Shawn D. Mercer

Shawn D. Mercer is a native of Raleigh, North Carolina. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Speech Communications from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1989. He went on to receive his law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1992 where he was a Coleman Karesh Scholar. Shawn was admitted to the North Carolina Bar in 1992 and is also admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, United States Tax Court, and numerous Federal Circuit and District Courts across the country. He has been admitted pro hac vice to practice before state courts and motor vehicle boards throughout the nation. Shawn is also a certified superior court mediator.

Shawn has been awarded an "AV" Preeminent rating, the highest recognition of legal ability in the profession from Martindale-Hubbell, the rating source for attorneys for more than a century.

Shawn's national practice is devoted solely to representing motor vehicle dealers. He provides counsel to the firm's dealer clients in areas including manufacturer facility and incentive programs, franchise realignment, audit charge backs, sales performance agreements, terminations, dealership relocations and add-points. He regularly represents dealers in disputes with manufacturers and consumers in mediations, administrative proceedings and in state and federal court.

He also assists various state dealer associations with revising and updating state franchise protections and he regularly works with dealers to address factory disputes, F&I concerns, human resources matters as well as advertising compliance and consumer complaints.

Prior to joining Bass Sox Mercer as a partner and shareholder in 2005, Shawn was a named partner in another law firm where his practice also emphasized the representation of motor vehicle dealers. Along with his years of practice in these areas, Shawn is a frequent speaker to state and local dealer associations and other groups about dealer issues and is a regular contributor to various dealer association newsletters and other publications. He is a long-standing member of the National Association of Dealer Counsel as well as other professional organizations.

In his time away from the office, Shawn is actively involved in various community and civic causes, including current service on the Magellan Charter Board of Directors as well as sitting on the Board of the Magellan Charter Foundation. Shawn enjoys running, playing tennis and spending time with his wife and daughters.