On 19 March 2020, the Minister of Trade and Industry (the “Minister”) published two Regulations under section 78(1) of the Competition Act, 1998 (as amended) (the “Competition Act”), pursuant to the National State of Disaster declared on 15 March 2020 (the “National State of Disaster”).Both of the Regulations are effective immediately. The first creates a block exemption for the Healthcare Sector ...
In stark contrast to earlier media reports as to what would constitute “essential services”, the Regulations published in terms of the impending coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown are far from clear and explicit when it comes to ICT, including datacentres, fibre optic infrastructure, towers and antennae ...
At their core, the Regulations in terms of the Disaster Management Act, 2002 issued and brought into operation yesterday, 18 March 2020, outline the responsibilities of all government departments, the release and allocation of resources, and the conditions under which liquor industry may function. In the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic being declared a national state of disaster, the Regulations are intended to contain the spread of the virus ...
In consideration of the COVID-19 outbreak in Mauritius we want to take this opportunity to inform you of our business continuity and safeguarding procedures.ENSafrica’s top priority is to preserve the health and well-being of its people, its clients, all its business partners and their familiesas well as the ongoing success of business operations ...
Background As you no doubt know, the coronavirus (COVID-19) has been declared to be a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (“WHO”).In this time of global crisis, what is most key-critical to us, is that we continue to look after the wellness of our people while we service your business’s requirements and structure ourselves in a way that we are able deliver to you at the level you have come to expect of ENSafrica ...
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is changing the way we live, interact and conduct business. The Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment (“B-BBEE”) world in South Africa is no different. All companies undergoing a B-BBEE verification are required to permit their B-BBEE verification agencies to conduct on-site inspections and personal interviews as part of the verification process ...
Background Other than hand sanitizer manufacturers, private hospitals and the like which stand to profit from the coronavirus (COVID-19) disaster unfolding, the vast majority of South African companies fall into two groups: those that are hemorrhaging but will ultimately survive, and those who will not ...
With the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19), many businesses have taken the decision to request that employees work from home. To work from home, employees will either be using their own personal devices or company-issued equipment to either access the company network remotely or to transmit data and information through their own personal network. There are a few inherent information security risks that are posed by these arrangements ...
On 15 March 2020, President Kenyatta gave a speech on how the Kenyan Government intends to manage the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. We outline these measures below and also provide some pointers: Travel For 30 days following the announcement, or as varied by the National Emergency Response Committee, travel is suspended for all persons coming into Kenya from any country with reported COVID-19 cases ...
The Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) Authority has recently issued new company regulations (the Company Regulations 2020). The Company Regulations 2020 came into effect on 2 January 2020 and they repeal and replace the previous DMCC Company Regulations 2003 (DMCC Regulation No. 1 of 2003, as amended by DMCC Regulation No. 1 of 2007, DMCC Regulation No. 1 of 2009 and DMCC Regulation No. 1 of 2013) (the Previous Company Regulations) ...
Are delivery obligations between businesses still to be fulfilled? In principle, commercial contracts and the rights and obligations contained therein remain legally binding, despite the official measures taken to prevent the spreading of COVID-19. However, in connection with travel contracts, the Austrian Supreme Court qualified the outbreak of the infectious disease SARS as a force majeure event that made it unreasonable to perform the contract ...
The first part of the article deals with various legal issues that may become relevant for financings in connection with measures to limit the spread of COVID-19. The second part sets out links to current public subsidy offers. 1. Q&A Information is of a general nature and, therefore, cannot replace specific advice in individual cases. Only the legal position of an entrepreneur but no specifics for consumers are addressed. 1.1 ...
Our colleagues have discussed the application and interpretation of force majeure clauses in contracts related to COVID-19 disruptions. These clauses are included in a contract by the parties and spell out the circumstances under which performance will be excused during one of the specified circumstances, such as natural disaster, disease, epidemic, or pandemic ...
On 30 January 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the outbreak of the new coronavirus, (subsequently renamed as COVID-19), “a public health emergency of international concern”. Various unprecedented and draconian measures were imposed by the PRC Government and other governments around the world, namely, a city lockdown, travel restrictions and bans, extension of the Lunar New Year holidays, mandatory quarantine orders, border closures, etc ...
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread across the globe, disrupting lives, communities and businesses, and putting countries under considerable strain, Nestor Nestor Diculescu Kingston Petersen (NNDKP) has set up the COVID-19 –Legal & Tax Resource Center. Thereyou can access valuable knowledge and legal insights with respect to the implications of the coronavirus in various fields in Romania ...
At Patterson Belknap we continue to diligently monitor the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus and assess the potential legal and business issues that may arise relating to the virus. The situation is fluid, and best practices and guidelines are evolving in real time. We are closely monitoring the situation as it unfolds, and share our latest perspectives on the legal issues relating to COVID-19 below ...
Recent market volatility and the public health implications of the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) have been unsettling. It can be stabilizing in turbulent times to take a deep breath, focus on long-term planning strategies and goals, and assess whether there might be new opportunities to enhance your estate plan ...
Over the last few days, Judge Lawrence K. Marks, the Chief Administrative Judge of the New York State Unified Court System, issued two memoranda bearing on COVID-19’s effect on the Commercial Division. First, by memorandum dated March 13, 2020, Judge Marks announced that he and Chief Judge Janet DiFiore have implemented a number of measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect the well-being of court personnel ...
Discussing the legal concept ‘Force Majeure’ in credit agreements – if it can be called upon, it has in principle a temporary nature and does not relief you from payment obligations. In general, force majeure is an unforeseeable and unavoidable event that occurs after a credit agreement has been concluded (i.e ...
Balancing between your bank taking purely business considerations or being reasonable. We advise being proactive and approaching your bank. The Coronavirus is unfortunately a human tragedy that is affecting thousands of people on all continents. It has also a very serious impact on businesses worldwide and locally ...
My business has liquidity needs... What can I do to keep this situation under control? As the coronavirus has already made a serious impact on the world economy, companies are faced with important liquidity needs. In uncertain times, easy access to cash can become rare. What can you do? First, approach what is probably your most clear source of liquidity, your bankers ...
The Corona crisis is not only a huge challenge for health care, but also the consequences for the economy will be enormous. Different sectors (such as the hospitality sector and the transport sector) will not be able to overcome the difficult times we are currently facing without public support ...
The coronavirus crisis could make the ability of a business to perform pending contracts harder. Even though so-called ‘hardship’ clauses are perfectly valid and enforceable under Belgian law, hardship is not generally accepted as a principle of Belgian contract law. Until the rules on obligations of the new Civil Code, which recognise hardship, enter into force, there are exceptions and creative ways to deal with this problem ...
In this challenging period of the Coronavirus outbreak, your organisation might currently be taking strong internal measures to protect its employees while ensuring work continuity. Such measures could have data protection implications and therefore you might be wondering how to take them in accordance with the GDPR. We have answered the most important GDPR questions below ...
EUIPO On 16 March 2020, the Executive Director of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has issued Decision No EX-20-3 extending all time limits expiring between 9 March 2020 and 30 April 2020, that affect all parties before the Office, to 1 May 2020. In principle, the new deadlines will not be communicated to the parties on a case-by-case basis ...
