In light of the increasing significance of cybersecurity incidents, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently found it necessary to provide further guidance with respect to cybersecurity disclosure requirements under the federal securities laws as they apply to public operating companies ...
On April 2, 2020, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) issued an interim final rule, providing additional guidance on the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Click here to read the full text of the Interim Final Rule. Here are some of the highlights of new and/or clarified information from the previous guidance issued by Treasury and SBA and the text of the CARES Act: Eligibility Only U.S ...
As many states and municipalities begin lifting stay at home orders and implementing steps for a phased reopening of businesses, employers should be developing a written “game plan” to minimize the risks of transitioning from a COVID-19 complete or partial shutdown to resumption of business as usual, or business in the post-Pandemic workplace ...
A recent decision by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania concerning a challenge to Governor Tom Wolf’s executive order relating to COVID-19 could impact disputes nationwide that arise out of the pandemic and involve a determination of whether COVID-19 constitutes a “natural disaster” or other like term within the context of force majeure clauses. In its April 13, 2020, decision inFriends of Devito v ...
Michigan’s Open Meetings Act (“OMA”) was officially amended this past Friday when Governor Whitmer signed SB 1108 (now Public Act 228 of 2020). The new law permits public bodies to conduct electronic meetings under certain circumstances and for a set period of time. The amendments to the OMA were prompted by a recent Michigan Supreme Court decision that effectively eliminated emergency executive orders issued by Governor Whitmer after April 30, 2020 ...
Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) is affecting companies across the nation and around the world in a variety of ways. Dykema is closely monitoring the legal ramifications of the crisis and evaluating the potential impact to businesses in a wide variety of industries. This Quick Reference Guide is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal advice ...
Dykema has launched a COVID-19 Resource Center to keep our clients up to date on the most recent legal, business and health guidance surrounding the novel coronavirus and how to navigate their businesses through uncertain times. Various firm practitioners are providing timely content that aims at providing guidance for employer’s current issues as well as those unforeseen items that have yet to arise ...
As investor interest in qualified opportunity zones (“QOZ”) grows, both qualified opportunity funds (“QOFs”) and investors should be aware of the benefits of organizing QOFs as C-Corporations. C-Corporation QOFs may take advantage of the reduced corporate income tax rate of 21 percent and the benefits under Section 1202 of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”) ...
The tax act (Pub. L. No. 115-97) introduced a new program designed to encourage investments in low-income communities throughout the country that have been designated as qualified opportunity zones (“Opportunity Zones”). Each state and U.S. territory was allowed to designate up to 25 percent of eligible low-income communities as Opportunity Zones ...
Goal Is to Improve Accuracy and Reduce Potentially Invalid Registrations On February 14, 2019, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) issued aNotice of Proposed Rulemaking(“NPRM”) to require foreign domiciled trademark applicants and registrants to be represented by a licensed U.S. attorney at the PTO. The comment period on the NPRM is open until March 18, 2019 ...
In response to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and its resulting adverse effects on the income levels of Michigan residents, a package of bills (2020 SB 912 through 2020 SB 917) was introduced earlier this month to provide additional protections for residential tenants and owner-occupants during a declared state of emergency ...
Following up on Dykema’s alert from June 18, 2020, President Trump signed a Proclamation that extends his April 22, 2020, 60-day ban on immigrant workers entering the United States until December 31, 2020. In addition, it also added those with H-1B, H-2B, L-1 and J-1 visas and any foreign national accompanying them to this ban. The Proclamation states this was done to address, in part, high unemployment levels due to the coronavirus pandemic ...
After stating he planned on issuing an Executive Order earlier this week, President Trump yesterday issued a proclamation barring intending immigrants from the United States for 60 days beginning at 11:50 p.m. on April 23, 2020. It states it is intended to help U.S. workers facing high levels of unemployment due to the Coronavirus ...
Following up on his recent tweet to temporarily halt all immigration to the United States due to the coronavirus pandemic, President Trump announced his upcoming Executive Order would be limited to those people seeking permanent resident status in the United States (“green cards”) and would last for 60 days. This will apparently not apply to those seeking to enter the United States on non-immigrant visas ...
This first alert of a multipart series provides practical tips to minimize legal risk arising from the following legal perils that await any unprepared or ill-informed employer. As the world’s information about the Coronavirus (“COVID-19”) continues to quickly update, employers must remain aware of the many potential legal risks that can rapidly arise when grappling with COVID-19 in U.S.-based workplaces and workforces ...
This second alert of a multipart series provides practical tips to minimize legal risk arising from the following legal perils that await any unprepared or ill-informed employer. As the world’s information about the Coronavirus (“COVID-19”) continues to quickly update, employers must remain aware of the many potential legal risks that can rapidly arise when grappling with COVID-19 in U.S.-based workplaces and workforces ...
On December 27, 2020, the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits and Venues Act (the “Economic Aid Act”) was enacted which, among other things, reauthorized lending under the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) to first-time borrowers (“First Draw PPP Loans”) and for second draws by certain borrowers who have previously received PPP loans (“Second Draw PPP Loans”) ...
The SBA, in consultation with the U.S. Department of Treasury, issued the Paycheck Protection Program Loan ForgivenessApplicationand related instructions on May 15, 2020. While the application and instructions answer many of our questions about PPP loan forgiveness, it leaves many others open. Treasury has promised that the SBA also will soon issue regulations and guidance that we hope will address these questions ...
PPP Loan Forgiveness IFR Revisions and Revised Application, Key Observations Part V Once again, the SBA is doling out guidance in small doses, solving some questions, creating new questions and leaving most questions still unanswered. On June 16, 2020, the SBA issued a revised PPP Loan Forgiveness Application, along wit hrelated instructions, and new PPP Loan Forgiveness Application Form 3508EZ, also with related instructions ...
The SBA issued anInterim Final Rule(“IFR”) regarding PPP loan forgiveness on May 22, 2020, to supplement thePPP Loan Forgiveness Applicationand instructions issued one week earlier. While the new IFR did not provide a great deal of new guidance, below is a list of our key observations, which supplements our prior observations on the application itself, which are repeated at the end of this Alert ...
Several reports, including one by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, indicate President Trump may issue a Proclamation limiting or prohibiting the entry into the United States of foreign nationals holding H-1B, H-2B, L-1 and J-1 visas. H-1Bs are used to employ foreign nationals in specialty occupations (those positions normally requiring at least a Bachelor’s Degree or its equivalent for entry into the field). H-2Bs are for temporary, non-agricultural workers ...
Several years ago the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) required skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) to report nurse staffing levels using the SNF’s payroll records, in an effort to obtain more accurate information about actual daily nurse presence in SNFs. CMS has collected this Payroll Based Journal (PBJ) information for a few quarters now ...
In a turn of events, likely in response to the headlines relating to companies and others returning PPP loan proceeds, on April 23, 2020, the Small Business Administration (SBA) and Department of the Treasury updated the Paycheck Protection Program Loans Frequently Asked Questions to include Question 31, which has been seen by many as a change in eligibility. The CARES Act specifically suspended the SBA 7(a) loan program requirement that borrowers be unable to obtain credit elsewhere ...
