As the White House and state and local governments begin to assess business re-opening measures in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, employers are evaluating how to transition employees back to the physical workplace. As a threshold matter, employers must assess applicable state and local governmental orders for restrictions, timing, and guidelines regarding business re-opening, as the lifting of shelter-in-place orders and re-opening measures will vary by region and industry ...
Significant changes are expected to be introduced to the trademark law of Hong Kong to cater for the examination, acceptance and administration of the International Registration of marks under the Madrid System which is tentatively scheduled for launch in 2022/23. The Hong Kong Intellectual Property Department (IPD) is revamping the trademark law to align with international practices, after holding several industry consultations to gather opinions and recommendations ...
Humanity needs from each of us unprecedented contributions to support and enhance healthcare systems’ response to the coronavirus threat. Money, good citizenship values, personal time, individual limitations and privations and brain waves, in any proportion, never amount for too much. Equally urgently needed is to contain irreversible disruptions in businesses and, thus, to protect communities and employees from shortages in food, health and education resources ...
What is the Public Service Obligation (PSO)? Whose obligation is it? What is the realization of the PSO? Some of us may not be familiar with the PSO and what actually means for a country. This article provides a general understanding of the PSO and particularly, how the PSO can affect us directly. First things first, what is the PSO? The PSO is a concept commonly adopted by all nations and as you might guess, it is the obligation of the government to serve the public ...
Effective March 27, 2020, the Ohio Legislature passed House Bill 197 as a direct response to Governor Mike DeWine’s executive order earlier that month. How has HB 197 changed Ohio workers’ compensation? Two main ways: permitting public meetings and “tolling” deadlines. PUBLIC MEETINGS Section 12 of HB 197 permits government agencies to convene via video conference through Dec. 1, 2020 (unless the COVID-19 emergency ends prior to that date) ...
Phase 1 of the ‘scaling-down’ process, third tranche of guarantees, extension of ERTE temporary layoffs, potential delay in the application of VAT directives and of DAC6, and measures to support the cultural sector For another week running, Garrigues summarizes the key issues that companies need to be aware of over the coming days ...
Given the state of emergency declared by the Panamanian Government as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic, the stay at home orders issued by the health authorities and the social distancing that is essential to control the outbreak, the technological tools available for companies to operate remotely are vital ...
Phased reopening of the economy is beginning all over the country. Unfortunately, there is no consistent or uniform way in which reopening is being handled. Every business should closely review not only state-level restrictions as they reopen but also local-level restrictions and federal guidance as well. Compliance with these requirements is not only important from a regulatory standpoint but also may help limit liability ...
This is a briefing on the following issuances as of May 10, 2020 in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic: A. Suspension of Periods to File Applications and Other Documents with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) B. Issuances Supplementing the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases’ (IATF) Omnibus Guidelines on Community Quarantine (Omnibus Guidelines) C ...
This sixth edition of Unprecedented, our weekly update on COVID-19 litigation, sees us reporting on many of the same types of cases. Consumers continue to seek refunds for goods and services that have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with colleges and universities being a particular target. Consumers also have targeted retailers for alleged price-gouging behavior ...
Slovak Investment Holding, a.s. (“SIH”) has launched the SIH Anti-Corona Guarantee as a new financial instrument employing European Structural and Investment Funds to help small and medium-sized enterprises (the “SMEs“) in Slovakia to overcome the financial difficulties and liquidity problems caused by the COVID-19 crisis and to help preserve employment and retain jobs ...
Amendments to the Operating License Framework Act and the General Administrative Procedure Act are approved Today, May 10, Legislative Decree No. 1497 has been published, a standard that approves measures to promote and facilitate regulatory conditions that contribute to reduce the impact on the economy due to the health emergency caused by COVID-19, for which the Operating License Framework Act and the General Administrative Procedure Act have been amended accordingly ...
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 ...
Although there is no law or regulation in the People’s Republic of China that explicitly parallels the US Defense Production Act of 1950 (“DPA”), as an economy with many remaining elements of state control, there are ample administrative measures, regulations and judicial precedents in China allowing the government to overrule outstanding production plans and contracts by mandating, controlling, allocating and prioritizing production of critical supplies ...
Boards of directors of public companies have a lot on their minds today as they navigate the unprecedented circumstances resulting from the novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic—from precipitous drops in revenues as businesses are shuttered, to supply chain disruption, to difficulties in making debt payments, to labor challenges, among many others ...
On April 29, 2020, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) issued updated guidance in the form of 94 Frequently Asked Questions (“FAQs”) in connection with the employee retention credits (“ERC” or “credits”) which are available to eligible employers pursuant to Section 2301 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Recovery Act, Pub. L. No. 116-136 (“CARES Act”) ...
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 ...
Same as most of the states where SARS-CoV-2 crisis emerged, Romania has adopted a quite extensive package of measures meant to sustain the shaken economy pending the cease of the emergency state. In this context, the Romanian Government regulated and is still implementing certain specific measures for easing the economic burden on companies during the state of emergency ...
On April 28, 2020, the Employee Benefits Security Administration, the Department of Labor, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Department of the Treasury (the “Agencies”) signed a joint notification of relief, which was published in the Federal Register on May 4, 2020 (the “Notice”) ...
On 30 April 2020, the European Commission adopted three implementing regulations allowing temporary derogations from the strict cartel prohibition provided for by EU competition law in three specific agricultural sectors: dairy, potato and live plants and flowers. The latter sector is said to broadly cover “live trees and other plants, bulbs, roots and the like, cut flowers and ornamental foliage” ...
To limit the spread of Covid-19, all indoor and outdoor private and public cultural, festive, recreational, leisure and sport activities /events are prohibited until at least 10 May 2020 (included). Sport activities without physical contact and with a maximum of three persons are already allowed from 4 May 2020. Museums might be allowed to re-open from 18 May 2020 under strict conditions ...
The global spread of COVID-19 coronavirus infection has led to significant changes in social, political and economic processes in Russia and around the world. Government authorities are responding and introducing measures to combat the spread of coronavirus infection to ensure sustainable economic development and support to citizens in the face of the pandemic ...
With a view to combating the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hong Kong Government has introduced measures to implement social distancing, including, among other things, the Prevention and Control of Disease (Prohibition on Group Gathering) Regulation (Cap. 599G) (Regulation), which has been effective since 29 March 2020. The Regulation, when first issued, prohibited group gatherings of more than four persons in public places during the “specified period” ...
Key Points Cupertino Vallco Mall Project clears major hurdle thanks to California court's denial of writ of mandate petition from anti-housing group. Another favorable SB 35 ruling may embolden further use of the procedure for streamlining housing development in California ...
