The health crisis caused by COVID-19 (better known as “Coronavirus”) has had a significant impact on both global and local trade. In our country, the first case, which was confirmed on March 9, triggered the implementation of significant sanitary measures that led to the necessary temporary closure of multiple enterprises, as well as limited the movement of the population, and restricted commercial [1] and governmental [2] activity ...
Below is a summary of key relief and operational measures implemented by the DIFC since 1 April 2020 and the time of this inBrief, 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, 11 April 2020. Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) announces relief measures On Tuesday, 7 April 2020, the DFSA announced a number of relief measures to support their clients during this time of stress and uncertainty. These measures are aimed at both new firms setting up in the DIFC as well as existing authorised firms ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 relation to the COVID-19 emergency, the Indonesian Commission for the Supervision of Business Competition (“KPPU”) has made several adjustments to the enforcement of merger control rules through announcements in its official website and a press release stating that, as of 16 March 2020, they temporarily suspended all law enforcement activities, including notification filing and notification reviewing, until 6 April 2020 ...
When COVID-19 first hit, many employers were initially faced with the need to identify if they qualified as an essential business under the operative orders issued by the federal and state governments, and then come into compliance with safety measures, all while ensuring compliance with other requirements such as those laid out by the Americans with Disabilities Act ...
On April 9, 2020, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Board”) announced the establishment of the Main Street Business Lending Program (“Main Street Loan Program”), an up to $600 billion lending program for mid-size businesses ...
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 recent weeks, and especially in recent days, we have seen the serious repercussions of the spread of COVID-19 on Quebec businesses and SMEs. Government authorities are planning financial assistance measures for businesses, and some chambers of commerce have already announced that new services will soon be offered to businesses to help them deal with the crisis. We are as yet unaware of the details of this assistance and how it will be allocated ...
In the face of governmental orders shutting down businesses, redirecting business efforts and assets, and even seizing business property to redistribute to others, we see 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. Click here for a more detailed discussion of COVID-19 and governmental takings ...
On 9 April 2020, in light of the amendments to the coronavirus (COVID-19) TERS Directives, the Unemployment Insurance Fund (“UIF”) released four new memoranda of agreement (“MOAs”) to be used when employers apply for the COVID-19 Temporary Relief Scheme (“TERS”). It has also issued a revised application procedure. A MOA records the terms and conditions for the implementation of the TERS by the UIF and any employer who submits a claim under the TERS ...
Current state of affairs On 5 March 2020, the first case of novel Coronavirus Disease of 2019 ("COVID-19"), was confirmed in South Africa. Prior to, and with the advent of the various regulations issued in terms of section 27(2) of the Disaster Management Act, 2002, all industry sectors, including the mining industry, were directed to take reasonable measures to prevent or limit the exposure to COVID-19 at working places ...
On 8 April 2020, the Minister of Employment and Labour issued a notice amending a few significant aspects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) Temporary Relief Scheme (“C19 TERS”) Directive of 25 March 2020 (the “Amendment”).The C19 TERS was established to compensate employees who have lost income due to the COVID-19 pandemic, through the Unemployment Insurance Fund (“UIF”) ...
When a client or customer files for bankruptcy, a business’ treatment of that customer’s account must change. Many businesses have dedicated bankruptcy departments or teams that deal with these accounts. However, it can take a while before the account is flagged or transferred to the bankruptcy team. Further, some smaller business bankruptcy teams are comprised of other department employees just wearing a “bankruptcy hat” when working on those accounts ...
Businesses are experiencing devastating losses due to mandated restrictions and shutdowns, as well as the cancellation of events. What’s more, no one knows how long this will continue. As a result, many businesses are considering whether their insurance might provide some relief from the losses they already have incurred, or likely will incur, due to this crisis ...
Many commercial contracts limit claims between parties, particularly for consequential losses, to instances of gross negligence. Many statutes circumscribe claims against government authorities to the same circumstances. The Police Act, for example, prohibits claims against the police except where the police have been “guilty of dishonesty, gross negligence or malicious or wilful misconduct” ...
On April 6, 2020, the National Consumer Service (SERNAC) published the "Interpretative Circular on distance contracts during the COVID-19 pandemic", which seeks to set general guidelines regarding distance contracting with consumers during the constitutional state of catastrophe due to public calamity. To safeguard the basic rights embodied in Law No ...
On March 31, 2020, the Subsecretary of Fishing and Aquaculture (“Subpesca”) issued the Exempt Resolution N° 886 (“Res. 886”) which provides the suspension of terms, procedures and other measures, as a consequence of the force majeure event caused by Covid-19. The suspension is effective as of March 18, 2020 and until it is reversed by another act. I. Terms and procedures subject to suspension. According to Res ...
