Perspectives on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Task Force

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.

“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.

DCA’s Order Waiving Postgraduate Training License Deadline, effective as of May 6 under the authority of California Governor Newsom’s March 30 Executive Order, is the latest in a series of healthcare licensing waivers issued since March 31.

Since March 31, DCA has issued waivers pursuant to California Governor Newsom’s March 30 Executive Order, temporarily easing licensing requirements for PAs, NPs, CNMs, pre-licensure nursing programs and students, and other health care professionals, during the COVID-19 emergency period.

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.

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. 

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

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. 

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.

Partner Anne Murphy authored an article for The Governance Institute titled “The Governing Board’s Role in Assessing Possible Hospital Closure or Downsizing.”

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.

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.

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. 

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]