On September 11, 2020, the Department of Labor (DOL) released its second interpretation of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The new DOL rule, which took effect on September 16, revised the original rule’s definition of “health care provider” to provide up to twelve weeks of paid leave to an expanded field of workers….
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On September 1, 2020, the United States Department of Health and Human Services through the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced it was issuing a nationwide order temporarily halting certain residential evictions. (Order). The Order became effective beginning September 4, 2020 through the end of 2020. Landlords will now need to review and…
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Employers may be expecting an increase in requests for Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) leave as the new school year is upon us. But many employers may have questions about when and under what circumstances an employee can qualify for FFCRA leave, given the varying ways that schools “reopen.” Some schools are beginning the…
Read Full ArticleBy: Ted A. Warpinski and M. Andrew Skwierawski On May 4, 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) published a notice of its draft risk evaluation for PERC (Perchloroethylene), seeking public comment on the same. Prompted by a requirement in the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the EPA performs a risk evaluation to determine whether…
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By: Erin E. Kaprelian Generic terms—those words that actually name a product or service—are ineligible for trademark protection under current United States trademark law. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) decided that adding “.com” to an otherwise generic term was not sufficient to allow trademark registration of the “generic.com” composition. In the matter…
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By: Jacqueline L. Messler The IRS recently released Notices 2020-50 and 2020-51, on June 19 and June 26, respectively, which offer important but temporary relief to individuals who took their Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) in 2020 prior to the enactment of the CARES Act. The Notices also expanded the number of people eligible to withdraw…
Read Full ArticleBy: Thomas V. Rohan Over the last three months, Davis|Kuelthau has been asked to prepare many liability waivers (“exculpatory clauses”) to be signed by their customers in order to insulate the clients from damage claims relating to potential exposure to the COVID-19 virus. That assignment may seem simple enough, but, in fact, there are a…
Read Full ArticleBy: Laurie E. Meyer As states and municipalities relax safer-at-home measures, stores, restaurants, offices, manufacturers, and other employers across the country are either re-opening for business or returning their employees from remote work. Despite the best of intentions to comply with seemingly ever-changing laws, orders and agency guidance, many businesses worry about whether there will…
Read Full ArticleBy: Lawrence J. Glusman On June 16, 2020, the SBA released a revised PPP loan forgiveness application form and instructions, along with a brand new “EZ” version and instructions. The forms implement provisions of the recent PPP Flexibility Act of 2020 (signed into law on June 5, 2020) and address criticism that the original forgiveness…
Read Full ArticleBy: Lisa Kleiner Wood and Ethan C. Geis As states begin to reopen and loosen restrictions on public gatherings and business closures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, business managers, event coordinators, and property owners are seeking to get back to a semblance of normalcy. However, at least in the near term, it appears that…
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