President Trump signed H.R.266, the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act (the “PPP/HCE Act”) this afternoon following passage of the bill by both houses of Congress. The PPP/HCE Act provides additional funding for small business loan and grant programs administered by the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic ...
Today, the federal government enacted the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act (the “PPP/HCE Act”) to provide additional funding for loan and grant programs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The PPP/HCE Act modifies and increases funding for the Paycheck Protection Program and the Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, as discussed in greater detail here ...
The negative pricing for West Texas Intermediate oil (“WTI”) on Monday has raised alarm bells for many of our clients in the exploration and production and midstream industries. This article will clarify the issues for these companies and explain the forces at work that have created this situation. The root cause of the current dilemma arises from the dramatic drop in demand starting with the onset of the COVID-19 virus on the United States ...
Yesterday, in Romag Fasteners, Inc. v. Fossil, Inc., the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously held that a plaintiff in a trademark infringement suit is not required to show that the infringing defendant acted “willfully” to avail itself of the Lanham Act’s disgorgement remedy ...
The Philippine Government has issued a slew of resolutions and circulars as part of its response to the COVID 19 pandemic and unsurprisingly, a number of legal and practical issues have beset businesses and persons under the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine (ECQ)1. Like the rest of the world, the country is bracing itself for a new normal – in the way enterprises are run, services are rendered, everyday tasks are undertaken ...
This is a briefing on the following issuances as of April 19, 2020 in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic: A. Extension of Periods for the Filing and Submission of Various Documents and Payment of TaxesB. Mandatory Disclosure of Personal Information of COVID-19 Patients C. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Issuances D. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP, the Central Bank of the Philippines) Issuances E. Insurance Commission (IC) Issuances F ...
In a turn of events, likely in response to the headlines relating to companies and others returning PPP loan proceeds, on April 23, 2020, the Small Business Administration (SBA) and Department of the Treasury updated the Paycheck Protection Program Loans Frequently Asked Questions to include Question 31, which has been seen by many as a change in eligibility. The CARES Act specifically suspended the SBA 7(a) loan program requirement that borrowers be unable to obtain credit elsewhere ...
In light of President Ramaphosa’s announcement of a phased approach to the end of lockdown, many businesses will still be required to remain closed (or partially closed) after 30 April 2020. With this in mind, many employers will still require assistance from the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Temporary Relief Scheme (“C19TERS”) ...
The Small Business Administration emphasizes that businesses who participate in the Paycheck Protection Program must make a good faith certification that the loan request is “necessary” to support ongoing operations due to the current economic uncertainty ...
Another week brings another round of COVID-19-related lawsuits. We are identifying some early trends and provide a synopsis of the more relevant lawsuits below. Will nursing homes be overwhelmed by wrongful death lawsuits? The daughter of a woman suspected to have died from COVID-19 has filed a wrongful death suit against the company who owns the Life Care Center of Kirkland where her mother was a resident ...
We would like to provide you with an update on some changes in the legal regulation of medicines in Russia made due to dynamic spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) ...
As all lenders know by now, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act’s (“CARES Act”) guaranteed Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loans are the key piece of economic relief for small businesses during the COVID-19 crisis ...
On April 15th, Exempt Resolution No. 258, that determines certain maximum prices in accordance with the abilities granted to the Ministry of Health by Decree No. 4/2020, was published in the Official Gazette ...
In order to allow the importation of medicines and other products for human health,during the State of Emergency, the National Directorate of Pharmacy and Drugs (DNFYD) of the Ministry of Health, has issued Resolution 280 of April 6, 2020 published in Official Gazette No ...
The stock market has had record declines and many businesses are shuttered, at least temporarily. Long-term prospects may still be positive but in the near-term the value of many entities has reduced. Are there transactions that privately-held businesses and their owners could implement that would allow them to achieve long-term goals that could benefit the business, the owner, and owner’s family? We believe that there are ...
The Costa Rica´s General Directorate of Customs issued the statement DGA-010-2020, which expands the list of products for surgical use that have export and re-export restrictions, which they had initially established through directive DGA-003-2020. The products added are as follows: Mono-glasses: Mono-glasses with indirect ventilation, transparent lens, foam covered frame and adjustable headband. Ergonomic and panoramic design. HSC: 9004.90.10.00 ...
Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) licensed corporations (LCs) which store regulatory records in the cloud, data centres or other electronic storage facilities provided by external persons (EDSPs) without keeping copies of such records in their Hong Kong business premises are reminded of the need to comply with the following requirements, according to the circular issued by the SFC on 31 October 2019 (Circular): (i) notify the SFC of the external electronic data stor
In response to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government has passed several new laws to provide trillions of dollars of funding to affected businesses and individuals. But this also means there are new compliance considerations for entities receiving federal funds, especially as it relates to the False Claims Act’s “false certification” theory of liability ...
The Chilean Central Bank increased the upper thresholds for the investment in alternative assets by Pension Funds type A, B, C, and D, with the purpose of “promoting the diversification of Pension Funds' portfolios, granting them access to a better combination of risk and return ”. In the case of Pension Funds type E, the former limit was kept ...
New products related to the health emergency by COVID-19 are declared as Non-Available Vitals. Since the issuance of Minute Num. 3 dated March 24, 2020, the Colombian Sanitary Authority, INVIMA, has declared certain products, subdivided in 16 categories, as NON-AVAILABLE VITALS, which as such, can be commercialized without a sanitary registration ...
