automotive
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automotive

Our depth and breadth of experience in the automotive industry is unmatched by most Canadian firms, and surpassed by none. This enables us to provide practical, cost-effective solutions to our clients.

Members of our Automotive Group practise in the major legal disciplines that affect clients in the automotive sector. These include areas of business law, such as antitrust/competition, corporate/commercial, employment, environment, finance, corporate restructuring, government relations, litigation (product liability and risk management), real estate and municipal law, taxation, and trade law. We act for numerous North American and internationally-based automobile, truck and motocycle manufacturers, distributors/importers, finance-related affiliates, parts manufacturers, and automotive trade associations.

Our experience includes:

  • Establishment of Manufacturing Operations
  • Establishment of Distribution Operations
  • Advising on Ongoing Operations
  • Taxation, Customs and Trade
  • Regulatory Advice
  • Product Liability and other Litigation (including Class Actions)
  • Dealer Relations and Terminations 
  • Employee and Labour Relations/Immigration
  • Wholesale and Retail Finance and Securitization Programs
  • Intellectual Property
  • Corporate Restructuring and Insolvency
  • Industry Participation and Government Relations


Representative Transactions/Cases
  • Providing advice to automotive, truck and motorcycle manufacturers on the establishment of operations (including distribution networks) in Canada
  • Providing advice to parts manufacturers on the establishment of operations (including acquisition of real property) in Canada
  • Developing dealer agreements for automobile, truck and motorcycle manufacturers and distributors
  • Litigating dealer disputes and terminations
  • Assisting manufacturers and distributors in their defense of consumer-related class actions
  • Providing project/special assignment tax and trade advice to non-Canadian manufacturers and distributors
  • Providing labour relations, employment, human rights and workers' compensation advice to manufacturers and distributors
  • Assisting manufacturers and distributors in their response to product liability claims
  • Establishing wholesale and retail financing and securitizations programs for manufacturers and distributors and their finance affiliates
  • Assisting manufacturers and distributors (through their trade associations) to lobby government on fuel additive and other industry-specific issues
  • Prepared a transfer pricing report for goods, services and intellectual property transactions between a Canadian automobile manufacturer and its foreign parts supplier and customer affiliates, including advising on international Income Tax Treaties
  • Reviewed a Canadian parts manufacturer's operations and provided recommendations to comply with customs and transfer pricing obligation


Teresa Dufort
416.865.7145
John F. Clifford
416.865.7134
James B. Musgrove
416.307.4078