Among the many extraordinary measures taken by the federal government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic is the issuance of blanket waivers of certain provisions of the federal self-referral prohibition commonly known as the Stark Law. The waivers loosen significant restrictions on physician financial relationships in an effort to provide health care providers with greater flexibility to meet the challenges of the pandemic ...
Marijuana’s legal status has flummoxed industry observers for more than a decade. Several current proposals could provide clarity at the federal level. And Alabama appeared to be on the brink of implementing a medical marijuana regime just before the COVID-19 pandemic ground the legislative process to a halt ...
The landmark CARES Act provides many Alabama employers with several options to increase liquidity and cash flow during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. And only nine days before that legislation was enacted, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) also created two other payroll tax-related incentives for certain employers, and self-employed individuals ...
Now that it appears the COVID-19 quarantine may be on the verge of ending, there are issues to consider before re-starting collection operations. When is too soon? Are there any special notices that could or should be sent? What about voluntary surrender of collateral during shelter in place? We will address these issues as well as lien priority and credit reporting ...
E-commerce can take different forms, but for the purposes of this article, we will refer to e-commerce where the contract of sale or of supply of services is concluded by electronic means ...
Legislative Decree No 1476 (hereinafter referred to as the Legislative Decree) was published on May 05 2020. This Legislative Decree, through which - as expressly established - the aim would be to guarantee the transparency of information in the provision of services provided by private educational institutions (hereinafter referred to as Schools), to enable users of said services to make an appropriate and timely decision on such services ...
There is no statutory definition or guideline as to who ‘vulnerable clients’ are. As such, for our purposes, vulnerable clients can include (but are not limited to): The elderly (persons over the age of 65). Children (persons under the age of 18). Individuals who are incapacitated. Individuals at risk of physical harm (e.g. in domestic violence scenarios). Pregnant women. Individuals with mental or physical disabilities ...
A state of emergency was declared in Portugal by Decree of the President of the Republic 14-A/2020 of 18 March and this was renewed by Decree of the President of the Republic 20-A/2020 of 17 April. Following this declaration, exceptional and temporary measures have been adopted in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic ...
Startups relief measures and measures to strengthen the position ofPortugal as a leading international technological hub.On 21 April, the Ministry of Economy and Digital Transition announced a set of relief measures specifically addressed to Portugal’s more than 2500 startups, to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on the national entrepreneurial ecosystem ...
Governments are turning toward the use of data driven solutions as part of their response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which raises numerous privacy concerns. Contact tracing technology seeks to inform and notify individuals that have been in contact with a person infected with COVID-19, enabling such individuals to self-quarantine, receive testing and, if required, obtain follow-up treatment ...
Panama, May 4, 2020. The Superintendence of the Securities Market (the “SMV”) has implemented measures that allow its regulated entities to continue with their financial activities that, in accordance to the Executive Decree No° 507 of 24 March 2020, are exempted from the measures adopted by the Executive Branch for the COVID-19 pandemic. Remote Working In accordance to General Resolution SMV No ...
Superintendence of the Securities Market The Superintendence of the Securities Market (the “SMV”) has established the following measures for working hours and presentation and process of filings before such entity as part of the governmental effort to avoid the spread of COVID-19:[1] Maintain the special working hours of the SMV from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. until there is a new announcement by the SMV ...
The Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) is intended to provide nearly $700 billion of economic relief to small businesses adversely affected by COVID-19 ...
On April 9, 2020, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Board”) announced the establishment of the Main Street Lending Program (“Main Street Loan Program”), an up to $600 billion lending program for mid-size businesses ...
Many clients who are engaged in litigation may also now be facing the added burden of decreased cash flow due to the economic crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic. While courts around the country may view the situation differently, Dinsmore attorneys were recently able to help a corporate client obtain an early, administrative closure of their case due to the economic crisis they are experiencing at this time ...
As some businesses are reopening while COVID-19 plateaus, many employees are splitting time between working from home and working in the office. Those same employees are often using their own devices (phones, tablets, laptops etc.) in both places. The use of personal devices in a work setting can increase risk of a data breach ...
On May 5, 2020, the Small Business Administration extended the time in which certain borrowers of Paycheck Protection Program loans may take advantage of the certification safe harbor SBA announced on April 24, 2020. The SBA also issued guidance on applying the affiliation rules to businesses with U.S. and foreign affiliates ...
COVID-19 has caused a swift and unprecedented change to many social institutions in the United States (and worldwide). As a result, lawyers have been compelled to adopt new practices and policies to face the challenges of this time. No discipline has been changed quite as much, however, as that of the litigator. COVID-19, for example, has changed the way depositions will look for the immediate future ...
In a typical bankruptcy filing, a debtor seeks the benefit of two concepts. First, the debtor seeks the breathing room afforded that debtor by the automatic stay. Second, the debtor seeks to discharge all debt obligations adjudicated in the bankruptcy case. Absent these protections, a bankruptcy filing serves little purpose. As a result, a creditor or trustee who can attack the debtor's entitlement to a discharge threatens the heart of any filing ...
At Spilman Thomas & Battle, we talk with lending clients regularly about their collection options against borrowers who have defaulted in their obligations. Many are surprised to learn how varied and wide their toolbox actually is. Debts that look dead in the water may yet have air in the lungs ...
Those with the greatest need for the financial relief afforded by a successful bankruptcy case often lack the financial resources necessary to secure adequate legal representation, particularly in the context of individual chapter 7 cases. ABI has devoted substantial resources toward addressing this dilemma ...
These provisions will apply until October 31th, 2021. The Financial Market Commission (CMF) reports that its Council approved on April 30th, 2020 a regulation (Circular No. 2,252), containing provisions for banks with regard to Covid-19 loans from the Guarantee Fund for Small and Medium-Sized Companies (FOGAPE) ...
Promotion of technologies to ease interaction with public entities Government establishes general guidelines for use of digital citizen services, in order to facilitate citizen interaction with public entities. The Ministry of ICT issued Decree 620 of 2020 to establish general guidelines that private (when performing administrative functions) and public entities must follow in the use and operation of digital citizen services ...
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, pension regulators across Canada have been announcing special measures to help protect the interests of pension plan members, assist pension plan administrators and ensure the ongoing financial health of pension plans, particularly given the negative impact that current financial market conditions have had on the funded status of pension plans. This bulletin summarizes the measures that have been announced to date ...
