Area law firm celebrates 110 years

Founded in 1905 by Louis Colombo Sr., a man who achieved prominence in Detroit during an era of towering lawyers and great courtroom oratory, this year marks the 110th anniversary of the Colombo & Colombo law firm. Throughout its history the firm has provided counsel to some of the most well-known names in the country. For example, Henry Ford was so impressed with attorney Louis Colombo Sr. that he wanted to hire him to work at the Ford Motor Company. When Louis Sr. explained that he could not leave his private practice, Henry Ford sent a car to drive him to the Ford Motor Company every afternoon during the week. During the mid-1940s, Louis Sr.'s son, attorney Fred Colombo, was hired by a group of local auto dealers to handle their labor relations. He created an auto dealership association to facilitate and ease the negotiation process. Soon after, similar associations were created for other car lines. Unbeknownst to Fred, his ideas would help the industry evolve into what it is today, and the firm would become widely known for its expertise in the laws affecting auto dealerships. In 1995, to help clients compete in a global economy the firm was a founding member of the LEGUS International Network of Law Firms. This network currently includes 80 member law firms and helps Colombo attorneys provide effective and efficient client representation anywhere in the world. More recently, Colombo attorneys assisted numerous auto dealers throughout Michigan in securing the return of their franchises after General Motors and Chrysler initially terminated them as a part of their post-bankruptcy actions. Last year, the firm launched the first blog ever that is solely dedicated to the legal issues facing dealerships: www.MichiganDealerLaw.com. This blog provides insight for auto dealerships, as well as motorcycle, watercraft, RV, and power sports dealerships. The firm's clients include auto dealers and related associations, pension associations, employee benefit trusts, manufacturers, construction contractors, profit and non-profit corporations, public and private employers, manufacturer's representatives, individuals, and many others. Published: Thu, Mar 12, 2015