Jonathan is a business litigator who focuses his practice on automotive litigation, motor vehicle franchise disputes and regulatory challenges affecting vehicle manufacturers and industry trade associations.
Jonathan’s experience in this area stems from his time in-house on secondment to a client during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. There, amidst unprecedented volatility in the automotive industry, Jonathan worked side-by-side with the business to navigate a series of complex legal challenges related to the client’s dealer network. Jonathan became deeply immersed in topics such as inventory supply and allocation formulas, sales policies and incentive programs, warranty reimbursements, audits, fraud investigations, facility branding and relocations and dealer terminations.
Now, as outside counsel, Jonathan litigates cases across the country before administrative agencies, state trial courts and federal district courts. His representative matters include defending manufacturers against dealer protests involving terminations, add-point establishments, warranty reimbursement and line-make withdrawals. He has also defended automotive manufacturers in consumer class actions and other high-stakes litigation involving warranty, product and unfair competition claims. As part of a Shook trial team recognized by ALM’s Litigation Daily as a Litigator of the Week Runner-Up, Jonathan helped secure a defense verdict for an automotive client in what has been described as the first ADAS/autonomous technology class trial and one of the largest automotive product trials of its kind.
Jonathan has successfully handled multiple matters presenting novel questions under state motor vehicle franchise laws and automotive regulatory schemes. His experience includes obtaining summary judgment in a Florida case of first impression involving post-termination inventory repurchase obligations under the Florida Motor Vehicle Dealership Act, after which the Florida Legislature amended the governing statute during its 2026 legislative session. He also represents automotive manufacturers and industry participants in regulatory and constitutional litigation involving administrative procedure acts, federal preemption and First Amendment issues affecting vehicle distribution and sales regulations. He has handled closely watched litigation challenging state regulations governing vehicle sales and manufacturer communications.
Jonathan continues to advise clients on dealer network strategy and emerging distribution models. He helped launch an EV-only brand with a direct-to-consumer sales model in the United States and has counseled manufacturers throughout the full lifecycle of dealer network development, operation, restructuring and market withdrawal.
Before practicing law, Jonathan served in the U.S. Navy as a Korean-to-English translator at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Oahu. As part of his pro bono practice, Jonathan has secured 100% permanent medical disability retirement benefits for multiple veterans appealing unfavorable determinations before the Army Board for Correction of Military Records and the Board for Correction of Naval Records.
Representative Matters
- Defended automobile distributor in a certified consumer class action involving advanced driver-assistance technology claims, resulting in a defense verdict after trial as part of a trial team recognized by ALM Litigation Daily as a Litigator of the Week Runner-Up.
- Defended automobile distributor in a certified multi-state consumer class action involving vehicle warranty and consumer protection claims.
- Obtained summary judgment for a commercial vehicle manufacturer in a case of first impression under Florida’s Motor Vehicle Licensing Act concerning post-termination inventory repurchase obligations; the Florida Legislature subsequently amended the governing statute.
- Represented automotive industry interests in a constitutional and administrative-law challenge involving vehicle sales regulations, federal preemption, First Amendment issues and Washington’s Administrative Procedure Act.
- Successfully represented automobile distributor in a warranty rate reimbursement protest before the California New Motor Vehicle Board involving a novel issue under the California Vehicle Code.
- Defended automobile distributor in litigation concerning the lawfulness of vehicle allocation methodologies under Florida’s Motor Vehicle Dealership Act, including claims involving dealer inventory distribution and statutory allocation requirements.
- Defended automobile distributor’s proposed establishment of an additional dealership point in the Miami market in a contested administrative proceeding under Florida’s Motor Vehicle Dealership Act.
- Represented automotive manufacturers in litigation involving dealer pricing and incentive programs, including Robinson-Patman Act allegations, dealer fraud investigations, falsified sales-reporting practices and claims related to improper manufacturer incentive payments.