Automotive
Freshfields provides an integrated global service to clients across the dynamic and rapidly evolving automotive sector, combining legal expertise with market insights and trends.
Today’s rapidly evolving automotive landscape, moving towards electrification, autonomous driving and software applications to enhance user experience, offers exceptional opportunities and equally complex challenges. Every mandate in this sector requires a multi-faceted skillset: our lawyers advise OEMs and suppliers across a broad range of corporate, commercial, IP, ESG, antitrust, foreign investment, venture capital, disputes, traditional and green bond financings and regulatory advice with a seamlessly integrated service, across the globe.
More than half the world’s top 100 car manufacturers established and market entrant, and suppliers trust our automotive sector experts with strategically important matters such as EV supply chain management, JVs with suppliers, tech companies and start-ups, carveouts and M&A, dispute resolution and data/software/technology-driven developments.
We understand that long-term success is about both developing technology and finding the right path through the legislative landscape. Our deep industry knowledge covers a broad spectrum of legal practices relevant for the automotive industry across the globe, including mergers and acquisitions, JVs and corporate advisory, regulatory compliance, intellectual property rights, supply chain management, product liability, antitrust and foreign investment matters, financings, regulatory advice, tax matters, and dispute resolution, as well as all the legal framework for autonomous driving and e-mobility.
Recent client successes
Advising the Volkswagen Group on numerous transactions and digital transformation projects, such as its investments in and joint venture arrangements with QuantumScape – a US public company specialising in the development of solid-state battery technology – and in Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Holdings – the biggest M&A transaction in China’s electric vehicle sector to date, the contractual set-up of its IoT production platform, the creation of an automotive cloud, a cooperation related to autonomous driving, as well as on the pooling of client’s software capabilities.
We have also advised several of the Group’s subsidiaries, such as Audi on various projects in the field of EV charging, including contracts for charging locations and with mobility service providers, and on Audi’s follow-on investment into auto-tech unicorn TTTech Auto. As long-standing advisors of the Group we have also been assisting them in multiple cross-border regulatory and litigation matters.
Advising Porsche Automobil Holding SE in relation to the acquisition of 25%+1 voting rights in Porsche AG for €10.1bn and (shareholders') agreements with Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft as well as the IPO of Porsche AG (25% preference shares) with proceeds of €9.4bn.
Advising Aston Martin Lagonda, a FTSE 250 listed British luxury car manufacturer, on its entry into a strategic supply agreement with Lucid Group, a world leader in the design and manufacture of advanced electric powertrains and battery systems, to create industry-leading ultra-luxury high performance Aston Martin battery electric vehicles.
Advising Volkswagen Group, Audi, Volvo/Renault Trucks, Renault Group, Tesla and other OEMs and OEM suppliers, including Continental, JTEKT, Deutz on a number of individual and collective disputes or regulatory proceedings and investigations.
Advising Renault Group in a number of areas, including M&A and regulatory, such as on its 50/50 joint venture with Geely and the carveout of its combustion and hybrid engines business and its investment of €200m into Alpine Racing Limited.
Contacts
View our full team
Heather Lamberg Partner
Washington, DC
Takeshi Nakao Partner
Tokyo
James Roberts Partner
London
Dr. Stephan Waldhausen Partner
Düsseldorf