On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act” or the “Act”) was signed into law.  The CARES Act provides emergency economic assistance to those affected by the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). We’ve provided explanations and a useful chart on key provisions of Titles II and III of the CARES Act.

On March 27, 2020, the President signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) into law providing approximately $2 trillion in assistance to individuals and businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act includes a new loan program called the Paycheck Protection Program – administered through the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) – that provides up to $349 billion in 100% federally-backed loans to eligible employers.  

Late on March 24, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) posted summaries on its website of the employer obligations and employee rights pursuant to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The statute requires employers with fewer than 500 employees to provide two weeks of paid sick leave to workers who are suffering from COVID-19, are subject to a government or medical quarantine or isolation order, are caring for others with COVID-19, or are unable to work due to the closure of schools and day care centers as a result of the COVID-9 pandemic.

The spread of COVID-19 has disrupted, and will continue to disrupt, the construction industry. A recent survey conducted by the Associated General Contractors of America states that 28% of member firms have already halted or delayed work on projects due to COVID-19, while 11% of firms report possible delays in jobs scheduled to start a month or more out. In these uncertain times, many design professionals will be scrutinizing their contracts in order to clarify their own liabilities and those of their clients, including force majeure clauses, common law doctrines and contractual damages provisions.

COVID-19 Webinar: Join Jeff Rosin and Eric Sigman on March 26th at 11:00 EST as they discuss what employers and small businesses need to know.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) provided a preview of its implementation of the new federal sick leave mandated by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (CRA) passed on March 18, 2020. The release refers to an exemption available to businesses with fewer than 50 workers from the extended childcare-related leave provisions “where the viability of the business is threatened.”

On March 18th, New York’s Governor signed the COVID-19 Leave Law which provides emergency paid sick leave and job protected leave to certain New York-based employees who have been impacted by COVID-19. 

On March 18, 2020, President Trump signed into law H.R. 6201, known as the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (the “Act”), in response to the COVID-19 crisis. It provides for employer-paid leave to employees from April 2, 2020 through the end of the year.

The recent COVID-19 pandemic and related control measures by the federal, state and local governments have given rise to many questions from our clients concerning force majeure clauses in contracts. A force majeure clause allocates the risk of unforeseen supervening events that were not contemplated by the parties when they entered into the business relationship or transaction. Generally, force majeure events include acts of God, natural disasters, epidemics, terrorism, government actions, embargos, labor strife and other events that disrupt an otherwise stable and functional business relationship.

Richmond partner Jim Cosby again served as planning chair and a principal speaker for the program Current Developments in Arbitration, jointly sponsored and presented by Virginia CLE, a Division of the Virginia Law Foundation, and the Virginia State Bar/Virginia Bar Association Joint ADR Committee, to a broad audience.  The program focused on the latest developments […]