John C. Norling

Mr. Norling is the Managing Attorney of Jennings Strouss and serves on the Firm’s Management Committee. His practice is focused on advising clients on all aspects of their operations, including but not limited to, commercial transactions, real estate, business organizations, corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, federal and administrative compliance, business contract negotiations, and advertising law.

Mr. Norling serves as the de facto outside General Counsel for many of his clients providing advice on issues ranging from day-to-day operations to strategic planning. He is recognized as an industry leader in the retail automotive industry and advises dealer clients on the legal and practical aspects of the operation of a retail automotive dealership, including, without limitation, the acquisition or sale of a dealership, the commencement of dealership operations, whether through an add-point or newly acquired dealership, manufacturer and lending relationships, operational and consumer issues, ownership succession issues, licensing issues, federal and state compliance and advertising law. Mr. Norling also has significant experience advising commercial lenders in the business of providing financing to automobile dealerships. This experience includes loan documentation and structuring, workouts, enforcement and consumer-related financing issues.

As part of his practice, Mr. Norling serves as General Counsel to the Arizona Automobile Dealers’ Association, Valley Chevrolet Dealers Advertising Association, Valley Honda Dealers Marketing Association, Tucson Chevy Dealers Local Marketing Association, and several other industry related associations.

Admitted to Practice

• Arizona (1991)

Court Admission

• U.S. Tax Court (2002)
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit (1991)

• Served as lead counsel in transactions involving the sale or acquisition of automobile dealerships and the related real estate ranging from the $1 million range to well in excess of $100 million
• Served as branch counsel for one of the largest captive automobile finance companies in the country, handling the documentation of lending relationships and the enforcement of loan documents
• Serves as outside General Counsel to one of the largest family-owned landscaping material production and sales companies in the Western United States, advising on a wide range of matters, from the negotiation and preparation of vendor contracts to the acquisition and divestiture of real estate
• Routinely advises automobile dealer clients on state and federal law compliance matters, including compliance with advertising regulations, the Red Flags Rule, Safeguards Rule, Privacy Rule and impact of the Dodd-Frank Act upon the operations of retail automobile dealerships
• Regularly advises entrepreneurial clients on a wide range of issues, including new business opportunities, strategic and succession planning, business contract negotiation and preparation, and risk analysis and avoidance

Articles

• Featured, “Business Leaders to Watch in 2021,” AzBusiness Magazine (November 2020)
• Quoted, “Phoenix law firm gives ASU Law grads meaningful opportunities to work where they studied,” Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law (July 27, 2020)
• Featured, “The College Athletes of Jennings, Strouss & Salmon: Playing the Game of Law,” Attorney At Law Magazine (June 26, 2020)
• Quoted, “Arizona legal services institution is proud to continue support of ASU Law,” Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law (2019)
• Contributor, “Six Legal and Regulatory Risks CMOs Can’t Afford To Ignore,” CMO.com (2015)
• Contributor, “What New Online Advertising Rules Mean for Phoenix Small Businesses,” Phoenix Business Journal (2015)
• Contributor, “4 Ps of Brand Endorsement to Make the FTC Happy,” Target Marketing (2015)
• Author,”Is Your Ad Legal? Digital Advertising Raises Additional Issues for Marketers,” Target Marketing (2015)
• Co-author, “Navigating the Advertising Minefield: Businesses Must Be Diligent When Formulating Advertising Campaigns,” Jennings Strouss Client Alert (2015)
• Author, “Think Twice Before Photocopying Military Identification Cards,” Jennings Strouss Client Alert (2013)
• Author, “Employers Must Provide Notice of Coverage Options to Employees,” Jennings Strouss Client Alert (2013)

Blogs

• Author, “Navigating the Advertising Minefield Businesses Must Be Diligent When Formulating Advertising Campaigns,” Jennings Strouss Blog (February 2015)

Interviews

• “Updated FTC Guidelines on Internet Advertising & Marketing,” Arizona Horizon (2015)

Presentations

• Co-presenter, “Advertising Disclosures: The Latest Guidance from the Federal Trade Commission,” Association of Corporate Counsel (2016)
• “Emergency Legal Clinic,” Arizona Small Business Association 2013 Small Business Conference (2013)
• “Does Compliance Really Matter?” Arizona Automobile Dealers Association Compliance Workshop (2010)
• “The Red Flags Rule,” Arizona Automobile Association Meeting (2008)

State Bar of Arizona

• Member, Rules of Professional Conduct Committee (1999 – 2000)

National Association of Dealer Counsel

Association for Attorneys and Executives in Corporate Real Estate (2006 – 2009)

Scottsdale Airpark Committee

Economic Development Advisory Council

Herberger Theater

• Member, Board of Directors (2018)

• AV Preeminent^® Peer Review Rated™
• Listed, The Best Lawyers in America^© in the categories of Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law (2021), Corporate Law (2020 – 2021), and Real Estate Law (2014 – 2021)
• Selected, Phoenix Business Journal‘s Most Admired Leaders (2020)
• Listed, AzBusiness Leaders (2020)
• Selected, The Best Lawyers in America^© Phoenix “Lawyer of the Year” for Real Estate Law (2019)
• Arizona’s Finest Lawyers, Corporate and Real Estate Law (2009 – 2012)
• Arizona’s Top Rated Lawyers, Corporate and Real Estate Law (2012)