Two Carolina Courts Reject COVID-19 Business Interruption Claims
8/29/22
By: Shawn Bingham
South Carolina’s Supreme Court became the latest high court to side with an insurer in a Covid-19 business interruption case, adopting the majority approach to interpreting “physical loss or damage” in the typical commercial property policy. On …
Employer alert: CDC updates mask and quarantine guidelines
1/3/22
By: Diandra Franks and R. Victoria Fuller
On December 27, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) once again updated its mask and quarantine guidelines. In this most recent update, the CDC shortened its recommended isolation and quarantine periods for the general public. These new …
6/18/20
According to forecasters with the Climate Prediction Center at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (“NOAA”), a division of the National Weather Service, the 2020 hurricane season has a 60% chance of being an “above-normal season.” (See …
Immunity for COVID-19 Claims in Georgia
6/16/20
By: Jake Daly
Following a three-month layoff due to COVID-19, the Georgia General Assembly reconvened on June 15 to complete its business for the 2020 session. With only ten legislative days remaining as of June 15, 2020, there is limited …
OSHA Issues Updated Guidance On When Employers Must Record COVID-19 Cases
6/8/20
In OSHA’s original guidance from April 2020, the agency acknowledged the difficulty in determining whether a COVID-19 case was “work-related” due to possible employee infections from outside the workplace. Most employers did not have a reporting obligation …
COVID-19 in Jails: A Case Study
5/22/20
By: Wes Jackson
By now we are all familiar with the CDC’s recommendations for limiting the spread of COVID-19: “social distancing,” maintaining a distance of six feet from others as much as possible, avoiding large gatherings, and self-isolation if you …
FINRA In-Person Hearings Further Postponed Until July 31
5/20/20
By: Kathleen Cusack and Kirsten Patzer
On Friday, May 15, 2020, amidst continued concern over the potential spread of COVID-19, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) postponed all in-person arbitration and mediation proceedings until July 31, 2020. FINRA initially postponed …
Boston Implements New COVID-19 Safety Procedures for Construction Sites
5/13/20
By: Catherine Bednar
On May 5, 2020, the City of Boston activated new COVID-19 safety procedures for active construction sites, which are currently limited to projects meeting the City’s definition of emergency or essential work. The City also targeted dates …
Massachusetts Enacts Legislation Authorizing Virtual Notarization During COVID-19 State of Emergency
4/30/20
On April 27, 2020, Governor Baker signed into law An Act Providing for Virtual Notarization to Address Challenges Related to COVID-19 (the “Virtual Notarization Act” or the “Act”). In doing so, Massachusetts joins a number of other …
CARES Section 18006 Encourages Schools to Retain Staff to the “Greatest Extent Practicable”
4/27/20
By: Tia Combs
As many schools around the country make the final decision to remain closed for the school year, it may be tempting to cut back on staff to save money for what is predicted to be a historic …
Insurer seeks declaration that COVID-19 claims for closure-related losses are not covered
4/27/20
By Barry Miller
Travelers Insurance Company wants a federal court to declare it has no duty to pay business income loss to a California law firm which claims that COVID-19 closures have caused it to lose revenue.
Governor Kemp Issues Executive Order Reopening Certain Businesses in Georgia
4/22/20
By: Andrew Kim
On April 20, 2020, Governor Kemp signed an Executive Order that will impact certain businesses in Georgia. The new Executive Order reopens some businesses previously closed due to the Coronavirus pandemic and removes certain restrictions for other …