Nationally Recognized Authority
Randall McCathren, Esq. is a nationally recognized expert witness and consultant in consumer vehicle leasing and financing, drawing on more than 40 years of litigation, regulatory, and industry experience.
He built this authority in the room where the rules were written. He consulted for the Federal Reserve Board and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, training CFPB attorneys in 2011 ahead of their vehicle-lease investigation.
Attorneys, corporations, and courts nationwide retain him for expert witness testimony, automotive consulting, mediation, and arbitration in auto finance and leasing disputes.
Yale B.S. '71
UC Berkeley J.D. '74
AV Martindale-Hubbell
40+ Years
Years of Experience
Litigation Cases
Clients Served
Authoritative Treatises
Attorneys building automotive litigation strategy can schedule a confidential consultation with Randall McCathren to discuss expert witness or consulting needs for an active case.
Regulatory Perspective
Most automotive expert witnesses study Regulation Z and Regulation M from the outside. McCathren consulted directly with the agencies that enforce them.
As Managing Director of the Association of Consumer Vehicle Lessors for over 30 years, he represented every major domestic and import captive finance company while simultaneously advising the agencies that police the industry — the Federal Reserve Board, the National Credit Union Administration, and the CFPB, whose attorneys he personally trained in 2011 at the initiation of their vehicle-lease investigation.
That dual vantage point — industry insider and regulator advisor — informs how McCathren approaches expert analysis in litigation.
Legislative Record
His work extends to drafting the New York Motor Vehicle Retail Leasing Act (N.Y. Personal Property Law Article 9-A, §§ 330–353); the New York Attorney General's office recognizes it as the first state law in the country to require comprehensive vehicle-lease disclosures.
Nationally Recognized Authority
I
Litigation Support
McCathren delivers independent testimony in state and federal litigation nationwide, analyzing auto financing, sales, and leasing disputes, consumer vehicle insurance claims, and wholesale and retail vehicle valuation questions.
II
Advisory Services
Attorneys and corporations engage McCathren for subject-matter guidance on auto leasing structures, vehicle lending and finance programs, auto insurance products, dealership operations, and Regulation Z and Regulation M compliance.
III
Conflict Resolution
McCathren also serves as a neutral mediator for families navigating divorce and separation, with particular attention to custody arrangements that protect children's well-being.
IV
Binding Resolution
As a neutral decision-maker, McCathren resolves consumer disputes involving auto purchases, leasing, financing, warranties, insurance, and consumer protection claims.
These four service lines split into two distinct practices: attorneys and corporations retain McCathren for automotive expert witness testimony and consulting on litigation and regulatory matters, while families and individual consumers separately engage him for mediation and arbitration in personal disputes.
Corporations facing multi-million-dollar leasing or financing exposure can review Randall McCathren's expert witness services and retain him before the next deposition or trial deadline.
Publications & Education
McCathren authored two treatises on consumer vehicle leasing: Essentials of Consumer Vehicle Leasing (1985) and the Auto Lending and Leasing Manual (1989). His full body of published analysis, industry commentary, and treatise excerpts is detailed on the Publications page.
He holds a B.S. in Engineering & Applied Science from Yale University (magna cum laude, 1971) and a J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, where he served as Associate Editor of the California Law Review (1974), and carries an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell — the organization's highest peer review rating tier.
He has led BLC Associates, Inc., a Nashville, Tennessee-based automotive litigation consulting and expert witness firm, as President & Principal Consultant since 1982.
Credentials at a Glance
Yale University
B.S. Engineering & Applied Science, magna cum laude · 1971
University of California, Berkeley
Associate Editor, California Law Review · 1974
Martindale-Hubbell Rating
The organization's highest peer review rating tier
BLC Associates, Inc.
President & Principal Consultant · 1982–Present
Association of Consumer Vehicle Lessors
Managing Director · 1993–2024
As Featured In
Quoted as a leading authority on consumer vehicle leasing and automotive finance
How to Retain Services
A straightforward, five-step process designed to establish a clear, professional engagement — from your first inquiry through active case work.
01
Contact us through the secure inquiry form or by phone with a brief summary of your matter — the nature of the dispute, the parties involved, and the type of expertise you are seeking. All initial inquiries are treated as confidential.
Response within 24–48 business hours.
02
Mr. McCathren conducts a thorough conflict-of-interest review to confirm his independence and impartiality with respect to all parties in your matter. Availability for your timeline is also confirmed at this stage.
Typically completed within 1–2 business days.
03
A confidential consultation is scheduled to discuss the specific issues in your case, the scope of services required (expert witness, consulting, mediation, or arbitration), anticipated deliverables, and preliminary timeline.
Conducted by phone or video conference.
04
An engagement letter is prepared outlining the scope of services, fee structure, retainer amount, confidentiality obligations, and any applicable professional standards. No work commences until the engagement letter is fully executed by both parties.
Written agreement required prior to commencement.
05
Upon execution of the engagement letter and receipt of the retainer, Mr. McCathren begins his review of materials, analysis, and preparation of deliverables — whether that is an expert report, deposition preparation, mediation sessions, or arbitration proceedings.
Regular status updates are provided throughout.
No engagement is established until a written agreement is executed.
Randall McCathren Recommendation
“I've worked with Randall on a number of projects over the last 20 years and recommended him to my clients as an expert witness or litigation consultant on many technical auto leasing or financing issues.”
Thomas B. Hudson
Former Senior Partner, Hudson Cook, LLP
“Randall's expert report (52 pages plus extensive analytical appendices) in my highly complex damage case completely undercut the opposing expert and provided the necessary backup to support our defense. Randall's assistance and expert services played a large role in the favorable result we obtained in the litigation.”
Daniel Izenson
Partner, Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL, (513) 579-6480
“In a complex residual value insurance case, Randall was able to simplify and explain the damages issues in a compelling and comprehensive manner. He proved to be an invaluable resource for the myriad of issues that arose in the litigation. Randall was easy to work with and presented his opinions in a comprehensive written report. During a three-day deposition, his testimony was articulate and persuasive.”
Thomas Lucchesi,
Partner, Baker & Hostettler LLP, (216) 861-7672
“Randall McCathren served as a consultant and expert witness in a highly technical case with more than $100 million of damages at stake for my client. While I have worked with many, many expert witnesses during my 25 years of litigation practice, none exceeded Randall's thoroughness, ingenuity, technical competence and dedication to my client's interests. He has a rare combination of technical expertise, mathematical/econometric knowledge and abilities (that enabled us to build a 'bullet-proof' damage model) and excellent speaking ability.”
Michael Moirano,
Litigation Partner, Nisen & Elliott, (312) 696-2508
“Serving on the FRB Lease Education Committee with Randall, there were numerous representatives from both the private and public but there was really only one true ‘expert:’ Randall McCathren. He educated the committee and the FRB staff about the leasing industry and its inherent complexity – I believe he’s the most knowledgeable person in the country on auto leasing and financing.”
Terry O’Loughlin
Former Assistant Attorney General, Florida Office of the Attorney General, (954) 718-9266
“Randall McCathren has worked for me as an expert witness and litigation consultant on a number of cases. His technical knowledge in the automotive, consumer finance and insurance industries is second to none. He is also creative in developing new legal theories and responses to legal issues. I would wholeheartedly recommend him for cases in any of these areas.”
Ed Normand
Founding partner of Normand PLLC. (407) 603-6031
Frequently Asked Questions
Clear answers to common questions about automotive expert witness, consulting, mediation, and arbitration engagements.
An automotive expert witness with vehicle leasing and financing credentials can testify on disposition fees, buyout charges, and other lease-end costs. Randall McCathren, author of two leasing treatises with 40+ years of industry and regulatory experience, has handled fee-related disputes in leasing litigation nationwide.
A Regulation Z or Regulation M expert witness reviews disclosure practices, financing terms, and lease documentation to determine federal compliance. Randall McCathren, who consulted on the original development of Regulation M (12 CFR Part 213) for the Federal Reserve Board, applies that regulatory history to case analysis.
Yes. An automotive finance expert witness can analyze lease-end paperwork, acquisition and disposition fee structures, and buyout pricing to identify undisclosed or improperly added charges. Randall McCathren's 40+ years of vehicle leasing analysis support this kind of fee and contract-compliance testimony in litigation nationwide.
The Consumer Leasing Act (implemented through Regulation M) requires lessors to disclose lease terms, fees, and costs upfront. The Act matters in litigation because undisclosed or miscalculated charges can violate it, and an expert witness like Randall McCathren can evaluate whether disclosures met federal requirements.
Yes, Randall McCathren accepts expert witness, consulting, mediation, and arbitration engagements nationwide from his Nashville, Tennessee base. He has provided litigation support and regulatory consulting across the United States throughout his 40-year career and travels for depositions, trials, and case reviews as needed.
Attorneys should look for verifiable industry credentials, regulatory consulting experience, and litigation history in the specific subject matter at issue. Randall McCathren offers Yale and Berkeley credentials, 75+ litigation cases, documented Federal Reserve and CFPB consulting history, and two published works on vehicle leasing.
An automotive expert witness reviews financing paperwork, add-on disclosures, and dealership sale practices to determine whether charges were properly disclosed under Regulation Z (12 CFR Part 1026). Randall McCathren applies decades of dealer finance and insurance sale-practice analysis to this type of case.
Randall McCathren, based in Nashville, Tennessee, provides family and divorce mediation services focused on child custody arrangements that protect children's well-being. His decades of dispute-resolution experience in complex commercial and regulatory matters carry over into a structured, neutral mediation approach.
Confidential Case Inquiry
Attorneys and corporations facing complex automotive litigation can retain a nationally recognized automotive expert witness — begin the engagement process with Randall McCathren today.
