Distressed Automotive Supplier

Headquartered in Detroit, the heart of the American automotive industry, Miller Canfield has decades of experience in troubled supplier workouts and bankruptcies, as well as litigating, arbitrating, and mediating disputes among participants in the automotive supply chain.

The group's international experience has become increasingly important as these supply chains that once spanned the North American continent now reach around the globe.

In the automotive sector, our firm adeptly guided one client through bankruptcy litigation, recovering over two-thirds of a $75 million dollar claim while eliminating litigation claims of over $200 million brought against the client. Often, our successes are measured not in dollars recovered but rather in the millions of dollars of damages avoided by an automobile or parts manufacturer that would be incurred if the assembly lines were to stop because of an interruption in the supply chain.

We address challenges in funding ongoing operations; fostering cooperation with labor and management; managing vendor, customer, and creditor relationships; addressing the concerns of ownership, customers, and lenders; and dealing with property and tooling and the rehabilitation, sale, or winding up of the supplier. In all cases, our industry experience enables us to find workable solutions and negotiate a reasonable, cost-effective solution.