Bio
Michael assists automobile dealerships of all sizes in legal matters throughout the lifecycle of their businesses. As chair of the firm’s automobile dealership group, he brings more than three decades of experience counseling clients through the transactional, litigation, and regulatory hurdles entailed in operating a dealership in Colorado and throughout the Rocky Mountain West.
Versed in all aspects of the state and federal law issues impacting auto dealerships, Michael excels at counseling clients at every stage of development including acquisition and disposition of their businesses. He frequently works in concert with professional accountants and wealth advisors in evaluating the potential return on investment an emerging deal may have on a client’s bottom line. Regardless of the underlying matter, Michael understands the inner workings of his clients’ businesses, and serves as a trusted advisor whose focus is on ensuring his clients achieve their goals.
Michael frequently consults with dealers on factory issues including incentives, facility issues, add–points, relocations, and terminations. His recent experience includes representing clients who receive complaints from state regulators; assisting a client in selling two import dealerships to a public company for more than $50 million; and working with a family-owned dealership seeking to acquire other dealerships. He also handles general commercial litigation, consumer and manufacturer disputes and related litigation, new point protests, federal and state compliance, bankruptcy, real estate issues, contract disputes, advertising review, floor plan review and negotiation, and termination cases.
An active member and frequent speaker for the Colorado Automobile Dealer Association (CADA) and the National Association of Dealer Counsel on the complexity of legal issues facing automobile dealerships, Michael also co-authored the Colorado Dealer Compliance Guide, a comprehensive guide to state law issues for Colorado Motor Vehicle Dealers published by CADA. He also serves as outside counsel for CADA.