In light of the recent economic developments stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, many employers are evaluating their employee benefit plans and how employee and employer costs will be impacted. The following summary provides a list of questions we have been receiving from clients over the past week, along with action items to help employers address these issues. Health and Welfare Plans and Fringe Benefits 1 ...
Financial Market Commission Announces a Package of Measures to Facilitate Credit Flow to Both Companies and Individuals By Diego Peralta and Diego Lasagna On March 23, 2020, the Financial Market Commission’s Council (“CMF”) approved new measures destined to grant more flexibility to the financial system, in the context of the coronavirus Covid-19 global outbreak ...
Article 1 of Decree 466 states that the National Guarantee Fund S.A. (hereinafter "NGF") must comply with and accredit a solvency ratio, which is determined based on the technical assets that must have a direct relationship with the risk assumed in its capacity as guarantor ...
The National Government issued Decree 434 of 2020 with the aim of mitigating the economic effects of COVID-19 in Colombian territory ...
As a growing number of the workforce is being affected by the COVID-19 virus, employers are being asked to respond to benefit-related questions from employees. In the coming days, the Employee Benefits Group at Hanson Bridgett will be providing updated information on possible issues arising in the benefits area through Benefits Alerts and postings on Hanson Bridgett's Online COVID-19 Resource Center ...
Across the country, construction projects are being impacted by the on-set of the COVID-19 pandemic. The situation is dynamic and will change quickly. We thought it important to prepare some guidelines that would help firms navigate the situation from a risk management perspective. A one-size-fits-all solution does not exist, and this global challenge continues to evolve. What works today may not address tomorrow’s needs ...
On March 22, 2020, the Federal Reserve Board, the FDIC, the National Credit Union Administration, the Office of the Comptroller of Currency, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and state banking regulators (collectively, the “agencies”) published an interagency statement on loan modifications and reporting for financial institutions working with customers affected by COVID-19 ...
Dykema has launched a COVID-19 Resource Center to keep our clients up to date on the most recent legal, business and health guidance surrounding the novel coronavirus and how to navigate their businesses through uncertain times. Various firm practitioners are providing timely content that aims at providing guidance for employer’s current issues as well as those unforeseen items that have yet to arise ...
The FDA revised its guidance on postmarket adverse event reporting for medical products and dietary supplements during a pandemic to apply the guidance to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The FDA acknowledges that companies, and the agency, itself, may be hit with workforce shortages during a pandemic at the same time that adverse event reporting for products deployed for the pandemic may increase ...
The U.S ...
The FDA issued immediately-in-effect guidance to accelerate the development of certain laboratory tests for the urgent need caused by SARS-CoV-2. The FDA provides recommendations, among others, for serological tests, puts forth a policy for states to take responsibility for tests, and announces enforcement discretion for commercial manufacturers using new commercially developed tests prior to the FDA granting an emergency use authorization, under certain circumstances ...
To help prevent disruptions in the food supply-chain during the COVID-19 pandemic, the FDA issued a temporary policy for Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) supplier verification onsite audit requirements. The policy states that the FDA will temporarily not enforce FSMA supplier verification onsite audit requirements if other appropriate supplier verification methods are used instead ...
On March 22, 2020, several federal financial institution regulatory agencies and state banking regulators issued an interagency statement encouraging all financial institutions to work constructively with borrowers impacted by the ongoing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (“COVID-19”) ...
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is an independent agency of the federal government established to provide assistance and protection in the interest of small businesses. Among its funding programs, the SBA Disaster Assistance program provides low interest loans to help businesses and homeowners to recover from declared disasters – usually for events such as hurricanes or floods ...
Co-authored by MV Credit Partners LLP As the world watches the spread of COVID-19 across all continents, global economies are reacting to the impact and trying to foresee eventualities to mitigate the inevitable loss. There are some industries that will undoubtedly be more effected than others, and as with any economic crisis this will have a knock-on effect ...
The global health alert triggered by the spread of the new coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2, which causes the disease COVID-19, is creating great challenges for companies. Governments around the world are tackling the situation by approving drastic measures to try to mitigate the effects of the health crisis first and the economic crisis second ...
A dynamic platform, gathering answers to your most frequently asked questions in relation to the ongoing crisis. The content of this page will be continuously updated based on the latest news. Click here to access the Arendt Covid-19 Solutions Platform ...
As of Monday, March 23, Virginia Governor Northam announced all public K-12 schools will remain closed through the end of the school year and many – but not all – non-essential businesses will be required to close their doors. By the end of Tuesday (11:59 p.m. on March 24) some non-essential services, including all recreation and entertainment services, are to close ...
The COVID-19 pandemic has hit small businesses particularly hard. And, the Small Business Administration’s disaster loan program can offer many of those small businesses a lifeline. But, it can be daunting to know what relief is available (and for what purpose), who qualifies, and how to apply. This is what you need to know. The SBA has two types of disaster loan programs—one through banks and one directly from the SBA via the U.S. Treasury ...
1) Publish, circulate, and implement the latest CDC, local health department, and OSHA pronouncements on maintaining a healthy worksite and make sure you are stocked on essential product (soaps and sanitizers). 2) If you plan on allowing essential vendors and other visitors to continue coming onto your property, implement a visitor policy that: Requires visitors to acknowledge they have not come into contact with anyone at risk ...
As we all know by now, much of our day-to-day lives have been upended by the COVID-19 pandemic. We are being told by everyone everywhere - the CDC, the President, governors, mayors, public health officials - we need to flatten the curve of the virus' natural exponential spread by practicing social distancing and aggressive hand washing ...
The IRS has issued the several news releases in response to the COVID-19 pandemic: IRS Notice 2020-18 Tax Day now July 15. Treasury, IRS extend filing deadline and federal tax payments regardless of amount. The Treasury Department and IRS announced the federal income tax filing due date (for individual, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporations, and associations) is automatically extended from April 15, 2020, to July 15, 2020 ...
No one can predict all the effects of the pandemic on the borrower/lender relationship, but some of those effects will be severe. Both parties place a high value on predictability in their dealings. A borrower must know that when it needs funds, the line of credit will be available, while a financial institution needs to have payments made and covenants met as provided in the financing documents. Its long term survival depends on it ...