Nursing Homes at Highest Risk, States Respond
4/1/20
By: Shaun M. Daugherty
States across the country are taking every measure possible to fight the spreading deadly COVID-19. One of the most at-risk groups are the elderly, especially those with lengthy lists of other health problems. In those instances …
Coronavirus and Impact on Landlords and Tenants
4/1/20
By: Michael Bruyere,Ryan Greenspan and Ali Sabzevari
Commercial and residential tenants, whether due to operational closures or loss of jobs or income, will face difficulties meeting their rent obligations, and some may even abandon their properties. Landlords may …
More Restaurant Owners ask Courts to Find that COVID-19 Has Caused “Direct Physical Loss” Triggering Business Interruption Coverage
4/1/20
By: Renata Hoddinott and Isis Miranda
Famed chef Thomas
Keller’s restaurant groups sued two insurers in Napa County Superior Court last
week, seeking a declaration that the policies cover business interruption
losses incurred because of a Shelter-at-Home Order. In the …
Coalition of Insurance and Business Groups Propose the COVID-19 Business and Employee Continuity and Recovery Fund
4/1/20
By: Nicole L. Graham and Zachariah E. Moura
A broad coalition
has urged the federal government to create a recovery fund for businesses hit
hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Representatives
of 36 trade groups from real estate, insurance, retail and …
The CARES Act and What It Means for State and Local Governments
3/31/20
By: Jacob Daly
Much of the focus on the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act has been on the relief it provides for individuals and both large and small businesses, as well as the funding it provides for …
More States are Following New Jersey’s Lead in Enacting Legislation to Require Insurers to Cover COVID-19 Losses
3/31/20
By: Erin Lamb and Ben Dunlap
FMG reported extensively after New Jersey began debating a bill that would force insurers to cover Business Interruption losses arising from COVID-19. The New Jersey bill would require courts to ignore virus and bacteria …
Telemedicine in a Time of Crisis
3/31/20
By: Shaun Daugherty
Social distancing has become a new phrase in our lexicon which has specific meaning and pervasive general understanding within the population. Telemedicine seems like the ideal format for delivery of certain medical services during the emergency period …
Practice of Medicine Without a License in Georgia Under COVID-19
3/30/20
By: Shaun Daugherty
In the early evening hours of March 23, Georgia’s Governor
Kemp signed an executive order addressing the current medical crisis that has
developed due to the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. Under this executive order, any
“administrative rules that …
Navigating Insurance Coverage Questions in the Age of COVID-19
3/30/20
By: Katie Cusack
It is no secret that concerns about
coronavirus and COVID-19 have impacted tens of thousands of businesses across
the world. In many industries, its
effects are novel, and many businesses are unsure of what their obligations are
…
U.S. Department of Education Announces Temporary Halting of Wage Garnishments
3/30/20
By: Jeffrey A. Hord
On March 25,
2020, the Department of Education (DOE) announced that it will temporarily halt seizing
wages and/or withholding tax refunds from borrowers who have defaulted on their
student loans held by the federal government.
As …
The New CARES Act Allows Pandemic Victims to Borrow from Their 401(k)s and IRAs Without Penalty and Defer Required Minimum Distributions
3/30/20
By: Greg Fayard
The federal Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act signed into law March 27, 2020, includes retirement tax relief for victims of the pandemic—namely victims’ 401(k)s and IRAs.
Under section 2202 of the $2 Trillion law …
Local Governments Face First Amendment Challenges to Coronavirus Emergency Orders
3/27/20
By: Andy Treese
Can the government ban public gatherings, church services, political rallies, or protests during a global pandemic? The question isn’t hypothetical. Federal, state and local officials across the United States are struggling to prepare appropriate emergency orders targeted …