Alerts

On April 4, 2020, President Trump issued Executive Order (EO) 13913, “Establishing the Committee for the Assessment of Foreign Participation in the United States Telecommunications Services Sector.” 

Notable developments involving eligibility under the Paycheck Protection Program and the PPP’s loan forgiveness process have occurred in recent days.

On May 12, the House Democrats introduced an aspirational tax package within the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act (the “HEROES Act”), which lays out their starting point in negotiations with the Senate and provides insight into the top Democratic legislative tax prioritie

Arent Fox San Francisco Managing Partner Richard L. Brand spoke with Business Insider on the sports-media industry and how COVID-19 is impacting TV network deals.

After nearly six weeks of requiring California residents to shelter in place, on April 28, 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced a new four-stage plan for reopening California, however, he did not provide specifics on when each phase would begin.

The workers’ compensation system was created to ensure that employees who suffer work-related accidents or illnesses are compensated while, at the same time, protecting employers from lawsuits by these employees. 

According to a multi-country comparative graph created by The Johns Hopkins University, the United States seemingly has more months to go before we can return to normal activity — like conducting elections.

Congress created the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), part of the CARES Act and administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA) and Treasury Department, to provide relief to small businesses in dire need of financial support during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thousands of businesses nationwide are trying to reopen after shutting their doors because of statewide stay at home orders due to COVID-19. Without question, this has created a significant burden on employers whose financial obligations.

“Testing, Testing, Testing” is the new mantra. The politicians and the press are full of the few reports of testing successes and the many reports of testing failures throughout the country and around the world.

The National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) recently confirmed that the deadlines for reporting adverse actions against licensees have not been extended, despite the COVID-19 emergency.

Through an array of legislative and administrative measures over the past couple of years, the US Government has made significant strides in its effort to limit, and perhaps end altogether, the proliferation of Chinese-origin telecommunications technology in US infrastructure.

We previously reported on how the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) and its state law equivalents would apply to layoffs, furloughs, and closings during the coronavirus pandemic.

On May 8, 2020, the FDA announced that it had authorized the first COVID-19 diagnostic test that can be used to collect saliva in the home.

In response to public feedback to the initial terms of the Main Street Lending Program, the Federal Reserve Board announced on April 30, 2020, an expansion of the loan options available to businesses and an increase in the maximum size of businesses that are eligible to borrow under the Program.

The Family First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which took effect on April 1, 2020, provides two paid leave benefits for certain employees, including two weeks of Emergency Paid Sick Leave and up to 12 weeks of Enhanced Family and Medical Leave (FMLA).

On May 6, 2020, Judge Richard G. Stearns of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts put the brakes on an attempt by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey to alter the relationship between collectors and consumer debtors during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

What one hand giveth, the other can taketh away. That adage comes to mind when reviewing FDA’s most recent action with respect to the importation and distribution of KN95 and other respirator masks manufactured in China. 

Headlines that Matter for Companies and Executives in Regulated Industries

In response to public feedback to the initial terms of the Main Street Lending Program, the Federal Reserve Board announced on April 30, 2020, an expansion of the loan options available to businesses and an increase in the maximum size of businesses that are eligible to borrow under the Program.

During the current COVID-19 pandemic, one question for employers has been whether employees who contract COVID-19 may be able to recover workers’ compensation benefits. In California, a new Executive Order by Governor Newsom significantly increases that likelihood by presuming that many employees’ C

The presence in the blood of antibodies specific to the novel coronavirus may help identify those who were unknowingly exposed to the virus but remained asymptomatic, those who were symptomatic but have fully recovered, and, as a result, those who might now have immunity, at least temporarily. Howev

On May 3, 2020, the SBA and the US Department of the Treasury released new guidance to assist businesses with calculating the forgiveness amount for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, with respect to employees who reject an offer to be rehired by a PPP borrower.

Businesses across the country are facing challenges, including lawsuits, as they grapple with how COVID-19 has impacted their operations, work forces, and supply chains. The wave of litigation is rising, and it appears that no industry is immune.

On May 5, 2020, the Council of the District of Columbia unanimously approved another bill in response to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the Coronavirus Omnibus Emergency Amendment Act of 2020.