ARLINGTON, Texas -

The National Independent Automobile Dealers Association has appointed a legislative/regulatory/compliance counsel, revealing Wednesday that Mac Murray, Peterson & Shuster LLP has taken on the role.

The New Albany, Ohio, firm is headed up by Betty Montgomery, who is a former two-term Ohio Attorney General and state senator. Officials said she brings an extra level of expertise to represent NIADA’S interests on Capitol Hill.

“Adding Mac Murray, Petersen & Shuster to the efforts of Federal Advocates — NIADA’s lobbing firm on Capitol Hill — will round out our strategy to work more closely with key federal regulatory agencies,” said NIADA chief executive officer Michael Linn.

“Staying ahead of rapidly expanding agencies like the CFPB (Consumer Finance Protection Bureau) will be much easier as Betty and her team engages key relationships with their former colleagues at key federal agencies like the CFPB and the FTC,” he continued.

Montgomery added: “Dealers and business leaders are still watching how the CFPB, attorneys general and the FTC will work together under new guidelines and how they will affect their businesses in an age of expanding government.

“Our team is well versed in working with regulators across agency lines to protect the interests of small businesses and we are honored to work with the NIADA more closely to bridge the gap between auto dealers and federal regulators,” she added.

What’s more, NIADA will also have three former Ohio assistant attorneys general to counsel the association on compliance and regulatory matters: Shaun Petersen, Michele Shuster and Helen Mac Murray.

Each of these three attorneys has been chief of the Ohio Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Section. Their combined experience in managing consumer protection initiatives and helping to ensure businesses compliance totals more than 30 years.

Petersen will be NIADA’s lead counsel from the firm and has worked on dealers’ behalf through the Ohio Independent Automobile Dealers Association.

The firm has various other auto-related clients, as well.