Partner Chris Grigorian was quoted in a Law360 article, “The 4 Hottest Practice Areas for 2018,” about how the autonomous vehicle industry is continuing to pose new public policy questions and legal issues for corporations in the automotive space.
Legislation that would likely accelerate getting more autonomous vehicles on the road, providing the federal government preemption over states with regard to the regulation of their design, construction and performance, has passed the House and is working its way through the Senate.
If the bills become law, Grigorian said he anticipates a surge in legal work in 2018 as federal regulators engage in congressionally mandated rulemaking, such as amending the federal motor vehicle safety standards to remove barriers to the development of autonomous vehicles and expanding exemptions to facilitate the development and field testing of self-driving cars.
“We anticipate working closely with our clients throughout the rulemaking process and, subsequently, guiding them through the compliance challenges that will inevitably arise in this emerging area,” he said.
