Like most industries, tech startups have been deeply impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As they scramble to adapt to a rapidly changing climate, tech leaders are asking if, and to what extent, their businesses can benefit from the $2 trillion stimulus package known as the CARES Act ...
Chances are your business has been interrupted by the Coronavirus epidemic, and if you rent space, you are considering how to obtain rent concessions from your landlord. Most likely, your lease will not give you an express right to rent abatement if your use is precluded by a "shelter-in-place" order or other government action ...
As private and governmental employers cope with reduced revenues and other significant effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, many are considering whether to lay off or furlough employees, or reduce employees’ hours ...
On March 31, 2020, the IRS issued Form 7200 Advance Payment of Employer Tax Credits Due to COVID-19 and instructions for eligible employers to claim advance payments of refundable payroll tax credits related to COVID-19 ...
On March 24, 2020, the California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (“OPR”) announced that “[a]t this time, there has been no change to the deadlines, noticing, or filing requirements contained within CEQA.” OPR also announced that the California State Clearinghouse, the office that coordinates state-level review of CEQA documents, will be operating every weekday between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m ...
Last Friday, March 27, we published CARES Act: Paycheck Protection Loans and Eligibility for Loan Forgiveness. This alert is intended to provide an update concerning implementation of the Paycheck Protection Loan application process. The SBA has posted a Paycheck Protection Application Form on its website. Since the loans will be funded by private SBA lenders, and guaranteed by the SBA, most borrowers are lining up with private SBA lenders now ...
On March 31, 2020, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties plus the City of Berkeley issued new Shelter-in-Place orders, further restricting construction and extending Shelter-in-Place restrictions until May 3, 2020. Under the new orders, most construction, including residential and commercial, is now prohibited. Healthcare, low income housing, specially designated public works projects, shelters, and temporary housing projects may continue ...
While relief has been granted for federal and California income tax filing and payment obligations (see prior coverage here and here) the same cannot be said for local property tax obligations. To avoid penalties, the next payment deadline for California property taxes remains April 10, 2020. Property tax payment deadlines are set by California state law and cannot be extended by either the Board of Equalization or local county assessor offices (see BOE statement) ...
Unique challenges confront those businesses impacted by COVID-19 that are also in the process of implementing operational changes to comply with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). The California Attorney General begins enforcement on July 1, 2020, and recently declined to extend that date due to COVID-19. We take a look at those challenges here and propose some best practices to avoid legal liability under the CCPA ...
Whether your company is at the outset of exploring a potential M&A transaction or in the days leading up to closing the deal, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has introduced unprecedented levels of uncertainty into transactions for sellers and acquirors alike. This alert highlights potential considerations for sellers and acquirors in M&A transactions as a result of COVID-19 ...
On March 27, 2020 California Governor, Gavin Newsom, issued Executive Order N-37-20 (“Order”), temporarily restricting the ability of landlords to evict residential tenants for nonpayment of rent if the failure to pay rent is due to the impacts of the COVID-19 Coronavirus (“COVID-19”) ...
As a growing number of the workforce is being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, employers are raising several benefit related questions, particularly with respect to financial assistance available to employees. The Employee Benefits Group at Hanson Bridgett will be providing updated information on possible issues arising in the benefits area through Benefits Alerts and postings on Hanson Bridgett's Online COVID-19 Resource Center ...
On March 26, 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a temporary policy on its enforcement of environmental obligations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many facilities are experiencing unexpected constraints arising from the pandemic, including limited availability of key staff, contractors, and laboratories ...
Last week, President Trump signed two Legislative Acts – the Families First Coronavirus Response Act ("FFCRA") and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES). Effective April 1, 2020, the FFCRA requires employers with more than 50 but fewer than 500 employees to provide emergency paid sick leave and expanded Family Medical Leave Act ("FMLA") leave to employees ...
As a growing number of the workforce is being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, employers are raising several benefit related questions, particularly with respect to group health plans. The Employee Benefits Group at Hanson Bridgett will be providing updated information on possible issues arising in the benefits area through Benefits Alerts and postings on Hanson Bridgett's Online COVID-19 Resource Center ...
Updated April 2, 2020 The recently enacted Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provides payroll tax relief to certain businesses facing the COVID-19 crisis. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) provides for payroll tax credits for small and mid-size private sector employers (500 or fewer employees) required to provide paid sick and expanded family and medical leave related to qualified payments made between April 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020 ...
On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act cleared the House vote and was signed into law. As the most expensive legislation ever passed, the CARES Act includes tax relief and incentives designed to help both businesses and individuals impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the CARES Act modifies certain provisions that were previously amended by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) ...
Under the CARES Act (H.R. 748), mid-sized businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic may be eligible for low-interest rate loans. These loans, however, come with a hidden price tag: a requirement that the business makes a "good-faith certification" that it "will remain neutral in any union organizing effort for the term of the loan.” What it means for a business to remain "neutral" is up in the air. The CARES Act does not define the term ...
An update to this article is available ? The Trump Administration and representatives of Congress reached an agreement on a proposed COVID-19 economic stimulus bill, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or the CARES ACT (the “Act”). The Senate passed the Act late Wednesday, and the House of Representatives will vote on Friday. It is expected to be approved then signed into law on Friday, March 27, 2020 ...
In the turmoil of adjusting and living day-to-day in this time of the COVID-19 virus, the public has become more attuned to the reality of the term “Supply Chain.” We are gaining a better appreciation that before products reach the consumer, an extensive network of shippers and transportation entities of all types and modes of commerce, as well as freight brokers and any other functions essential to the delivery cycle, are at play 24/7 ...
As a growing number of the workforce is being affected by the COVID-19 virus, employers are being asked to respond to benefit-related questions from employees. In the coming days, the Employee Benefits Group at Hanson Bridgett will be providing updated information on possible issues arising in the benefits area through Benefits Alerts and postings on Hanson Bridgett's Online COVID-19 Resource Center ...
An updated version of this article is available ? On March 20, 2020, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) jointly issued guidance regarding the tax credits available to certain small employers who are required to provide new types of paid leave to employees under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (Act), enacted on March 18, 2020 ...
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted every sector of the economy in multiple ways. For businesses whose operations are subject to environmental requirements, including waste management, storage, and disposal laws, these coronavirus-related disruptions may impact a facility’s ability to comply with mandatory reporting and submission deadlines or waste storage time limits ...
Across the country, construction projects are being impacted by the on-set of the COVID-19 pandemic. The situation is dynamic and will change quickly. We thought it important to prepare some guidelines that would help firms navigate the situation from a risk management perspective. A one-size-fits-all solution does not exist, and this global challenge continues to evolve. What works today may not address tomorrow’s needs ...
On Thursday, March 19, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom issued a stay at home order to protect the health and well-being of all Californians and to establish a consistent approach across the state to slow the spread of COVID-19. This order went into effect on Thursday, March 19, 2020, and is in place until further notice. The order identifies certain services as essential, including food, prescriptions, and healthcare. These services can continue despite the stay at home order ...
