By Media & Entertainment Law360

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

TOP NEWS

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How To Avoid Making The Blow Of A Pay Cut Even Worse

Pay cuts have swept through major law firms in recent months, with many attorneys seeing double-digit percentage drops in their compensation. Financial experts say those who have been impacted must tread carefully to avoid exacerbating the situation.

Landlord Says Jenner & Block Owes $3.7M In Unpaid Rent

Jenner & Block LLP is in a fight with its Chicago landlord over how much in rent the firm must pay while its office space goes largely unused because of the coronavirus pandemic, with the landlord asking for more than $3.7 million.

Baker Donelson, Blank Rome Adjust Summer Programs

Blank Rome LLP and Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz PC confirmed Tuesday that they have shortened their summer associate programs and plan for some or all of the programs to happen virtually.

Barclay Damon Plans To Reopen Offices Amid Pandemic

The nearly 300-attorney law firm Barclay Damon LLP is planning to reopen all of its offices across the northeastern United States in the coming weeks amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, the law firm said Tuesday, but its attorneys and staff will also have the potentially permanent option of working remotely.

Coronavirus: How Law Firms Are Handling The Downturn

UPDATED May 26, 2020, 11:44 AM EDT | The spreading coronavirus pandemic has upended the legal industry, forcing firms to cut salaries, lay off attorneys and make changes to summer associate programs. Here is a roundup of how law firms are responding. 

Le Pain Quotidien Hits Ch. 11 With Plans For Sale

Bakery chain Le Pain Quotidien filed for Chapter 11 protection in Delaware bankruptcy court Wednesday as the business faces more than $100 million in debt and plans to complete a going-concern sale of most of its assets after closing its doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Coronavirus Regulations: A State-By-State Week In Review

The COVID-19 pandemic found states monitoring scaled-back Memorial Day weekend festivities that went off without a hitch in some places and resulted in crowd-limit violations in others, signaling challenges ahead as the beach season vies with continuing public health safety mandates.

CLOSINGS AND RESTRICTIONS

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Coronavirus: The Latest Court Closures And Restrictions

UPDATED May 27, 2020, 2:01 PM EDT | As courts across the country take measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, some are restricting access and altering their procedures. Here is a roundup of changes.

Coronavirus: The Latest EU Court Closures And Restrictions

UPDATED May 27, 2020, 12:34 PM GMT | As courts across the region take measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, some are restricting access and altering their procedures. Here is a roundup of changes.

Mass. Jury Trials To Remain Delayed Until September

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court on Tuesday delayed all state court jury trials until at least Sept. 8 and kept the courts closed to the public through June due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

DC District Could Begin Grand Juries In June, Hearings In July

The top judge for the U.S. District Court in D.C. said in an order Tuesday that she “anticipates the possibility” of resuming grand jury sessions in mid-June and opened the door to restarting in-court nontrial proceedings in mid-July.

WHAT IT MEANS FOR ATTORNEYS

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DOL Chief Pours Cold Water On Possible Virus Safety Reg

Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia pushed back Tuesday against criticism that the department shortchanged workers’ health by not issuing an emergency workplace safety regulation during the coronavirus pandemic, saying the agency has done plenty to safeguard workers’ health without having to resort to rulemaking.

New OSHA COVID-19 Guidance Talks Construction Job Safety

New federal guidance aimed at bolstering construction workers’ safety during the COVID-19 pandemic advises employers to keep in-person meetings as short as possible, assess the risk of coronavirus exposure posed by a job site before entering, and stagger employees’ work schedules.

Giant Eagle Accused Of Flouting ADA With Face Mask Policy

Giant Eagle Inc. refused to accommodate a Pittsburgh-area woman’s respiratory-related disability through its enforcement of a company policy requiring all shoppers to wear face masks due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Pennsylvania federal court.

Health Exec Says She Was Fired For Raising Virus Concerns

A former executive for an Illinois nursing home has claimed in state court that she was abruptly fired from her job because she challenged the facility’s COVID-19 response whenever it was inaccurate or disregarded regulatory guidance for safely navigating the pandemic.

Bank Sued Over $900M Securitization Deal Disrupted By Virus

An asset-backed securitizer hit The Bancorp Bank with a suit in New York state court Monday, alleging the bank refused to honor a “market disruption” clause when the coronavirus pandemic and ensuing financial volatility killed their $900 million mortgage loan securitization deal.

House GOP Sues Pelosi Over Proxy Voting During Pandemic

House Republicans sued Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday, escalating their fight against a Democratic rule change earlier this month that lets lawmakers cast votes for up to 10 colleagues during the coronavirus pandemic.

Cisco, Finjan IP Trial Delayed Until October Due To Pandemic

A California federal judge on Tuesday delayed a trial in Finjan’s patent infringement suit against Cisco from June until October because of the coronavirus pandemic, saying she had “high hopes” it would be the first civil jury trial in the district, but the court’s “enormous backlog” of criminal cases takes priority.

EXPERT ANALYSIS

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Preparing For A Deluge Of COVID-19 Whistleblower Claims

Attorneys at Proskauer break down the kinds of COVID-19 whistleblower retaliation claims employers should anticipate, and explain key steps to minimize risks under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, National Labor Relations Act, Families First Coronavirus Response Act, and state laws.

Credibility Concerns About Virtual Arbitration Are Unfounded

Concerns that video conferenced arbitration hearings compromise an arbitrator’s ability to reliably resolve credibility contests are based on mistaken perceptions of how many cases actually turn on credibility, what credibility means in the legal world, and how arbitrators make credibility determinations, says Wayne Brazil at JAMS.

Strategies For Defending FTC Investigations During Pandemic

Companies can prepare for Federal Trade Commission privacy and consumer protection investigations by taking practical and effective steps to meet their obligations while also minimizing burden and streamlining the process in light of the challenges posed by the pandemic, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.