President Trump on March 18, 2020, signed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (COVID-19 Bill) to provide emergency relief to businesses and employees in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The COVID-19 Bill will become effective no later than 15 days from March 18, 2020 (or on April 2, 2020). Businesses with fewer than 500 employees

In response to the growing concerns over the coronavirus, (COVID-19) Governor Cuomo issued a temporary mandatory work-force reduction plan (Executive Order) and signed a COVID-19 relief bill (COVID-19 Bill).

COVID-19 Executive Order

The Executive Order mandates that all non-essential businesses implement work from home policies and reduce in-office staff by 50%. In fact, as we

Part of the commitment to entering into a contract includes an agreement between parties to perform contractual obligations on a timely basis, with limited exceptions. Contracts frequently include a provision titled “force majeure,” which translates literally from French to mean “superior force.”

Force majeure provisions, generally part of the boilerplate section of a contract and

The outbreak of COVID-19 presents the New York court system with unprecedented challenges.  New York’s appellate courts have responded by taking swift, decisive action.  Attorneys litigating in New York’s appellate courts should be aware of the modifications to oral argument and the deadlines established by court rules.

The courts have made other temporary changes, and

Many foreign nationals who were admitted into the United States through the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) cannot leave due to the COVID-19 outbreak and the related travel restrictions announced by President Trump last week.

To remain in the United States longer than authorized through the VWP requires obtaining special permission called “Satisfactory Departure”.  Requests for

In an effort to limit the spread of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on March 17 announced the expansion of Medicare coverage for telehealth nationwide, effective immediately. CMS will temporarily pay clinicians to provide telehealth services for Medicare beneficiaries residing anywhere in the U.S. so that those who are managing

The coronavirus pandemic is creating challenges for all sectors of the economy, including for various business professionals. While some steps have been taken to mitigate immediate concerns, professionals must remain aware of their obligations and be mindful of potential pitfalls in this uncertain environment.

For example, the legal profession, which typically relies on in-person appearances,

The spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) has presented unprecedented challenges for employers who hire foreign nationals. Employers must take special care to ensure compliance with immigration laws during this crisis.  Here a few of the most common scenarios, with recommendations on how to address them.

Working Remotely

Now that social distancing has become the norm, many

Cyber criminals around the globe have quickly exploited the corona virus pandemic. Over the past several weeks, there has been a dramatic increase in the incidence of phishing emails asking for donations for fake charities or for individuals to share personal information for epidemiological studies.

Reliable sources, such as the World Health Organization, the Center

The impact of COVID-19 on construction and development is evolving each and every day. Issues have arisen, and will continue to arise, with respect to maintaining project schedules, safety concerns, and learning of and complying with the rapidly changing rules, guidelines and regulations that are being implemented on a daily, and even hourly basis. Checking

In this time of extreme uncertainty, an unfortunate reality is that many businesses are wondering whether they will be able to survive an indefinite economic downturn. Virtually every industry is facing the prospect of weeks or even months of drastically reduced sales.

Businesses need to take steps immediately to weather a prolonged new normal in

To slow the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), the Trump administration has temporarily suspended entry of foreign nationals in the European Union into the United States.  The full Presidential Proclamation can be found here.

This decision comes on the heels of a similar travel restriction on foreign nationals who had been physically present in China

Ninth Circuit Affirms Decision Rejecting Suit Seeking Early Retirement Benefits

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has affirmed a district court’s decision rejecting a plaintiff’s lawsuit seeking to overturn determinations by administrators of two retirement trusts governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) denying his claims for early

A case that has been appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and one that has just been argued in that court, have the potential to significantly affect the ability of insurance companies to fight no-fault insurance fraud in New York.

The defendants in Government Employees Ins. Co. v. Wellmart RX,

Business owners are driven, focused, goal-oriented people, who have achieved success by keeping their eyes on the ball at all times. Running a successful business, however, goes beyond running a business day to day. It means having the ability to grow in strong markets, reacting to industry downturn, and most importantly, planning for unforeseen events,