Washington, D.C. partner Donald Workman was quoted in a June 19, 2009, Wall Street Journal article, "Can Congress Save 3,300 Doomed Auto Dealerships?"
The focus of the article is the Automobile Dealer Economic Rights Restoration Act of 2009, a bill which aims to restore the economic rights of General Motors and Chrysler car dealers as they existed prior to each company's bankruptcies. That means dealers will be given the power to negotiate the closures with manufacturers, as stated in the contracts governing the dealers relationships with the auto makers, according to the article.
Legal experts, according to the article, think the bill's supporters are fighting an uphill battle, as bankruptcy laws essentially shield companies against many liabilities in order to allow them to reorganize and re-emerge from the process as healthy companies. "When it comes to a conflict like this, usually federal bankruptcy law trumps the state law and dealership contracts," said Workman.