Alerts

On April 30, 2020, a group of Republican senators announced plans to introduce a federal privacy law called the “COVID-19 Consumer Data Protection Act of 2020” (CCDPA)[1].  Senator Wicker, who led the group of senators, has previously advocated for a federal privacy law.[2]

Earlier today, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) posted an updated and expanded technical assistance publication addressing questions arising under the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Laws related to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

The Federal Reserve continues to roll out multiple measures to strengthen the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of these measures are intended to buffer the housing market, which is affected by broader macroeconomic trends.

In the wake of the coronavirus, businesses and courts remain shuttered as a result of stay-at-home government orders.

Below are six reimbursement issues that health care providers should be on “high alert” for as the COVID-19 crisis persists.

As the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic continues across the nation, consumers and businesses alike are resorting to class action litigation to air their grievances.

In a first of its kind event, on May 4, 2020, the Supreme Court heard arguments-by-telephone, complete with apparent unintentional uses of the mute button, a pitfall many Americans can relate to as of late.

In its most recent effort to mitigate adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on U.S. securities markets and to ease issuers’ access to capital, the NASDAQ Stock Market implemented a temporary exception from its shareholder approval requirements through June 30, 2020, effective immediately.

With the clean beauty movement on the rise, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has started to pay closer attention to how companies label and market personal care products.

On May 4, 2020, the FDA issued new Guidance that drastically changes the requirements for serology/antibody tests for the COVID-19 epidemic.

As government officials begin to discuss reopening the economy, apparel brands should think about what preventative measures need to be implemented prior to reopening their retail locations across the country.

Revised term sheets and FAQs issued by the Federal Reserve Board expand the program and provide additional guidance for borrowers affected by the COVID-19 crisis. A chart outlining the updated term sheets can be found in the link below.

Under IRS Notice 2020-32, no deduction is allowed for a payment that is otherwise deductible if the payment of the expense results in forgiveness of a covered loan pursuant to the CARES Act and the income associated with such forgiveness is excluded from gross income under the CARES Act.

Under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Congress created a federal unemployment supplement program, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), which extends emergency jobless benefits to gig workers and others who may be ineligible for benefits under existing programs.

In this video episode of Fashion Counsel, Arent Fox Fashion & Retail Practice Leader Anthony V. Lupo, Arent Fox Labor & Employment Practice Leader Michael L. Stevens, and Arent Fox Partner Robert J. Ernest discuss the top issues fashion and retail companies need to think about before reopening.

Headlines that Matter for Companies and Executives in Regulated Industries

On April 30, the IRS released guidance providing that Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan borrowers may not deduct costs that are paid for with loan proceeds that are forgiven under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

As we noted previously, on April 7, 2020, the Council of the District of Columbia (the “Council”) unanimously passed the COVID-19 Response Supplemental Emergency Amendment Act of 2020 (the “COVID-19 Supplemental Act”). This emergency legislation, which was officially enacted on April 10, 2020, will

It feels like only yesterday that we were discussing the seminal 2018 DC Circuit case, PHH Corp. v. CFPB, the first decision to uphold the constitutionality of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB or Bureau).

The CARES Act provides another resource for federal contractors seeking to retain personnel, but actually obtaining the money requires circumspection and strategy.

Rumors have circulated through the export community for months, and the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has finally acted. In a final rule published April 28, 2020, BIS is removing License Exception Civil End-Users (CIV) (15 CFR §740.5) from the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).

At the request of the California New Car Dealers Association (CNCDA), we prepared a COVID-19 Operations Protocol to be used by California dealerships that are open or will soon be re-opening, for vehicle sales.

The EPA’s controversial science adviser policy has suffered two more defeats following the recent Union of Concerned Scientists v. Wheeler decision.

In yet another action on April 28, 2020, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued a final rule imposing stricter license requirements on a wide range of exports, reexports and transfers to China, Russia, or Venezuela for “military end uses” or to “military end users.”

The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), which administers the ratings system for video games, has launched a new warning label for use on video games that include in-game offers to purchase digital goods or premiums that include randomized elements.