Duane Morris – Page 40 – Coronavirus (COVID-19)

April 27, 2020August 31, 2020 by Duane Morris

New COVID-19 Relief Opportunities for the Agricultural Industry

With the enactment of the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act (CARES Act 2.0), agricultural businesses and farmers previously excluded from the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program are now eligible for EIDL grants and loans. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s newly announced Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) offers aid to farms and certain livestock producers through direct payments and bulk purchases.

To read the full text of this Alert, which provides a brief overview of these new aid programs for the agricultural industry, please visit the firm website.

April 27, 2020 by Duane Morris

Private Company Meetings in the UK During a Lockdown

As a result of the disruption caused by the COVID-19 crisis, for most companies physical in-person board and shareholder meetings are currently not possible. However, companies will still need to pass board and shareholder resolutions, in particular in relation to specific actions aimed at responding to the COVID-19 crisis.

To read the full text of this post by Duane Morris partner Thomas Rainey, please visit the Duane Morris London Blog.

April 25, 2020September 1, 2020 by Duane Morris

Supplementary Rules for Electronic Adjudication Lodgment: Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act (“SOP Act”)

On 15 April 2020, the Singapore Mediation Centre (“SMC”) enacted Supplementary Rules for Electronic Adjudication Lodgment to provide for:

the electronic lodgment of documents;
telegraphic transfer of fees;
electronic service of documents; and
Adjudication Conferences.

To read the full text, please visit the Duane Morris & Selvam COVID-19 Resource Blog.

April 24, 2020August 31, 2020 by Duane Morris

SBA Updates Interim Regulatory Guidelines to Greatly Expand Accessibility of Paycheck Protection Program Loans to Gaming Businesses

On April 24, 2020, the casino industry received some much-needed good news from the Small Business Administration (SBA). Specifically, the SBA issued revised regulatory guidelines for the CARES Act’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that now make PPP loans available to small gaming businesses previously precluded from the program because of restrictions on gambling-based revenue, but otherwise met the eligibility requirements.

To read the full text of this Duane Morris Alert, please visit the firm website.

April 24, 2020August 31, 2020 by Duane Morris

Department of Health & Human Services Clarifies Broad Scope of Immunity Protection Under the PREP Act

The Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) has provided an omnibus advisory opinion in response to various requests for clarification of the scope of tort immunity provided by the declaration under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act). The PREP Act declaration provides immunity from tort liability for various persons, products and activities in response to COVID-19, as explained in our March 17, 2020, Alert. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) subsequently expanded these protections.

To read the full text of this Duane Morris Alert, please visit the firm website.

April 24, 2020September 18, 2020 by Duane Morris

Maryland Governor Announces Three-Stage Plan for Reopening the State

By Robert B. Hopkins, Carla N. Murphy and Allison M. Midei

On Friday afternoon, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan announced a three-stage plan to reopen the State called “Maryland Strong: Roadmap to Recovery,” which will gradually ease the current restrictions on businesses, congregate settings and social interactions. The plan is based on the recovery plans issued by the federal government, the National Governors Association, Johns Hopkins and the American Enterprise Institute. Continue reading “Maryland Governor Announces Three-Stage Plan for Reopening the State”

April 24, 2020September 2, 2020 by Duane Morris

CARES Act 2.0 Shores Up COVID-19 Economic Relief Programs

On April 23, 2020, the United States House of Representatives passed the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act (CARES Act 2.0), which, among other provisions, replenishes the funding for the Payment Protection Program (PPP) established by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Recovery Act (CARES Act). The United States Senate previously passed CARES Act 2.0, and the bill is expected to be signed into law by the president shortly.

In addition, the Treasury Department released further guidance on the eligibility of companies for access to other funding sources with respect to PPP loans and clarified the need for borrowers to review the certifications in the PPP loan application.

To read the full text of this Alert, which summarizes certain key aspects of CARES Act 2.0 and related guidance, please visit the firm website.

April 24, 2020April 24, 2020 by Duane Morris

Economic Programs Available to Illinois Workers and Businesses in the COVID-19 Crisis

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, federal, state and local governments, through both legislative and executive means, have enacted or ordered a broad array of financial measures to mitigate the adverse economic effects experienced by businesses and nonprofit entities.

To read the full text of this Duane Morris Alert, which will identify and explain the economic programs established by both the federal government, the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago to help ease the financial effects of COVID-19, please visit the firm website.

April 24, 2020 by Duane Morris

Steps For Mitigating Litigation Risk Related to Coronavirus

When the current crisis has passed, businesses will reopen and people will leave the relative safety of home isolation. Some will get sick, and tragically some will die. The question is not whether there will be litigation, it is what will the ground rules be? So, imagine that you’re a Defendant on this imaginary docket, and ask yourself this, what are my possible defences?

To read the full post by Duane Morris partners Sharon Caffrey and Alex Geisler, please visit the Duane Morris London Blog.

April 23, 2020August 31, 2020 by Duane Morris

EEOC: Employers Can Screen for COVID-19

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) updated its guidance on April 23 on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and coronavirus, explaining that employers may screen employees for COVID-19. Any mandatory medical test must be job-related and consistent with business necessity, the EEOC explained. […]

Questions about testing are “increasingly on the minds of employers,” said Christopher Durham, an attorney with Duane Morris in Philadelphia. […]

In an April 17 update to the same guidance, the EEOC clarified what constitutes an undue hardship preventing an employer from reasonably accommodating an individual with a disability in a pandemic. The agency stated that “it may be significantly more difficult in this pandemic to conduct a needs assessment or to acquire certain items, and delivery may be impacted, particularly for employees who may be telecommuting.” […]

The factors impacting what constitutes an undue hardship are going to be motivated by a vastly different operational and financial reality for some businesses than was the case prior to the pandemic, said Linda Hollinshead, an attorney with Duane Morris in Philadelphia.

To read the full text of the article, including further commentary by Mr. Durham and Ms. Hollinshead, please visit the SHRM website.