Deanne serves as counsel to dozens of trade associations including many in the automotive parts manufacturing, heavy-duty truck parts manufacturing, and retail bookselling industries, as well as to an association of retail collection attorneys. In this capacity, she often serves as antitrust and general counsel at their annual and board meetings, and advises on matters related to federal and state regulation as well as association bylaws, procedures and risk management, and insurance issues. Her trade association work has involved many regulatory challenges, including on behalf of a consortium of nine automotive parts manufacturers, re-manufacturers, and service providers in mobile source regulatory and legislative proceedings, and in legal challenges to US Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board actions.
For trade association, franchisor, and other corporate clients, Deanne has established protected cell captives, offshore captive arrangements, and affinity arrangements, allowing her clients to significantly decrease their costs of insurance, and allowing her trade association clients to offer an important member benefit which often yields a significant source of non-dues revenue.
Deanne advises motor vehicle manufacturer and supplier clients on National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issues, including recalls, defect investigations and related enforcement proceedings, compliance with federal motor vehicle safety standards, rulemaking proceedings, FOIA and confidentiality matters, and other compliance issues under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, TREAD Act, and implementing regulations. In addition, she advises clients on federal and California emissions certification and compliance.
Deanne’s insurance coverage work includes advising clients on their rights to insurance coverage for liabilities arising out of real estate development and business operations on the Internet and in manufacturing and service industries, both before and after loss has occurred. Deanne has also represented policyholders in coverage litigation to enforce insurers’ obligations to pay the costs of defending and indemnifying environmental, products liability, and directors and officers actions. She has negotiated many multimillion dollar settlements for policyholders with their insurers.