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Right to repair laws are giving consumers and independent repair shops greater access to parts and information. While these laws benefit consumers, they also create challenges for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and authorized suppliers, raising concerns about safety, privacy, and security. Intellectual property (IP) laws offer companies tools to protect their aftermarket business and maintain brand integrity.

Continue Reading 2025 IP Update and Year in Review: Navigating Right to Repair and What It Means for Brands in a Changing Aftermarket

A sudden change in State Department screening is triggering widespread visa interview delays, some extending into summer 2026. U.S. consulates are rescheduling confirmed appointments with little notice, potentially disrupting global mobility programs and critical automotive talent.  Employees abroad with expired visas may be unable to return to the U.S. Multiple visa categories are affected, and rescheduling options are limited.

Why automotive leaders should care: Visa interview delays can sideline critical engineering and mobility talent for months, disrupting launches, production schedules, and R&D timelines.

Read the full alert.

The Industrial & Manufacturing sector is poised for strong M&A activity in 2025, with more than 20% of respondents in Dykema’s latest M&A Outlook Survey identifying it as a focus. However, dealmakers are navigating challenges, including tariffs, supply chain disruptions, and economic uncertainty, factors that are reshaping how deals are evaluated and executed.

Click here for a closer look at the trends shaping Industrial & Manufacturing M&A. Report Link.

Click here to view the full M&A report: Report Link.

Optimism is building in the Automotive, Transportation, & Mobility sector, with 62% of respondents in Dykema’s latest M&A Outlook Survey expecting more deal activity in the year ahead. Key drivers include supply chain resiliency, labor solutions, and technology integration, particularly around electronic and autonomous platforms.

Continue Reading Automotive M&A: What’s Ahead

As the automotive industry heads into the final stretch of 2025, At the Wheel: An Automotive Roundup brings you the latest from Dykema’s Automotive, Mobility & Transportation group. In this Fall Edition, we catch up on trending topics, industry insights, and key takeaways from recent events, while giving a glimpse of what’s ahead.

Continue Reading At the Wheel: Fall Edition

Trending Up: Smart Cars, Smarter Lawsuits 

The connected car has hit some speed bumps. In the wake of FTC enforcement actions that began in late 2024, the agency has continued targeting automakers for alleged misuse of telematics and geolocation data. This spring, at least one high-profile case involved claims that manufacturers had shared driver data with insurers without proper consent, sparking follow-on investigations by multiple state attorneys general.

These developments have also fueled a wave of class actions. Plaintiffs are challenging how companies collect, store, and monetize driving behavior data, citing state privacy laws and longstanding statutes like the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act.

Trending Down: Retrofitting Privacy Practices

Continue Reading Trending Up/Trending Down: Data Privacy and Security

Trending Up: Lean and Mean Portfolios

The first half of 2025 saw many automotive companies narrowing their scope to adopt a more efficient approach to dealmaking. Instead of chasing every growth opportunity, companies are shedding non-core assets and leaning into technologies they see as essential to their long-term strategy.

The result: more carve-outs of non-core assets and more targeted acquisitions. For example, suppliers are doing deals in ADAS, interiors, and powertrain designed to align with shifting OEM needs. Going forward, expect more moves that favor depth over breadth.

Trending Down: Deals on Hold, Not Off the Table

Continue Reading Trending Up/Trending Down: Mergers and Acquisitions

Trending Up: No Hands, No Excuses

With the release of NHTSA’s new Automated Vehicle Framework (AVF) in April, manufacturers of autonomous systems can see a more straightforward—if more arduous—path forward. The Framework aims to harmonize federal standards, streamline crash reporting, and formally extend the Automated Vehicle Exemption Program to U.S.-produced vehicles.

As more vehicles move into SAE Levels 3–5, liability and consumer attitudes in product liability continue to evolve. When something goes wrong, both plaintiffs and regulators are more likely to scrutinize the underlying technology and the entities responsible for designing, testing, and maintaining it. That means more litigation grounded in product liability and software defect claims, and more pressure on OEMs and suppliers to comply from the outset.

Trending Down: The Privacy Hurdle

Continue Reading Trending Up/Trending Down: Advanced Mobility

Trending Up: Liability by Algorithm

Lawmakers and courts are shifting from theory to rulemaking as AI takes the wheel, bringing new questions about fault along for the ride. Recent legislation in the EU and UK places a presumptive share of liability on manufacturers and software providers, treating autonomous decision-making as an extension of product performance rather than driver behavior.

In the U.S., emerging state-level laws and agency guidance are starting to follow this pattern, especially where human oversight is limited. This trend marks a subtle but significant shift in the legal guardrails around AI: companies are no longer just expected to disclose risks—they’re being required to absorb them.

Trending Down: Compliance Guesswork

Continue Reading Trending Up/Trending Down: Artificial Intelligence

Welcome to the June/July edition of At the Wheel: An Automotive Roundup. We begin with highlights from our recent Automotive Legal Summit, a one-day event packed with valuable insights and dynamic discussions. Then, explore key trends shaping the automotive industry and the latest thought leadership from Dykema’s Automotive and Transportation Industry Group.

Continue Reading At the Wheel: Summer Edition