When Welcoming Back Students, Colleges Fear COVID-19 Spread, Class Actions Over Tuition

Colleges and universities across the country are beginning to figure out what the fall semester for students will look like. In-house counsel at the schools that have chosen to bring students back to campus full-time need to worry about furthering the spread of the new coronavirus and class action litigation over refunds for tuition, housing and service fees.

It is too early to tell how courts will rule on these kinds of lawsuits, Ed Cramp, a partner at Duane Morris in San Diego said. From his perspective, how education is delivered to a student is not something guaranteed by the university. However, the suits asking for a refund of fees for services not used could be problematic.

“The issue for the institutions is that many of them just don’t have the money. It is not a matter of, ‘Let me just write you a check,’” Cramp said.

To read the full text of this article in Corporate Counsel magazine quoting Duane Morris partner Ed Cramp, please visit law.com (subscription required).

Travel Restrictions Are Back, but with State-by-State Twists

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. employers were asking employees to report if they had visited certain countries and, if the answer was yes, the employees were subject to at least a 14‑day quarantine. As the pandemic resurges after the U.S. effectively has gone green, travel-related quarantines are now back after visiting certain states within the U.S.

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

Considerations for Private Equity and Venture Capital Funds – Navigating Crisis

Globally, private equity (“PE”) and venture capital (“VC”) funds ended April 2020 with a record $2.6 trillion in unspent capital at their disposal. With cash readily available, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic presents ample opportunities for well-managed PE and VC sponsors to capitalize on these trying economic circumstances.

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

SDNY Finds In-Person Depositions Impose ‘Undue Burden’ on Nonparties During COVID-19 Pandemic

Health concerns over the lingering COVID-19 pandemic have given life to Rule 30(b)(4) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which provides: “The parties may stipulate—or the court may on motion order—that a deposition be taken by telephone or other remote means.” Trial courts in the Second Circuit are encouraging parties to stipulate to remote depositions to minimize the risks of COVID-19 exposure, with some courts ordering remote depositions as the default in pending cases.

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

CARES Act Reanimates Sale-Leaseback Tax Benefits

Taxpayers looking to undergo alternative financing arrangements in response to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act may look to engage in sale-leaseback transactions to accelerate and utilize the benefits of the CARES Act’s tax provisions.

To read the full text of this article by Duane Morris attorneys William D. Rohrer and Maximilian Viski-Hanka, please visit the firm website.

Meals for Healthcare Heroes – Baltimore

On Thursday, July 2,  Duane Morris’ Baltimore office provided meals from Miss Shirley’s to emergency room workers on the front lines at  University of Maryland Medical Center as part of our firmwide Meals for Healthcare Heroes initiative. This program is funded by donations from Duane Morris attorneys and staff and is meant to honor the healthcare workers and support local restaurants. Duane Morris’ COVID-19 Strategy Team will be hosting 15 Meals for Healthcare Heroes events nationwide.

As COVID-19 Cases Mount, South Florida Counties Reimpose Restrictions Before Holiday Weekend

In recent weeks, the number of daily reported cases of COVID-19 in Florida has spiked, as it has in many other states. To slow the spread of the virus, counties throughout the Sunshine State and South Florida in particular are reimposing restrictions on, among other things, access to public facilities such as beaches.

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

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The opinions expressed on this blog are those of the author and are not to be construed as legal advice.

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