The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, signed into law March 27, 2020, provides $2 trillion in relief funds for individuals and businesses, including $500 billion in direct aid for large companies and more than $300 billion for small companies. Businesses applying for and receiving funds under the CARES Act should be mindful of risks associated with stringent government oversight and inevitable investigations targeting waste, fraud, and abuse ...
On April 9, 2020, the National Consumer Service (SERNAC) published the "Interpretative Circular on the suspension of terms of legal, voluntary and satisfaction guarantees during the health crisis of COVID-19". The document seeks to provide a harmonious interpretation of Law No. 19,496, Consumer Protection Act (CPA) and its principles, in the light of the measures adopted as a result of COVID-19 that have affected compliance with obligations arising from consumer contracts ...
The SEC’s Office of Municipal Securities recently released guidance providing that statements made by municipal issuers, such as public announcements, press releases, interviews with media representatives, and public reports, may be subject to the antifraud provisions of Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act) and Rule 10(b)-5 thereunder. On Feb. 7, 2020, the Office of Municipal Securities released Staff Legal Bulletin No ...
On April 8th, 2020, it was published on the Official Gazette Ruling No.88 (issued by the Undersecretary of Treasury), required by law No.21,227 on employment protection (hereinafter, the "Law"), for purposes of accessing to the unemployment insurance benefits established in the Law ...
On April 3rd, 2020, Law No.21,218 (the “Law”), which creates a monthly subsidy (the “Subsidy”) borne by the State of Chile, in order for employees to reach a minimum guaranteed income, was published on the Official Gazette. I. Requirements that employees must fulfill in order to be eligible for the Subsidy Having a valid employment contract, pursuant to the Labor Code. Their regular working schedule must exceed 30 hours a week ...
OSHA requires that covered employers record certain work-related injuries and illnesses on their OSHA 300 log. Under OSHA’s recordkeeping requirements, COVID-19 is a recordable illness, and employers are responsible for recording cases of COVID-19, if all of the following are met: The case is a confirmed case of COVID-19; The case is work-related, as defined by 29 CFR 1904.5; and The case involves one or more of the general recording criteria set forth in 29 CFR 1904 ...
Following the announcement of economic measures aimed towards responding to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Serbian Government issued two regulations on 10 April 2020 that determine the conditions and criteria for compliance of the state aid (i) for remedying the negative effects caused byCOVID-19 and (ii) for remedying a serious disturbance in the economy caused byCOVID-19, whereas both regulations will be valid until 1 July 2021 ...
In this Informative Guide you will find important information about the following: tourist stays, visas and residence permits, work permits, traveling, and mobility inside the country including curfews, circulation permits (Salvoconductos), and driver’s licenses. Tourist stays Panamanian authorities have informed that tourist who have expired stays from 13 March 2020, as a consequence of the Covid-19, will not be fined. And they will be able to circulate ...
Many businesses have been shuttered or have reduced their operations to an on-site skeleton crew supporting droves of teleworkers. At some point, most will reopen and bring their employees back into the workplace. Though the process will vary from industry to industry, every single employer will need a return-to-work plan that accounts for myriad logistical, personnel, legal, and safety issues associated with the post-pandemic return to normal ...
1. Force Majeure - Meaning. The term ‘force majeure’ translates literally from French assuperior force. It is also generally defined in the Merriam Webster dictionary as ‘an event or effect that cannot be reasonably anticipated or controlled’ ...
Across the country, construction projects of every nature are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The situation and governmental response to the pandemic continue to evolve, and owners must keep abreast of these changes to ensure they manage their construction projects appropriately. There are a litany of issues, legal and practical, that owners need to assess when deciding how to manage ongoing projects and those in the pipeline ...
In passing the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES), Congress provided much-needed relief to project owners by making it easier to modify construction loans. Under the Act, an owner may qualify for a forbearance arrangement, an interest rate modification, or a repayment plan, among other options, and the modification does not adversely impact the credit of the borrower ...
The IRS continues to provide clarity regarding application of the various Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security ("CARES Act") modifications to the Internal Revenue Code (the "Code") (see prior coverage here). In addition to recent guidance regarding bonus depreciation, the IRS on April 9 released Rev. Proc. 2020-24 and Notice 2020-26, both of which address CARES Act amendments applicable to net operating losses ("NOLs") ...
On Monday, 30th March 2020, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Honourable K. Peter Turnquest addressed the House of Assembly to provide an overview of the expected economic fallout in The Bahamas from the Covid-19 pandemic along with some details as to the Government’s proposed stimulus measures to support citizens and businesses alike during this time of uncertainty ...
For over 240 years, Congress has allowed citizens of different states to litigate in federal court and, for equally as long, has permitted defendants to remove such cases from state court to federal court in cases exceeding the jurisdictional minimum. Judiciary Act of 1789, 1 Stat. 79 Section 12 ...
On April 9, 2020, the Argentine Executive Branch issued and published in the Official Gazette Decree No. 351/2020, whereby it summons the mayors of all the country’s municipalities to control and monitor compliance with National Secretariat of Domestic Commerce’s Resolution No. 100/2020 concurrently with the national government and while health emergency lasts ...
In an April 7, 2020 press release, the SEC Office of Inspections and Examinations (OCIE) issued two risk alerts. The first, involving examinations, focuses on compliance with Regulation Best Interest, and the second focuses on compliance with Form CRS. OCIE has released these two risk alerts to give investment advisers and broker-dealers advance notice as to what they can expect, in terms of scope and substance, during initial exams for compliance with the two initiatives ...
The extensive global COVID-19 pandemic determined the states to impose restrictive measures with impact over the free movement of people and usual course of business of the economic operators. Due to the recent development of the outbreak in Romania, the Presidential Decree no. 195/16.03 ...
In the face of governmental orders shutting down businesses, redirecting business efforts and assets, and even seizing business property to redistribute to others, we are seeing more and more questions about the limits of governmental authority and the remedies for affected people and businesses. Lawsuits already are being filed, and the courts undoubtedly will have to provide the answers ...
Many states now have Executive Orders in place either requesting or requiring employers to allow employees to work from home to the maximum extent possible. Allowing employees to work from home is new ground for many employers, so here are a few tips an employer should keep in mind and traps to avoid in order to make the adjustment easier for all involved: 1 ...