Alerts

As our country grapples with the health, economic, and social impacts of COVID-19, the US Congress has weaponized the US tax law to provide economic stimulus and soften the financial blow dealt by COVID-19 through two key pieces of legislation.  

On March 17, 2020, Secretary Alex Azar of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a Declaration, see 85 Fed. Reg. 15198, invoking the products liability immunity protections within the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act includes three programs aimed at providing relief to businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic: the new Paycheck Protection Program, the new Mid-Size Business Loan Program, and an expansion upon the existing Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program.

On March 25, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) granted public company regulatory relief and issued Staff guidance regarding disclosure obligations in light of the continued complications associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

For the development community, the disruptions caused by the pandemic will add more uncertainty to an already uncertain entitlement landscape.

On March 27, 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Executive Order N-37-20, placing a statewide ban on the enforcement of evictions of residential tenants who are unable to pay rent due to COVID-19. A number of cities and counties across the state have also passed their own restrictions, som

A number of state legislators in New York, New Jersey, Ohio, and Massachusetts have proposed bills which would require insurers on some business interruption policies—those covering businesses with less than a specified number of employees—to retroactively cover and pay claims even though the policy

To address COVID-19’s rapid spread in Washington, DC and across the region and the nation, Mayor Muriel Bowser has issued a stay-at-home order for the District of Columbia. The Order, which goes into effect on April 1, 2020 at 12:01 a.m., parallels orders that Maryland and Virginia issued yesterday.

On March 27 and 28, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released additional question-and-answer style guidance on the emergency paid sick and family leave provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which we first reported here.

Comparative safety claims can be a powerful advertising tool, especially when regarding products consumers cannot test themselves. For this reason, it is imperative that these claims are made with sound proof.

Our Task Force has a summary of the Short-Term Working Capital Loans to Support Small Businesses and The Hospitality and Restaurant Sectors.

On March 19, 2020, Governor Tom Wolf signed an executive order requiring all non-life-sustaining business in Pennsylvania to close their physical locations as of 8 PM to slow the spread of COVID-19 (ORder of the Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Regarding the Closure of All Businesses

Historically, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has relied upon advisory committees comprising members from the scientific community to advise the EPA on the development and implementation of regulations.

Below is a summary of the Mid-Size Business Loan Program, which is included in the Coronavirus Economic Stabilization Act of 2020.

Your construction project is deemed essential, but how do you keep workers safe on the job site? In part two of our conversation with Mark Bloom and Andrew Ross, we discuss critical safety requirements for construction projects during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Arent Fox’s Automotive group and Business Loan Task Force are holding a webinar for automobile dealers and trade organizations seeking to navigate the CARES Act business loan program that was just enacted by Congress.

On March 16, 2020, United States Attorney General William Barr issued a memo directing all U.S. Attorneys to prioritize the detection, investigation, and prosecution of COVID-19-related fraud, amid reports of scams, malware, and other fraudulent efforts designed to capitalize on the pandemic. 

Over the past weekend, the FDA issued yet another Final Guidance to relax the rules governing medical devices.

As part of its ongoing effort to address the critical shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) needed to address the COVID-19 pandemic, FDA has issued an Enforcement Policy to help expand the availability of surgical apparel for healthcare professionals, including gowns and gloves.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to widespread reports of price gouging on hand sanitizer, protective masks, gloves, and other essential supplies.

Governor Ralph Northam, like his Maryland counterpart, today issued an Order that requires people in Virginia to remain at home. 

In some of our previous Legal Alerts concerning insurance coverage for coronavirus related issues, we have highlighted some of the types of coverage that could apply to a COVID-19 related loss, such as business interruption, contingent business interruption, civil authority, and event cancellation.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact employers’ business operations, employers with unionized workforces are faced with making business decisions while fulfilling their obligation to bargain with their employees’ collective bargaining representatives.   

As part of its effort to address the shortage of medical equipment needed to address the COVID-19 pandemic, FDA has issued a new Enforcement Policy announcing flexibility in some of the regulatory requirements for ventilators, accessories, and other respiratory devices.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, dealers are handling complicated health and business issues. We talked with Aaron Jacoby about the impact of FMLA amendments and how they are designed to provide relief for employees and employers.