Byron Bahr is a partner and senior member in the firm’s financial services team which serves as western regional counsel for numerous automotive lenders and truck lenders, including Mercedes-Benz Financial Services, Daimler Truck Financial, GM Financial, and TD Auto Finance. The financial services team also represents Ford Motor Credit, Wells Fargo Auto Finance, Wells Fargo Dealer Services, Chase Auto Finance, VW Credit, Inc., and Credit Acceptance Corporation. 

 

Mr. Bahr has over 27 years’ experience in the automotive finance industry and represents financial institutions in all phases of the lending relationship, including documentation, workouts, litigation to enforce creditors’ rights, and litigation to defend lenders.

 

Mr. Bahr handles all aspects of lender/dealer relationships for both automotive and truck lenders.  He has extensive experience in documenting loans from automotive and truck lenders to their dealers.  Mr. Bahr participated in the overhaul of Chrysler Financial’s wholesale/floorplan lending documents, and later in the overhaul of the Mercedes-Benz Financial and Daimler Truck Financial commercial lending and floorplan documents. 

 

When GM Financial entered the automotive wholesale/floorplan financing business, Mr. Bahr took a lead role in creating a complete set of wholesale lending/floorplan documents, as well as policies and procedures, for use with its dealer body.  Since then, Mr. Bahr has helped create wholesale/floorplan lending documents for both new motor vehicle and used motor vehicle lenders.  When GM Financial entered the commercial leasing/lending business, Mr. Bahr again took a lead role in creating a complete set of commercial leasing and lending documents. 

 

Mr. Bahr’s expertise in drafting is based upon years of experience litigating automotive and truck dealer cases.  His broad experience representing automotive and truck lenders allows him to provide strategic counsel, and pragmatic solutions, on a wide range of issues.  He also counsels clients on a wide range of topics, including litigation avoidance through regulatory compliance.

 

Mr. Bahr also has particular expertise in negotiating and documenting loans from automotive lenders to dealers for acquisition of dealership properties and construction of dealerships. His expertise includes foreclosure on, and disposition of, real estate collateral.

 

Background:

 

Mr. Bahr joined the firm in 1987, and was admitted to practice in California state courts in 1987 and in various federal courts thereafter.

 

Mr. Bahr graduated from California State University, Chico cum laude in 1984, with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with an emphasis in Finance, and obtained his Juris Doctorate from University of California, Davis, School of Law in 1987.