In early April as the statewide vaccination rate began to rise and major population centers across California began to see significant decreases in positive COVID cases and hospitalization rates, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that the State plans to reopen in full on June 15, 2021. As of the date of this Alert, California has one of the lowest number of COVID cases per 100,000 people and the fourth lowest number of COVID hospitalizations in the United States ...
A recent opinion, 731 Market Street Owner, LLC v. City and County of San Francisco (Cal. Ct. App., June 18, 2020, No. A154369) 2020 WL 3285962 (“731 Market Street Owner”), issued by a California Court of Appeal in San Francisco provides some relief to San Francisco building owners ...
Earlier this week, the US Department of Labor (DOL) added to their long list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act or FFCRA. These latest additions raises the total of FAQs from an already robust 79 to a staggering 88. Combined with the DOL’s first FFCRA enforcement action in Arizona, this is the latest warning for employers to get fully prepared ...
Now is the time to prepare for when non-essential businesses will be allowed to re-open after the various state and local COVID-19 shutdown orders are lifted. We do not know when that date will be or how the orders will be lifted, but planning now can make that phase go smoother for building owners and managers as well as tenants in those buildings. One thing we can be certain of is that the use and operation of buildings will not be “back to normal” for a while ...
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 ...
April 21, 2020 Cities in California have been implementing local ordinances providing for emergency supplemental paid sick leave for local workers in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which adds complexity for employers navigating the rapidly changing obligations resulting from the pandemic ...
The federal government recently enacted the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”), which requires small businesses with less than 500 employees to provide a certain amount of paid sick leave and paid family and medical leave to employees affected by COVID-19. Effective April 7, 2020, employees of large companies in the City of Los Angeles are entitled to up to 80 hours of paid sick leave due to reasons related to COVID-19 ...
On Friday, March 27, 2020, the CARES ACT was signed into law. The Cares Act includes provisions for changing deadlines for patents, trademarks, and copyrights. For patents and trademarks, the Act permits the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and the Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office to change the deadlines imposed by Title 35 of the United States Code, the Trademark Act, Section 18 of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act ...
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 ...
The novel coronavirus, COVID-19, is impacting every aspect of doing business, and annual meetings of shareholders are no exception. Each corporation is required by state corporation law, and usually its own bylaws, to hold an annual meeting of its shareholders to elect the members of its Board of Directors and to conduct such other business as may be properly brought before its shareholders, with most corporations holding these meetings in March through June ...
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 6, 2020, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) promulgated a temporary rule (“Rule”) interpreting and giving further guidance on the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act (“FFCRA”). The FFCRA includes the Emergency Family Medical Leave Expansion Act (“EFMLA”) and the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (“EPSL”). The Rule clarifies a number of important threshold questions in the wake of the FFCRA’s enactment ...
BT announced earlier this week that it plans to cut between 40,000 and 55,000 jobs by 2030. It expects around 10,000 of these roles to be replaced by AI, particularly in customer services. BT’s recent announcement is a reminder that increased use of AI is now a key board agenda item, with businesses exploring whether they can increase efficiency and improve operations by investing in generative AI ...
On 27 January 2010, the UK High Court (Technology and Construction) handed down its decision in the long running case of BSkyB v EDS. The decision by Ramsey J, although subject to potential appeal, could well become a landmark case affecting tenders, pitches and contracts for the provision of services ...
Key Points Governor Newsom vetoed AB 339. AB 361 will continue to operate as currently construed. On October 7, 2021, Governor Newsom vetoed Assembly Bill (AB) 339 (Lee), a bill aimed at addressing Brown Act teleconferencing requirements for large public entities. AB 339 sought to add special rules for meetings of city councils or county board of supervisors that govern jurisdictions containing at least 250,000 people ...
Two new categories of tax-exempt bonds were created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684) (the Act) adopted by the House on Nov. 6, 2021: “Qualified Broadband Projects” and “Carbon Dioxide Capture Facilities ...
Best-known for its stunning natural beauty—jewel-colored waters, soft sandy beaches, and lush mountain ridges—the British Virgin Islands also excels among her peers in the international financial services industry. Notably, the Territory is relentless in its pursuit of refining and advancing its financial services legal structures and complying with worldwide regulatory regimes ...
British Virgin Islands Litigation Guide 2024 (Chambers) CONTENTS General Litigation funding Initiating a lawsuit Pre-trial proceedings Discovery Injunctive relief Trials and hearings Settlement Damages and judgment Appeal Costs Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Arbitration Outlook GENERAL General Characteristics of the Legal System Sources of law As a largely self-governing British Overseas Territory, the legal system of the British Virgin Islands (BVI) is roo
British Virgin Islands investment funds update Q1 2024 BVI Financial Services Commission statistics – Q3 2023 The BVI Financial Services Commission ("FSC") has published its Statistical Bulletin for the third quarter of 2023. The FSC’s Statistical Bulletin is one mechanism by which the FSC communicates the progress made within several different sectors of the Financial Services industry, including Investment Business ...
British Virgin Islands investment funds - autumn 2024 update British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission statistics Q2 2024 The British Virgin Islands (the “BVI”) Financial Services Commission (“FSC”) has published its Statistical Bulletin for Q2 2024 (see here, with ‘Investment Business’ statistics at page 17 and ‘Funds’ statistics at page 18) identifying progress made in different sectors of the Financial Services industry, including
British Virgin Islands Economic Substance - frequently asked questions Who has to comply with the Substance Legislation? All companies and limited partnerships that are registered or incorporated in the British Virgin Islands (“Entities”) must comply with the Substance Legislation. The Substance Legislation does not apply to trusts or general partnerships ...
British Virgin Islands corporate and finance update Q2 2024 Mutual evaluation report In February 2024, the Financial Action Task Force published its mutual evaluation report on the BVI, its compliance with the FATF Recommendations and the effectiveness of anti-money laundering/counter-terrorist financing controls and systems ...
