at the Dashboard was what Volkswagen said,...more
In February the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Department of Justice announced entry of a consent order with Toyota Motor Credit, the U.S. financing arm of Toyota Motors’ subsidiary Toyota Financial Services. The...more
Automakers closed out the first quarter with a 3 percent increase over last year’s March sales and 1.59 million cars sold. Some highlights of the 2016 versus 2015 sales numbers include...more
In Kim v. Toyota Motor Corp., 2016 No. B247672, the California Court of Appeal, Second District, held that a jury could consider evidence of industry custom to determine whether a product was defective under the risk-benefit...more
Companies including Apple, Google, Tesla, Toyota and Uber are all developing and testing self-driving car technology. Toyota announced in November that it would spend $1 billion over the next five years on research centers...more
A California federal court dismissed a proposed class action against Toyota Motor Corp. (Toyota), Ford Motor Co. (Ford) and General Motors, LLC (GM) this week, after a class of drivers alleged that the car companies failed to...more
One of the leading challenges facing many manufacturers in the U.S. is the attraction and retention of talent. At the same time, many U.S. states (particularly in the South and Southeast) are throwing attractive incentive...more
Toyota Motor Corporation announced that it has started a new company, Toyota Research Institute, Inc. (TRI), for the purpose of researching and developing artificial intelligence. Headquartered in Silicon Valley with another...more
The auto industry posted the strongest October sales in ten years—and even longer for some U.S. companies. The industry is capitalizing on low interest rates and low fuel prices across the U.S. to drive record sales....more
While the Court’s review of bedrock principles of class action litigation and the continuing struggle to enforce arbitration clauses in the face of hostile state law are two important topics to watch, they are not the only...more