Coronavirus: Law360 Briefing June 30
From Media & Entertainment Law360
TOP NEWS
Katten To Lay Off Some Workers Furloughed Amid Pandemic
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP announced at a town hall meeting Monday that it will lay off some of the employees that it had furloughed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic at the end of July.
Coronavirus: How Law Firms Are Handling The Downturn
UPDATED June 30, 2020, 11:19 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.
May It Please The Camera: Zoom Trials Demand New Skills
As masses of legal work shift online, trial lawyers are turning on their webcams and realizing their old courtroom skills are no longer enough. But recent remote proceedings are already showing that online trials can actually work — with the right considerations.
Outcry Over Fla.’s In-Person Bar Exam Intensifies
A petition to halt Florida’s in-person July bar examination due to COVID-19 has gained more than 1,300 signatures and the support of some law school deans and legislators, but for now the state’s bar exam authority is not changing its plans.
CLOSINGS AND RESTRICTIONS
Coronavirus: The Latest Court Closures And Restrictions
UPDATED June 30, 2020, 1:55 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 June 30, 2020, 11:04 AM 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.
Fed. Circ. Allows Courthouse Access On Case-By-Case Basis
The Federal Circuit announced Monday that it is modifying its access restrictions and will consider requests to enter the National Courts Building on a case-by-case basis.
WHAT ATTORNEYS NEED TO KNOW
Pandemic Tees Up Novel Legal Questions For NLRB
Does an employer violate federal labor law if it refuses to bargain with a union over Zoom? Do unions act unlawfully when they refuse to negotiate in person? The answers are anyone’s guess until the National Labor Relations Board weighs in.
USPTO Pushes Small Entity Fee Deadlines Amid Pandemic
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Monday once again extended some deadlines because of the COVID-19 pandemic by announcing that certain filing fees by small and micro entities that would be due this week are now due by the end of September.
Bank Compliance Risk ‘Elevated’ Due To COVID-19, OCC Says
The negative economic impacts of COVID-19 and the government relief programs meant to mitigate them have resulted in “elevated” compliance and other operational risks for banks, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency said in a report issued Monday.
Even With Virus Precautions, MLB Season Has Legal Risks
Major League Baseball plans to play a shortened season starting next month amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but with the virus still spreading and even spiking in certain areas, experts say the season is fraught with liability risks, especially if fans are allowed into the ballparks at some point.
Pandemic, Energy Prices Send Minerals Biz Covia To Ch. 11
Minerals company Covia filed for Chapter 11 protection in a Texas bankruptcy court to cut debt and fixed costs by more than $1 billion, citing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and recent energy price shocks on its business.
Cirque Du Soleil Lands In Bankruptcy As Virus Cancels Shows
The Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group said Monday that it will seek bankruptcy protection in Canada, lay off 3,500 employees from its worldwide acrobatic shows, and pursue a sale and reorganization as it struggles to deal with closures stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Alaska Native Cos. Can Get Part Of $8B COVID Fund
A D.C. federal judge has ruled that Alaska Native corporations should share in $8 billion of COVID-19 relief for tribal governments, lifting an injunction he’d put in place when he thought federally recognized tribes were likely to win their bid to block funding to the corporations.
NY Landlords Lose Challenge To Cuomo’s Eviction Limits
A Manhattan federal judge on Monday rejected a bid by landlords to quash New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s limits on evictions during the COVID-19 crisis, finding the restrictions do not violate landlords’ rights under federal law and that the court has no jurisdiction over state law questions they may raise.
Sleep Number Founder Gets Early Release From Prison
The founder of the Sleep Number mattress company, who used another of his companies to swindle investors out of more than $57 million, will get out of federal prison 14 years ahead of schedule after a judge found him to be at particularly high risk for COVID-19.
EXPERT ANALYSIS
10 Tips For A Successful Remote Arbitration Hearing
As I learned after completing a recent international arbitration remotely, with advance planning a video hearing can replicate the in-person experience surprisingly well, and may actually be superior in certain respects, says Kate Shih at Quinn Emanuel.
How COVID-19 Impact Analysis May Shape MAE Disputes
Emerging disputes over whether the COVID-19 crisis has triggered a merger transaction’s material adverse effect clause shine a spotlight on the importance of showing whether the pandemic has disproportionately impacted particular industries and companies, say David Tabak and Edward Flores at NERA.
Mass. Court Deadline Tolling Will Cause Problems For Years
While Massachusetts’ 106-day tolling period for all civil statutes of limitations ends Tuesday, the pandemic-related pause will complicate calculation of limitations periods and have ripple effects in many jurisdictions for years to come, says Christian Stephens at Eckert Seamans.
