“One ought never to turn one’s back on a threatened danger and try to run away from it. If you do that, you will double the danger. But if you meet it promptly and without flinching, you will reduce the danger by half.” - Winston Churchill As responses to the COVID-19 pandemic have evolved over the course of the first quarter, you and your business have reacted swiftly to ensure the health and safety of your customers, partners and employees ...
As we all know by now, much of our day-to-day lives have been upended by the COVID-19 pandemic. We are being told by everyone everywhere - the CDC, the President, governors, mayors, public health officials - we need to flatten the curve of the virus' natural exponential spread by practicing social distancing and aggressive hand washing ...
The COVID-19 pandemic brings to light penal and fine regulations that have hitherto led a shadowy existence. In particular, quarantine requirements and curfews and the punishability of violations thereof are currently under discussion. Companies and executives must also familiarize themselves with the provisions and official orders to avoid sanctions. Violations of curfews and requirements by authorities as well as quarantine violations are punishable by fines or even imprisonment ...
On Thursday, March 19, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom issued a stay at home order to protect the health and well-being of all Californians and to establish a consistent approach across the state to slow the spread of COVID-19. This order went into effect on Thursday, March 19, 2020, and is in place until further notice. The order identifies certain services as essential, including food, prescriptions, and healthcare. These services can continue despite the stay at home order ...
How might businesses in your jurisdiction be impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic? The Government of Estonia declared an emergency situation on March 12th due to the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic and the threat of mass infections. The government has decided to ban public gatherings and implement distance learning at schools, implemented sanitary controls at the border, and closed cultural and entertainment institutions until the 1st of May ...
It didn't take long. There are already 11 trademark applications pending in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for marks including the word "CORONAVIRUS". The first of these applications was filed on February 4, 2020, (CORONAVIRUS SURVIVAL GUIDE) and most recently on March 13, 2020 (I SURVIVED THE CORONAVIRUS/ COVID-19 OF 2020!). Certainly there will be more to follow ...
As Democrats and Republicans continue to negotiate the terms and conditions of a “Phase 3” COVID-19 bill, the implementation of a large-scale expansion of the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) Section 7(a) Loan Program appears to have widespread bipartisan support and should pass in some form in the next few days. The existing 7(a) Program currently operates to provide access to capital to small businesses that might not otherwise be eligible for bank loans ...
Various European countries already passed emergency legislation which, among other things, enables companies to hold general meetings without physical presence rights and obligations in the 2020 general meeting season. The German legislator is now also drafting appropriate special provisions for the current crisis ...
The COVID-19 pandemic has hit small businesses particularly hard. And, the Small Business Administration’s disaster loan program can offer many of those small businesses a lifeline. But, it can be daunting to know what relief is available (and for what purpose), who qualifies, and how to apply. This is what you need to know. The SBA has two types of disaster loan programs—one through banks and one directly from the SBA via the U.S. Treasury ...
A dynamic platform, gathering answers to your most frequently asked questions in relation to the ongoing crisis. The content of this page will be continuously updated based on the latest news. Click here to access the Arendt Covid-19 Solutions Platform ...
In a unanimous decision, the Texas Supreme Court held on March 20, 2020 that an insurance policy’s omission of an express duty to defend “groundless, false or fraudulent” claims does not preclude application of the Eight-Corners Rule. InJanet Richards, et al. v. State Farm Lloyds, No. 19-0802, ___ S.W.3d ___ (Tex ...
During the outbreak of COVID-19, the Chinese authorities have jointly released a series of measures to support enterprises and industries and reduce the negative economical impact of the epidemic ...
The 22 March Decree was anticipated by two ordinances issued on 21 March 2020 by, respectively, the Lombardy Region1, subsequently amended on 22 March 2020 (the “Lombardy Ordinance”), and the Piedmont Region 2 (the “Piedmont Ordinance”). The ordinances provide for even more stringent restrictions for the regions concerned, and will remain in force until 3 April 2020 (for the Piedmont Region) and 15 April 2020 (for the Lombardy Region) ...
In this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are many questions about insurance coverage. Because each policy is different, it is very difficult to generalize about insurance coverage. However, one thing we know to be true is that policyholders or insureds will be advocating for losses, primarily business losses, to be covered, while the insurance companies will be arguing the insurance policies preclude coverage either due to policy definitions or due to policy exclusions ...
A trend is emerging with recently filed litigation involving the COVID-19 pandemic. Spilman attorneys are committed to providing information that allows businesses to react as quickly as possible to avert civil litigation threats or to protect your interests through litigation. Monitoring these litigation trends will allow organizations to prepare to defend against such threats in the future or to identify and pursue civil remedies when needed ...
The COVID-19 pandemic has hit small businesses particularly hard. And, the Small Business Administration’s disaster loan program can offer many of those small businesses a lifeline. But, it can be daunting to know what relief is available (and for what purpose), who qualifies, and how to apply. This is what you need to know. The SBA has two types of disaster loan programs—one through banks and one directly from the SBA via the U.S. Treasury ...
As the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread across the world, we would like to reassure you that DFDL takes the needs and well-being of our clients, our people and local communities seriously. We have enacted plans across our offices to deliver uninterrupted service to our clients and we are monitoring the situation on a daily basis. All members of DFDL remain ready to serve client needs and DFDL offices remain open, when allowed by local authorities ...
On 23 and 24 March 2020, the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition (the “Minister”) published Regulations under section 78(1) of the Competition Act, 1998 exempting the banking and retail property sectors respectively from certain provisions of the Competition Act in order to limit the impact of the ongoing national state of disaster announced on 15 March 2020 ...
As a result of the increasing spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), many employees may consider placing themselves in self-quarantine after possible exposure to the virus. Self-quarantine is a precautionary measure taken by a person who has been in contact with someone who has contracted COVID-19, but has not tested positive or is not showing any symptoms of the virus ...
In terms of ordinary contract principles, if an employee commits an act of serious misconduct, this constitutes a breach of contract. This breach alone does not terminate the contract of employment. The employer can elect to either “accept” the breach or “reject” it. If the employer accepts the breach, it is this election of the employer to accept the breach that terminates the contract. This would, in common law terminology, constitute a dismissal ...
A trend is emerging with recently filed litigation involving the COVID-19 pandemic. Spilman attorneys are committed to providing information that allows businesses to react as quickly as possible to avert civil litigation threats or to protect your interests through litigation. Monitoring these litigation trends will allow organizations to prepare to defend against such threats in the future or to identify and pursue civil remedies when needed ...
The regulations published on 18 March 2020 in terms of the Disaster Management Act, 2002 (the “Act”) have been amended to regulate the lockdown announced by President Ramaphosa on 23 March 2020. A new chapter 2 specifically dealing with the lockdown has been inserted into the regulations. We summarise below the most significant provisions contained in chapter 2 ...
