Scali Rasmussen bolsters corporate and real estate transactional practice with automotive industry veteran Rita Campanile

Published on

Contributors

LOS ANGELES – May 28, 2019 – Top automotive law firm Scali Rasmussen today announced that Rita Campanile has joined the firm’s Automotive practice as Of Counsel. Having started her focus in the business of auto dealerships in 2008, Campanile is a seasoned corporate and transactional attorney, passionate about being a trusted, business-oriented advisor to her clients. Her legal expertise covers a broad array of services, including corporate governance; mergers & acquisitions (including dealer buy sells); new vehicle dealer franchises; commercial real estate transactions; environmental laws; employment/labor laws; financing/loan agreements; outside counsel selection/management drafting and conducting executive, manager and employee training; and creation of a complete library of templates, forms, policies, procedures and training materials.

“Rita is a powerhouse when it comes to complex automotive transactions, whether involving privately or publicly held companies. Rita’s joining our team not only reunites us with a dear friend, but substantially adds to our already deep transactional practice,” said firm Founder and Managing Partner, Christian Scali. “She understands the auto business, knows what clients are looking to accomplish and has the judgment and experience to navigate the gray areas of law to find the best solutions.”

Campanile successfully orchestrated and led one of the then largest automotive dealership buy/sell transactions involving a publicly-held auto dealer group which at closing simultaneously earned the sellers $364 million and contributed revenues of $2.3 billion annually (a 21% increase) to the buyer.

Campanile began her automotive industry career with the DCH Auto Group as their Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary. DCH was one of the top 10 largest privately held automotive dealership groups in the United States, with a multitude of brands and rooftops in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, California and China. As General Counsel, Campanile served as a legal and strategic advisor to the Board of Directors and was also a member of Executive Committee and Advisory Board. She is well-versed in Corporate Compliance and Ethics Programs for Automotive Dealerships, real estate transactions and corporate mergers and acquisitions.

“I was a client of Chris (Scali) and Bert (Rasmussen) for years and have worked with several of their team members,” said Campanile. “I have seen firsthand that they put their clients first, they are extremely knowledgeable in automotive industry law and they are also incredibly smart. I am thrilled to now be working with the firm.”

Prior to her work with DCH, Campanile practiced at large law firms as well as in-house for major U.S. and foreign multinational corporations. Campanile has studied, lived and worked abroad extensively, is fluent in several languages, and has collaborated with business executives and around the world.

Campanile is a member of the New Jersey and New York state bars and of various local and national automotive trade associations. She earned her J.D. at the University of Notre Dame Law School and her B.A. from Rutgers University and also studied law at the London School of Economics and at Kings College, University of London.