Our attorneys have been instrumental in advising clients and handling legal issues regarding contract disputes, class actions, “lemon lawsuits”, odometer fraud, Truth in Lending violations, franchise disputes, No-Fault and auto negligence, Secretary of State related matters, the EEOC, wrongful termination, sexual harassment, discrimination and FMLA related claims, to mention a few.
Today’s retail automotive business is all about change: changing laws, shifting regulations, buying, selling, and new formations. The future of your dealership depends on your ability to manage and adapt to whatever comes your way. To manage this change successfully, you need a team of experienced legal advisors — advisors who really understand the current consumer, environmental and regulatory issues of dealership management.
Colombo & Colombo is fully equipped to handle any legal issue faced by a dealership owner or management. Our experience and expertise across all areas of the law, combined with a proven ability to litigate in any court, allows Colombo attorneys to develop creative solutions for a wide range of legal problems.
For over 75 years, Colombo & Colombo has kept pace with the automotive industry and been extensively involved in representing dealerships and their trade associations. No other Michigan law firm has done it longer. Our successful track record in this very specialized area of law includes:
This is the law firm credited with inventing the Dealership Association. During the mid-1940s, one of the firm’s lawyers named Fred Colombo, was hired by local auto dealers to handle labor relations with auto dealerships. He created an auto dealership association to facilitate and ease the negotiation process. Soon after, similar associations were created for other car lines.
Unbeknownst to Fred, his ideas would be duplicated across the country and help this industry evolve into what it is today. The Colombo & Colombo law firm became widely known and respected for its unique expertise in auto dealership law.
The firm’s reputation continues today. When dealership associations, dealerships, governments or other law firms want to discuss laws affecting the auto dealership industry, they call Colombo & Colombo.
Government Regulatory Compliance and Representation
In addition, our lawyers have developed extensive skills and acquired vast experience with respect to the legal management of relationships between dealerships and automotive manufacturers. We are also well versed and highly experienced in automotive dealership and industry matters that involve the Secretary of State, National Labor Relations Board, Department of Labor, EEOC, Wage and Hour Division, and the Federal Trade Commission. Through expert legal guidance and representation, we assist automotive dealerships and trade associations to ensure necessary compliance with government regulations and to meet industry standards.
Because of the firm’s experience with the franchise segment of the automobile industry, we have developed considerable expertise in the area of franchise law. In addition to many automobile dealerships, the firm represents various types of franchisors in franchise development, registration, and litigation.
Our clients own and operate franchises for some of the most well-known brand names in the world. Our experience includes negotiating multi-million dollar buy-outs for franchisees that received unexpected termination notices from the franchisor.
Our attorneys provide advice and counsel pertaining to all matters involving franchising and franchise relationships, including:
Colombo attorneys have decades of experience and a successful track record working with clients to address a full range of matters originating from the Secretary of State.
We know the importance of a timely response. Delays in answering letters or telephone calls will only prolong the investigation. Also, failing to cooperate with a Department investigator can result in action being taken against the dealer.
During an investigation or an inspection, the Department investigator may determine that the dealership failed to meet the requirements of the Michigan Vehicle Code. The investigator may find it necessary to issue a Notice of Noncompliance (NNC) which is similar to a “ticket.” Of course, the cited dealer can appeal the NNC to higher levels in the Department. The appeal must be made in writing and must include the reason the dealer believes the violation was inappropriately issued.
Real estate law is a practice area that we specialize in. We have helped clients in the auto dealership industry expand their businesses and almost every time this included a real estate transaction. Our attorneys are experienced in everything from complex real estate cases to what some might consider routine matters.
Regardless of the size or scope of your real estate transaction or dispute, you should consider consulting an experienced real estate attorney who can provide insight into this ever-changing area of the law. We provide expertise and representation to corporate and individual clients in all areas of commercial real estate including:
Michigan’s “lemon law” has been around since 1986. However, consumer claims regarding automotive purchases and leases may require moving beyond that statute. Handling a plaintiff’s case in this very specific area of law requires an understanding of the relationships of the three major players in these disputes: the consumer, the dealer, and the manufacturer.
There is no cut-and-dry interpretation of the Lemon Law. Our experienced attorneys can help you throughout the Lemon Law claim process from filing the claim to communicating with the dealer and manufacturer, all the way through litigation or an alternative dispute resolution arrangement if necessary.
Colombo attorney Eric R. Bowden was selected by the prestigious Institute for Continuing Legal Education (ICLE) to be on a panel of industry experts for a webinar titled “Beyond Lemon Law: Consumer Auto Transactions.” This webinar is posted on ICLE.org and is available for member viewing.
Prerequisite for success in the defense of a Truth in Lending claim against an auto dealership are lawyers who understand the various laws and the inner workings of auto dealerships. It is important to develop an early game plan and to put it in action quickly as many of the lawsuits confronted by auto dealership involve statutes which would require the dealerships to pay the attorney fees of the opposing party.
Colombo & Colombo attorneys have specialized in the defense of auto dealerships for over 75 years. We have worked closely with our auto dealership clients to train their employees in how to avoid such lawsuits in the first place; how to address customer complaints to prevent the same from becoming lawsuits; and further once a lawsuit does arise to quickly develop a game plan with the dealership to limit liability and the costs associated with defending the dealership.
Michigan’s no-fault law allows those who suffer a car accident injury caused by another person’s negligence to bring certain claims against the at-fault driver. This is known as an “auto negligence claim,” and is handled separately from the injured person’s claim for no-fault benefits with his or her own auto insurance carrier.
Because of the complexities involved in pursuing no-fault PIP benefits, auto negligence victims need what is called a unified litigation strategy, where one lawyer handles both the claim for car accident damages and the claim for no-fault coverage. Why is this unified litigation strategy so crucial? Because it’s the only realistic way for Michigan car crash victims to be fully compensated for their injuries.
The phrase “an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure” applies when it comes to harassment in the workplace.
It is extremely important that in the event of discrimination or harassment, your anti-harassment policy indicates what key employees are responsible for handling discrimination or harassment complaints. In other words, your employees need to know who they are supposed to report the discrimination or harassment complaint too and what steps need to be taken to address same. In that regard, it is imperative that your key employees understand your anti-harassment policy and what they are required to do in the event they receive such a complaint. If you feel it is necessary, we are always available to provide seminars to get the process started.
Colombo & Colombo provides training and seminars on a variety of issues including discrimination, sexual harassment, FMLA and ADA. Furthermore, our attorneys are experienced in preparing and continually reviewing employee handbooks, employment applications, etc. to ensure compliance with applicable laws.
Even with up-to-date policies in place, we know that sexual harassment happens and when it does employers need advice and counsel from experienced attorneys. Our focus is always on protecting businesses. Our attorneys understand the economic impact of litigation and we provide clients with a true assessment of a case, at the start and throughout the case.
Experience shows that the best defense against wage and hour liability is to assess and, where necessary, to correct current wage and hour policies and practices to bring companies into full compliance with federal and state wage and hour laws.
Our attorneys are adept at analyzing questions under state and federal laws on such topics ranging from employee classification to overtime calculation to meal and rest breaks. We routinely assist employers in redesigning jobs and their accompanying job descriptions to maintain exempt status, to ease transitions from exempt to non-exempt status or vice versa, to account for all hours worked, and to properly pay overtime compensation.
We also lead our clients through formal and informal audits, staging compliance reviews in phases, thereby minimizing disruption to our clients’ businesses and allowing for easier budgeting.
When changes need to be made, we work with our clients to effectively communicate these changes to their workforce with minimal disruption to productivity. Our vast experience allows us to arrive at creative solutions to address critical needs without necessarily going through laborious full “wall-to-wall” assessments.
If claims occur, our attorneys can skillfully negotiate the best possible outcomes and argue our clients’ positions in all jurisdictions. In jurisdictions where complex labor codes pose unique risks for management, we are especially proud of our strong track record of counseling clients on litigation avoidance and effectively representing clients against wage and hour class actions.
The Family and Medical Leave Act was passed in 1993 to provide for the rights of employees to take time off work under certain circumstances without losing their position in the company or their benefits.
To qualify for FMLA protection, an employee must work at a company with 50 or more employees within a 75-mile radius of the worksite, or for a school or other government employer of any size, and employment must have consisted of at least 1,250 hours within the past 12 months.
As an employer, it is important that you, your General Manager and your key employees are aware of the requirements under these Acts. It is also important that they know which employees are covered, which employees are eligible, scope of leave and the leave period. It is important that everyone knows what is a “qualifying event” for such leaves. In fact, with regards to the FMLA, it is of the utmost importance to have a Designated Leave Administrator.
With respect to FMLA leave, it is important for a leave of more than one week, the employee be required to call the Designated Leave Administrator. To learn more about a Designated Leave Administrator, please contact our office to help establish the appropriate employee.
Colombo attorneys have successfully represented employees and employers in Family and Medical Leave Act disputes. Our employment law lawyers are also available to help employers review, write and institute policies to ensure current FMLA regulations are being followed.
The EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) is responsible for enforcing Federal Law which makes it illegal to discriminate against job applicants or employment, based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetic information. It is also illegal to discriminate against a person because a person complained about discrimination, filed a charge of discrimination or participated in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit.
It is important for every business to know the laws and take the necessary steps to prevent discrimination in your business. Doing so will encourage harmony and cooperation among your employees and will make your place of business a much more comfortable place to work.
Discrimination occurs when a person is treated less favorably than someone else in a similar situation due to one or more of the following factors: their race, gender, disability, age, religion, or sexual orientation. In fact, most employees fall into some protected class which makes discrimination against them illegal by state and federal laws.
An employer’s initial response to any claim of discrimination by an employee is essential as it will have a major impact on the defense of the case.
Our attorneys are available at all stages of the litigation process to assist employers in navigating the difficult situations that can arise when an employee files a discrimination claim and yet continues to work for the employer. From the outset, we work closely with employers to evaluate each case and determine the merits of the employee’s claim.
We also assist in responding to the allegations contained in the complaint and will advise you on how to handle the situation going forward, including how to avoid any retaliation claims that could arise if the employee in question feels they are being disciplined for complaining in the first place.
Class actions begin as lawsuits brought by one or a small group of employees who have been legally wronged in the same or a very similar way. Class actions can be beneficial because they make it possible to efficiently fix injustices to large classes of workers, especially where the cost of bringing an individual smaller lawsuit for just one person would outweigh the benefit.
Today’s retail automotive business is all about change: changing laws, shifting regulations, buying, selling, and new formations. The future of your dealership depends on your ability to manage and adapt to whatever comes your way. To manage this change successfully, you need a team of experienced legal advisors — advisors who really understand the current consumer, environmental and regulatory issues of dealership management.
Colombo & Colombo is fully equipped to handle any legal issue faced by a dealership owner or management. Our experience and expertise across all areas of the law, combined with a proven ability to litigate in any court, allows Colombo attorneys to develop creative solutions for a wide range of legal problems.
For over 75 years, Colombo & Colombo has kept pace with the automotive industry and been extensively involved in representing dealerships and their trade associations. No other Michigan law firm has done it longer. Our successful track record in this very specialized area of law includes:
This is the law firm credited with inventing the Dealership Association. During the mid-1940s, one of the firm’s lawyers named Fred Colombo, was hired by local auto dealers to handle labor relations with auto dealerships. He created an auto dealership association to facilitate and ease the negotiation process. Soon after, similar associations were created for other car lines.
Unbeknownst to Fred, his ideas would be duplicated across the country and help this industry evolve into what it is today. The Colombo & Colombo law firm became widely known and respected for its unique expertise in auto dealership law.
The firm’s reputation continues today. When dealership associations, dealerships, governments or other law firms want to discuss laws affecting the auto dealership industry, they call Colombo & Colombo.
Government Regulatory Compliance and Representation
In addition, our lawyers have developed extensive skills and acquired vast experience with respect to the legal management of relationships between dealerships and automotive manufacturers. We are also well versed and highly experienced in automotive dealership and industry matters that involve the Secretary of State, National Labor Relations Board, Department of Labor, EEOC, Wage and Hour Division, and the Federal Trade Commission. Through expert legal guidance and representation, we assist automotive dealerships and trade associations to ensure necessary compliance with government regulations and to meet industry standards.
Because of the firm’s experience with the franchise segment of the automobile industry, we have developed considerable expertise in the area of franchise law. In addition to many automobile dealerships, the firm represents various types of franchisors in franchise development, registration, and litigation.
Our clients own and operate franchises for some of the most well-known brand names in the world. Our experience includes negotiating multi-million dollar buy-outs for franchisees that received unexpected termination notices from the franchisor.
Our attorneys provide advice and counsel pertaining to all matters involving franchising and franchise relationships, including:
Colombo attorneys have decades of experience and a successful track record working with clients to address a full range of matters originating from the Secretary of State.
We know the importance of a timely response. Delays in answering letters or telephone calls will only prolong the investigation. Also, failing to cooperate with a Department investigator can result in action being taken against the dealer.
During an investigation or an inspection, the Department investigator may determine that the dealership failed to meet the requirements of the Michigan Vehicle Code. The investigator may find it necessary to issue a Notice of Noncompliance (NNC) which is similar to a “ticket.” Of course, the cited dealer can appeal the NNC to higher levels in the Department. The appeal must be made in writing and must include the reason the dealer believes the violation was inappropriately issued.
Real estate law is a practice area that we specialize in. We have helped clients in the auto dealership industry expand their businesses and almost every time this included a real estate transaction. Our attorneys are experienced in everything from complex real estate cases to what some might consider routine matters.
Regardless of the size or scope of your real estate transaction or dispute, you should consider consulting an experienced real estate attorney who can provide insight into this ever-changing area of the law. We provide expertise and representation to corporate and individual clients in all areas of commercial real estate including:
Michigan’s “lemon law” has been around since 1986. However, consumer claims regarding automotive purchases and leases may require moving beyond that statute. Handling a plaintiff’s case in this very specific area of law requires an understanding of the relationships of the three major players in these disputes: the consumer, the dealer, and the manufacturer.
There is no cut-and-dry interpretation of the Lemon Law. Our experienced attorneys can help you throughout the Lemon Law claim process from filing the claim to communicating with the dealer and manufacturer, all the way through litigation or an alternative dispute resolution arrangement if necessary.
Colombo attorney Eric R. Bowden was selected by the prestigious Institute for Continuing Legal Education (ICLE) to be on a panel of industry experts for a webinar titled “Beyond Lemon Law: Consumer Auto Transactions.” This webinar is posted on ICLE.org and is available for member viewing.
Prerequisite for success in the defense of a Truth in Lending claim against an auto dealership are lawyers who understand the various laws and the inner workings of auto dealerships. It is important to develop an early game plan and to put it in action quickly as many of the lawsuits confronted by auto dealership involve statutes which would require the dealerships to pay the attorney fees of the opposing party.
Colombo & Colombo attorneys have specialized in the defense of auto dealerships for over 75 years. We have worked closely with our auto dealership clients to train their employees in how to avoid such lawsuits in the first place; how to address customer complaints to prevent the same from becoming lawsuits; and further once a lawsuit does arise to quickly develop a game plan with the dealership to limit liability and the costs associated with defending the dealership.
Michigan’s no-fault law allows those who suffer a car accident injury caused by another person’s negligence to bring certain claims against the at-fault driver. This is known as an “auto negligence claim,” and is handled separately from the injured person’s claim for no-fault benefits with his or her own auto insurance carrier.
Because of the complexities involved in pursuing no-fault PIP benefits, auto negligence victims need what is called a unified litigation strategy, where one lawyer handles both the claim for car accident damages and the claim for no-fault coverage. Why is this unified litigation strategy so crucial? Because it’s the only realistic way for Michigan car crash victims to be fully compensated for their injuries.
The phrase “an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure” applies when it comes to harassment in the workplace.
It is extremely important that in the event of discrimination or harassment, your anti-harassment policy indicates what key employees are responsible for handling discrimination or harassment complaints. In other words, your employees need to know who they are supposed to report the discrimination or harassment complaint too and what steps need to be taken to address same. In that regard, it is imperative that your key employees understand your anti-harassment policy and what they are required to do in the event they receive such a complaint. If you feel it is necessary, we are always available to provide seminars to get the process started.
Colombo & Colombo provides training and seminars on a variety of issues including discrimination, sexual harassment, FMLA and ADA. Furthermore, our attorneys are experienced in preparing and continually reviewing employee handbooks, employment applications, etc. to ensure compliance with applicable laws.
Even with up-to-date policies in place, we know that sexual harassment happens and when it does employers need advice and counsel from experienced attorneys. Our focus is always on protecting businesses. Our attorneys understand the economic impact of litigation and we provide clients with a true assessment of a case, at the start and throughout the case.
Experience shows that the best defense against wage and hour liability is to assess and, where necessary, to correct current wage and hour policies and practices to bring companies into full compliance with federal and state wage and hour laws.
Our attorneys are adept at analyzing questions under state and federal laws on such topics ranging from employee classification to overtime calculation to meal and rest breaks. We routinely assist employers in redesigning jobs and their accompanying job descriptions to maintain exempt status, to ease transitions from exempt to non-exempt status or vice versa, to account for all hours worked, and to properly pay overtime compensation.
We also lead our clients through formal and informal audits, staging compliance reviews in phases, thereby minimizing disruption to our clients’ businesses and allowing for easier budgeting.
When changes need to be made, we work with our clients to effectively communicate these changes to their workforce with minimal disruption to productivity. Our vast experience allows us to arrive at creative solutions to address critical needs without necessarily going through laborious full “wall-to-wall” assessments.
If claims occur, our attorneys can skillfully negotiate the best possible outcomes and argue our clients’ positions in all jurisdictions. In jurisdictions where complex labor codes pose unique risks for management, we are especially proud of our strong track record of counseling clients on litigation avoidance and effectively representing clients against wage and hour class actions.
The Family and Medical Leave Act was passed in 1993 to provide for the rights of employees to take time off work under certain circumstances without losing their position in the company or their benefits.
To qualify for FMLA protection, an employee must work at a company with 50 or more employees within a 75-mile radius of the worksite, or for a school or other government employer of any size, and employment must have consisted of at least 1,250 hours within the past 12 months.
As an employer, it is important that you, your General Manager and your key employees are aware of the requirements under these Acts. It is also important that they know which employees are covered, which employees are eligible, scope of leave and the leave period. It is important that everyone knows what is a “qualifying event” for such leaves. In fact, with regards to the FMLA, it is of the utmost importance to have a Designated Leave Administrator.
With respect to FMLA leave, it is important for a leave of more than one week, the employee be required to call the Designated Leave Administrator. To learn more about a Designated Leave Administrator, please contact our office to help establish the appropriate employee.
Colombo attorneys have successfully represented employees and employers in Family and Medical Leave Act disputes. Our employment law lawyers are also available to help employers review, write and institute policies to ensure current FMLA regulations are being followed.
The EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) is responsible for enforcing Federal Law which makes it illegal to discriminate against job applicants or employment, based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetic information. It is also illegal to discriminate against a person because a person complained about discrimination, filed a charge of discrimination or participated in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit.
It is important for every business to know the laws and take the necessary steps to prevent discrimination in your business. Doing so will encourage harmony and cooperation among your employees and will make your place of business a much more comfortable place to work.
Discrimination occurs when a person is treated less favorably than someone else in a similar situation due to one or more of the following factors: their race, gender, disability, age, religion, or sexual orientation. In fact, most employees fall into some protected class which makes discrimination against them illegal by state and federal laws.
An employer’s initial response to any claim of discrimination by an employee is essential as it will have a major impact on the defense of the case.
Our attorneys are available at all stages of the litigation process to assist employers in navigating the difficult situations that can arise when an employee files a discrimination claim and yet continues to work for the employer. From the outset, we work closely with employers to evaluate each case and determine the merits of the employee’s claim.
We also assist in responding to the allegations contained in the complaint and will advise you on how to handle the situation going forward, including how to avoid any retaliation claims that could arise if the employee in question feels they are being disciplined for complaining in the first place.
Class actions begin as lawsuits brought by one or a small group of employees who have been legally wronged in the same or a very similar way. Class actions can be beneficial because they make it possible to efficiently fix injustices to large classes of workers, especially where the cost of bringing an individual smaller lawsuit for just one person would outweigh the benefit.
Whether you need assistance with business law, real estate transactions, estate planning, or litigation, our experienced attorneys are here to help. At Colombo & Colombo, we provide strategic legal solutions tailored to your needs. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and take the next step toward securing your future.
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