InternatIonal automotIve legal team Automotive... · Inside International Automotive Legal Team 1...

InsideInternational Automotive Legal Team 1

Working Together to Serve Automotive Industry Companies 2

International Automotive Legal Team Recent Transactions 3

Lawyer Biographies 4

Our InternatIOnal autOmOtIve legal team cOmprIses many Of the wOrld’s LeAdIng AuTomoTIve InduSTRy LAWyeRS WoRkIng TogeTheR In The unITed STATeS, ChInA And The unITed kIngdom.

AuTomoTIve CLIenTS InCLude geneRAL moToRS CoRpoRATIon, AuTo ALLIAnCe InTeRnATIonAL InC., BoRgWARneR InC., deTRoIT dIeSeL CoRpoRATIon, duRAkon InduSTRIeS, FACToRy moToR pARTS, FISCheR

ouR TeAm InCLudeS BILInguAL u.S. And ChIneSe LAWyeRS, InCLudIng ThoSe In The ShAnghAI And London oFFICeS oF FAegRe & BenSon LLp And mIChIgAn oFFICeS oF honIgmAn, WITh The ReSouRCeS oF AppRoxImATeLy

We WoRk CoLLABoRATIveLy wIth each Other and wIth Our clIents tO IdentIfy and mItIgate Issues and tO achIeve Our clIents’ busIness goALS AS quICkLy And eFFICIenTLy AS poSSIBLe. ouR depTh

InternatIonal automotIve legal team

u n I T e d S T A T e S | C h I n A | u n I T e d k I n g d o m




Our InternatIOnal autOmOtIve legal team cOmprIses many Of the wOrld’s LeAdIng AuTomoTIve InduSTRy LAWyeRS WoRkIng TogeTheR In The unITed STATeS, ChInA And The unITed kIngdom.

The law firms of Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn llp and Faegre & Benson llp collaborate to provide a

legal team focused on automotive industry transactions involving the Unites States, China and the

United Kingdom.

Our automotive industry experience, longstanding presence in China and international transactional specialists

position us as an ideal legal service provider for companies seeking to establish or expand their businesses in

these markets.

STRATegIC CRoSS-BoRdeR TRAnSACTIonSWe represent many of the world’s largest and most innovative automotive companies in a wide range of

strategic cross-border transactions, including:

• Mergers,acquisitionsanddivestitures

• Jointventurestructuring,negotiation,documentationandentityformation

• Internationaltaxplanning

• Developmentandimplementationofpurchasingandsupplychainmanagementprotocols

• Restructuringofoperationsanddealingwithtroubledsuppliers

• Establishmentof“greenfield”manufacturing,assembly,warehousinganddistributioncenters, including those within free-trade zones

• Licensingandtechnologytransferarrangements,includingtradesecretprotection

• Internationalpatentandtrademarkprosecutionandenforcement

• Complexcross-bordercommercialcontracting,includingoutsourcing

• Immigrationandglobalmobilityofemployees

• Internationallabor,employmentandbenefitsmatters

• Internationalcompliancecounseling,trainingandinvestigations(Customs,FCPA,OFAC, export controls, etc.)

• U.S.andforeignregulatoryapprovals

• Internationalarbitration,mediationandlitigation

• Insolvency

International automotive legal team

Collectively, we offer decades of experience in the automotive industry—and in handling complex

cross-border transactions for global businesses expanding internationally.

Through our bilingual team of U.S. and Chinese lawyers, we serve as a bridge across cultures and legal systems—

positioning automotive-industry clients to build relationships and succeed in their transactions.

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unIque CoLLABoRATIon Our team includes many of the world’s leading automotive industry lawyers working together in the United

States, China and the United Kingdom. Collectively, we offer more than 50 years of automotive industry

experience and more than 40 years of experience providing representation to businesses with interests in China.

Through our bilingual team of U.S. and Chinese lawyers, we serve as a bridge across cultures and legal

systems—positioning automotive-industry clients to build relationships and succeed in their transactions.

HeadquarteredinDetroit,Honigmanhasmorethan230attorneys.Thefirmisrecognizedasaproviderof

top-notchlegalservicesandbusinesssolutionstotheautomotiveindustry,includingacquisitions,purchasing,

insolvency and troubled supplier counsel.

BasedinMinneapolis,Faegre&Bensonhas500lawyersinitsMinnesota,Colorado,Iowa,Shanghaiand

Londonoffices.Rankedamongleadinglawfirmsinservingtheneedsofmultinationalclients,Faegre&Benson

has significant international transactional experience and attorneys who hold law degrees in the United States,

China and the United Kingdom.

TeAmWoRk With a combined strength of approximately 750 lawyers, our firms work collaboratively and seamlessly with

each other and with clients.

We look at your goals and assemble the right interdisciplinary team—drawing from the strengths of both firms—

to help you achieve your objectives. With our rare combination of automotive industry experience and China

business savvy, we identify risks early and mitigate them, enabling deals to stay on track and on time.

Our team delivers superior value and expertise to dynamic automotive companies transacting business

across borders.

CLIenTSOur automotive clients include:

Working together to Serve automotive Industry Companies

•GeneralMotors • FordMotorCompany • AutoAllianceInternationalInc.

•GuardianIndustries • BorgWarnerInc. • Metal-Matic,Inc.

•DurakonIndustries • TRWAutomotiveUSllc • FactoryMotorParts

•ThyssenKruppMaterialNA,Inc. • FischerAutomotive • PenskeAutomotiveGroup,Inc.

•DetroitDieselCorporation • JaguarLandRoverNorthAmerica llc • AstonMartinLagondastNorthAmerica • Andmanyothers




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• RepresentationofChinesebuyeroftwooperatingdivisionsfrommajorU.S.Tier1supplier,encompassingoperationsintenothercountries,includingMexico,U.K.,Poland,IndiaandChina.ThisconstitutedoneofthelargestacquisitionsofaU.S.companybyaChina-basedentity.

• RepresentationofGeneralMotorsinsaleofHummerbrandandbusinesstoTengzhongGroup.

• AssistedmajorautomanufacturerinsaleofsubsidiaryluxurybrandautomanufacturerinEuropeto MiddleEasternbuyer.

• AcquisitionbyU.S.autopartsmanufacturerfrompublicCanadacorporationofamanufacturing divisionwithoperationsinChina(awhollyforeign-ownedChinaentity)andCanada(twoseparatemanufacturing locations).

• Representedaftermarketautopartssupplierinits$48millionacquisitionofregionalcompetitor.

• RepresentedapubliclyheldU.S.Tier1automotivesupplierinsaleofitsMidwesternandSoutheasternmanufacturing plants.

• AcquisitionofIllinoismanufacturerofchassisandsuspensioncomponentsfortheagriculturalandautomotiveindustriesbyMichiganprivateequityfund.

• AcquisitionofU.K.,EuropeanandU.S.aerospaceoperationsofFortune11companybyGermanacquirer.

• RepresentedU.S.Fortune500companyinestablishinganautocompositemanufacturingcompanyinChina.

• Representednumerouswhollyforeign-ownedenterprisesandjointventuresrelatedtopaint/industrialcoatingsandJVforblendingfacilityforautomotivelubricants.

• AssistedoneofthelargestprivatecompaniesinChinainacquiringsignificantequitystakesintwolistedcompaniesinvolvinga$320millioninvestment.

• RepresentedNYSE-listedcompanyinmultiplerestructuringsandacquisitionsinvariousTaiwan, HongKongandPeople’sRepublicofChinaoperations,andinthefurtherestablishmentoffourgreenfieldwholly foreign-owned enterprises involving electronic enclosures and industrial tools businesses.

• Acquisition,withrestructuring,ofthreeforeign-investedelectroniccomponentsmanufacturersbya U.S. industry leader.

recent transactions

With established relationships in government, business and key industries, our team has the

insight and in-country experience to help you get automotive deals done.




geoRge d. mARTIn | mInneApoLIS

phone: 612-766-7055 | emAIL: [email protected]

George Martin is head of the Faegre & Benson corporate group, co-chair of the firm’s

international practice and co-founder of its China practice. George spent five years in

ChinaandCentralEuropeadvisingU.S.andEuropeanmultinationalcompanieson

foreign investment and operational matters. His experience includes joint ventures, and

mergersandacquisitions;establishmentofwhollyforeign-ownedenterprises,including

assemblyandprocessingfacilitiesinfreetradezones;licensingandtechnology

transferarrangements,includingtradesecretprotection;commercialcontractingfor

overseasoperations;investmentrestructuringandreview;ForeignCorruptPracticesAct

compliance;andgovernmentrelations,negotiations,andapprovals.

RoBeRT B. WeISS | deTRoIT phone: 313-465-7596 | emAIL: [email protected]

RobertWeissischairoftheHonigmancommerciallaw,bankruptcy,andreorganization

department. His practice emphasizes representation of varied business interests in

all aspects of commercial law—with a focus in the automotive sector. He is the firm’s

liaison partner with General Motors and leads the Honigman team in representation

ofGMaffiliatesthroughoutNorthAmerica.TheteamrepresentsGMonanexclusive

basisregardingfinanciallytroubledcriticalvendors.Robert’scommercialbusiness

experience includes representation of manufacturing companies and financial

institutionsincomplexcommercialtransactions(bothwithintheUnitedStatesandcross

border)andlitigationmattersoverthepast25years.

dAvId FoLTyn | deTRoIT


DavidFoltynservesaschairmanandchiefexecutiveofficerforHonigman.

He counsels publicly and privately held business clients, boards of directors, and venture

capitalandfinancialservicefirmsincorporatemergers,acquisitions,divestitures,

financial transactions, public offerings and private placements of securities and

debt,andcorporategovernancematters.Davidhasactedasleadoutsidecounselin

numerousmergerandacquisitiontransactions.Hehasrepresentedseveralissuersin

initial public stock offerings and has served as lead counsel in many public stock and

debtofferings.Davidrecentlyactedasleadoutsidecounselinformationofafull-service

investment and advisory firm.

lawyer Biographies

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lawyer Biographies

John v. gRoBoWSkI | ShAnghAI

phone: +86 21 6171 6588 | emAIL: [email protected]

JohnGrobowskiisco-chairoftheFaegre&BensonGreaterChinapracticeandis

managingpartnerofthefirm’sShanghaioffice.Withmorethan20yearsofexperience

intheChinabusinessenvironment,Johnfocuseshispracticeonadvisingmultinational

corporationsintheestablishment,acquisitionandoperationofmanufacturingcompanies

andserviceprovidersthroughoutChina.Johnisarecognizedauthorityonbusinesslaw

inChina.HehasservedonPeople’sRepublicofChinagovernmentadvisorypanels

oncompetitionlawlegislationandventurecapitallawreforms.Heisalsoafrequent

speaker and writer on subjects related to doing business in China.

John p. kAnAn | deTRoIT


JohnKanan,apartnerintheHonigmancorporateandsecuritiesdepartment,counsels

publicly and privately held businesses and their owners and directors. He acts as outside

generalcounseltodozensofcompaniesinavarietyofindustries.John’sareasoffocus

includeinternationalbusinesstransactions,acquisitionsanddivestitures;formationand

certificationofminority-ownedandwoman-ownedcompaniesandjointventures;limited

liabilitycompanyandcorporateformationandagreementsamongbusinessowners;and

software and technology licensing and development agreements. He also handles

employeeagreements,non-competitionagreements,equity-basedcompensationplans

andagreements,includingstockoptionplans,bonusplansandotherequity-like

compensation arrangements.

ARTIS m. noeL | deTRoIT phone: 313-465-7502 | emAIL: [email protected]

ArtNoel,ofcounselwithHonigman,istheformerchiefofexportcomplianceforGeneral

Motors.Inthiscapacity,heoversawglobalexportcomplianceinvolvingmorethan200

countriesand300,000employees.ArtnegotiatedandmanagedU.S.Departmentof

State–General Motors consent agreement obligations, including the creation of policies,

procedures, training, business unit self evaluations, and formation of a compliance

office. He also supervised, investigated and prepared voluntary disclosures for a number

offederalagencies.Arthassignificantexperiencemanaginggovernmentlitigation

concerning U.S. and non-U.S. investigative matters, including employee misconduct,

customs and trade, bribery, and improper data and technology transfers.

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JOnathan p. O’brIen | KalamaZOO


JonathanO’BrienservesaschairoftheHonigmanintellectualpropertypracticegroup.

He has a variety of experience in corporate and litigation matters, including intellectual

property. He assists clients with matters such as procuring and enforcing domestic and

international patents, negotiating and drafting agreements related to intellectual property

transactional matters, conducting intellectual property due diligence for transactional

matters,andrenderinglegalopinionsonpatentvalidityand/orpatentnon-infringement.

He has drafted and prosecuted patents in a variety of technical areas, including

pharmaceuticals, inorganic and polymer chemistries, biotechnology, material science,

physics, nanotechnology, and mechanical engineering.

yIqIAng (Lee) LI | ShAnghAI


YiqiangLiisapartnerintheFaegre&BensoncorporatepracticeintheShanghaioffice.

AU.S.andChinalawpractitioner,heprovidesafullrangeoflegalservicesinconnection

withforeigninvestmentandcommercialmattersinChina.Leehasrepresentedseveral

well-knownChinesecompaniesinoffshoreM&A,litigationandIPOmatters.Lee’s

practice is focused on the automotive, telecommunications, manufacturing, architectural,

hospitality, insurance and finance industries. He advises companies conducting business

in China on a wide range of matters, including structuring, negotiating and documenting

internationaltechnologylicensingarrangements,acquisitions,jointventuresandthe

establishment of wholly foreign-owned enterprises.

WILLIAm k. WeImeR | mInneApoLIS


Bill Weimer is a partner in the Faegre & Benson intellectual property practice.

He focuses his practice on managing clients’ patent portfolios, carrying out freedom

to operate investigations, drafting patent non-infringement and invalidity opinions,

managingandsettlingpatentandtradesecretlitigation,negotiatinganddraftingIP

agreements,andpreparingandprosecutingpatentapplications.Priortojoining

Faegre&Benson,BillwasaseniorintellectualpropertyattorneyatImationCorp.

responsibleforcounselingseveraloperationaldivisionsandstaffgroups.Emphasizing

globalIPstrategy,hisresponsibilitiesinvolvedportfoliomanagement,agreementsand

litigation management, patent opinions and prosecution, and trade secret protection.

lawyer Biographies




meLAnIe WAdSWoRTh | London

phone: +44 (0)20 7450 4560 | emAIL: [email protected]

MelanieWadsworthisaqualifiedsolicitorinEnglandandapartnerinthe

Faegre & Benson corporate practice. Melanie’s practice is focused primarily on corporate

financetransactionsincludingmergersandacquisitions,initialandsecondaryofferingson

securitiesexchanges,corporaterestructuringsandmanagementbuy-outs.Althoughher

client base is drawn principally from the United Kingdom, much of Melanie’s work involves an

internationalelement.SherecentlyassistedaChina-basedautomotivecompanyinacquiring

an automotive company in the U.K.

Wendy yAn | ShAnghAI


WendyYanisacorporatespecialcounselintheFaegre&BensonShanghaioffice.

She has extensive experience in multi-jurisdictional joint ventures, financings, mergers and

acquisitions,technologytransfers,realestatetransactions,venturecapital,privateequity

andgeneralcorporatecounseling.PriortojoiningFaegre&Benson,Wendywasacorporate

lawyer in the Hong Kong office of another leading international law firm.

lawyer Biographies

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For more information, please visit www.autolegalteam.com

Faegre & Benson llp and Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn llp

areindependentlawfirms.Nopartnershiporjointventureexists

betweenthetwofirms.Neitherfirmhastheauthoritytobindtheother.

InternatIonal automotIve legal team Automotive... · Inside International Automotive Legal Team 1...

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