Mexican Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell announced on March 25 that Mexico’s federal government would suspend all nonessential activities beginning on March 26. The government has also asked the private sector to allow employees to work from home to slow the spread rate of COVID-19.
To read the full text of this Duane Morris Alert, please visit the firm website.
On the evening of March 25, 2020, the Senate approved the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act legislation (CARES Act), providing over $2 trillion of relief designed to ease some of the economic hardship caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. This legislation still requires approval from both the House and president, which is expected over the next few days. The relief package is the largest in history and includes relief for businesses and individuals.
This Alert highlights the small-business section of the CARES Act and the creation of the Paycheck Protection Program, which provides cash flow and liquidity through loan opportunities for small businesses, sole proprietors and independent contractors across various industries. Additional detail will be provided as the Small Business Administration drafts implementing regulations, which is required to occur within 15 days once the CARES Act becomes effective.
To read the full text of this Duane Morris Alert, please visit the firm website.
Duane Morris partners Meghan DiPerna and Kenneth Lazaruk will be the speakers at an NAIOP webinar, “U.S. Construction Considerations During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” to be held on Thursday, April 2, 2020, from 2:00-2:30 p.m.
For more information or to register, please visit the event website,
On March 24, the Mexican Ministry of Health published an order in the Federation Official Gazette with measures to prevent the negative impacts of the COVID-19 diseases.
To read the full text of this Duane Morris Alert, which presents a summary of the measures, please visit the firm website.
On the evening of March 25, 2020, the Pennsylvania Senate and House of Representatives unanimously voted to approve a number of COVID-19 emergency response bills in an effort to adapt to the continued public health emergency caused by the pandemic. The bills are currently awaiting final approval by Governor Tom Wolf.
To read the full text of this Duane Morris Alert, please visit the firm website.
Duane Morris will present a webinar, “Doing Deals in the COVID-19 Era Practical Considerations for Electronic Signatures and Remote Notarization,” to be held on Friday, April 3, 2020, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. (Eastern time).
For more information and to register, please visit the event page.
President Donald Trump signed a $2 trillion coronavirus relief bill Friday, but some employers stepped up and started enacting or strengthening policies meant to help protect and provide for their workers before the federal government got in gear.
Temporary pay increases and expanded paid leave policies are among some of the benefits employers started offering as the nation grapples with the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus that emerged at the end of 2019. […]
W. Michael Gradisek, who chairs the employee benefits and executive compensation practice at Duane Morris LLP, said that he has been fielding a lot of questions about continuing benefits to furloughed employees.
Companies are trying to do the right thing for their workers, Gradisek said, but while that might seem simple, it can actually be quite complicated.
Some employers have been trying to convey that while they can’t pay employee salaries while shut down, they still value the workers and want them to return when things are up and running again, he said.
“There’s a lot of uncertainty, but I don’t think people are totally throwing in the towel yet,” Gradisek said.
To read the full article, visit the Law360 website (subscription required).
[…]The COVID-19 pandemic is drastically altering our lives but difficult times are able to expose many truths, including the understanding that legalization and safe access to cannabis is critical, especially during a crisis. […]
Although states are restricting access to public places and prohibiting gatherings, many governors have designated cannabis dispensaries as an “essential service.” […]
“Opponents of federal legalization are likely to argue the categorization was merely a natural extension of the law in states that have already legalized medical marijuana to treat certain conditions, and that the uniqueness of the COVID-19 situation limits the ‘essential’ designation to that very urgent and unprecedented fact pattern,” Seth Goldberg, attorney and partner at Duane Morris LLP told mg.
To read excerpts of this article and for a link to the full text, please visit the Duane Morris website.
Note: This is an update to our previous Alert on this subject.
The Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program continues to evolve rapidly. The SBA website now shows a simplified EIDL application process with a reduced number of forms that initially need to be submitted.
To read the full text of this Duane Morris Alert, please visit the firm website.
On March 25, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced that it is extending the filing periods covered by its previously enacted conditional reporting relief for certain public company filing obligations under the federal securities laws, and that it is also extending regulatory relief previously provided to funds and investment advisers whose operations may be affected by COVID-19. In addition, the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance issued its current views regarding disclosure considerations and other securities law matters related to COVID-19.
To read the full text of this Duane Morris Alert, please visit the firm website.
