Pillsbury has advised the two largest automobile associations in the United States—the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and the Association of Global Automakers—on their recently announced merger to combine and re-launch as the newly formed Alliance for Automotive Innovation.

The new association will serve as a unified automotive industry voice, leveraging the expansive history of both legacy organizations to represent innovative manufacturers and value chain partners that together produce nearly 99 percent of all light-duty vehicles sold in the United States. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation will work to speed the safe deployment of advances in personal transportation through effective public policy, stakeholder engagement and greater public understanding.

All members of the merged associations will be part of the new organization. In addition, members have expressed interest in actively recruiting new personal mobility and technology companies, including new entrants to the auto sector focused on self-driving, electrified and connected vehicles.

More information about this transaction is available here.

Pillsbury’s Nonprofit Organizations practice—which has now advised on nearly 100 nonprofit organization mergers, consolidations, and other combinations—assisted both trade associations in this transaction.  The firm was engaged near the beginning of the merger discussions and worked closely on legal and strategic matters with inside legal counsel for both associations, as well as the respective merger committees representing their leadership. The work included resolution of governance issues, due diligence reviews, preparation of transaction documents, and development of bylaws and policies for the combined new association.

The Pillsbury team advising on the merger was led by partner Jerald A. Jacobs, who leads the firm’s Nonprofit Organizations practice, and counsel Dawn Crowell Murphy. Public Practices special counsel Emily B. Erlingsson and associates Lori Panosyan and Nicole Steinberg; Litigation senior counsel Alvin Dunn, and associates Michael Andres Warley, Adam R. Poliner and John Chamberlain; Intellectual Property partner Patrick J. Jennings; Global Sourcing partner Meighan E. O'Reardon; Employment & Labor special counsel Julia E. Judish and attorney Karen-Faye McTavish; Tax special counsel Robert S. Logan; and Executive Compensation & Benefits senior associate Justin Krawitz were also involved.