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Ropes & Gray Offers Staff Buyouts, Finnegan Cuts Salaries

In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Ropes & Gray LLP has decided to offer buyout packages to its U.S. support team employees, while Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner LLP said it plans to reduce attorney and staff salaries.

Coronavirus: How Law Firms Are Handling The Downturn

UPDATED May 15, 2020, 11:45 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. 

Sen. Burr Steps Down As Intelligence Chair Amid Stock Probe

U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., will step down as chairman of the Intelligence Committee on Friday as an investigation into his stock trading in the run-up to the COVID-19 pandemic plays out.

Ex-Vaccine Chief Says Time Running Out For Virus Strategy

The former U.S. Department of Health and Human Services vaccine chief allegedly ousted for resisting President Donald Trump’s calls to promote a malaria drug for COVID-19 warned Thursday that the “window is closing” to create a strong government strategy to fight the pandemic.

Trump Administration Threatens Veto Of Dems’ $3T Relief Bill

The White House said Thursday that it would veto a $3 trillion virus relief package offered by House Democrats to boost state and local government funding and provide more cash payments to families struggling with the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Trump Moves To Fill Stockpile Ahead Of Next Virus Outbreak

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday authorizing a development bank to issue loans under the Defense Production Act as part of a strategy to strengthen the national stockpile of medical supplies so that the wartime law won’t have to be invoked for the next COVID-19 outbreak.

CLOSINGS AND RESTRICTIONS

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Coronavirus: The Latest Court Closures And Restrictions

UPDATED May 15, 2020, 1:19 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 15, 2020, 11:31 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.

Del. Courts Extend COVID-19 Emergency Rules To June 13

Delaware’s chief justice on Thursday extended the state’s current COVID-19 judicial emergency to June 13, keeping in place restrictions that barred most in-person court proceedings and paper filings and temporarily revised compliance requirements for some basic practices.

Virus Likely To Keep Mass. State Courts Closed Through June

The coronavirus pandemic will likely keep Massachusetts courthouses closed through June before reopening slowly over the summer, with an eye toward resuming jury trials in September, the state’s top justices wrote in a letter to the bar Thursday.

WHAT ATTORNEYS NEED TO KNOW

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Coronavirus Litigation: The Week In Review

The maker of Lysol Disinfecting Wipes has been accused of stealing the patented packaging technology that keeps the suddenly sought-after cleaning wipes moist, a proposed class of restaurants says Grubhub has been running a false advertising campaign to redirect customers to its partner restaurants, and five major news outlets claim the U.S. Small Business Administration has illegally rebuffed public records requests regarding its Paycheck Protection Program.

How Firms Are Keeping Attys Connected To Boost Well-Being

As many law firms head into their third month working remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic, a number of them are tackling the mental health and wellness challenges of isolation head-on by engaging attorneys and staff with revamped approaches geared toward a new reality of social distancing, including virtual activities with colleagues.

COVID-19 IP Catch-Up: Source Code Woes, Generic Antivirals

The Federal Circuit will continue to hold remote oral arguments into the summer, Gilead is allowing some generic-drug makers to produce versions of its antiviral treatment remdesivir and companies that are allegedly upcharging for coronavirus-related products are continuing to find themselves in court for trademark law violations.

Cyber Insurance Demand Heats Up As COVID-19 Hacks Rise

More companies are looking to cyber insurance to help manage the fallout from a wave of coronavirus-related cyberattacks, highlighting the need for businesses to pay close attention to internal data security shortcomings and policy limits that could spark coverage fights. 

Mask-Averse Workers Add Extra Hurdle As Employers Reopen

Thompson & Knight LLP’s recent firing of a document services manager who referenced guns in a Facebook rant lambasting a store’s rule requiring him to wear a mask could foreshadow contentious interactions that await employers if returning workers bristle at new safety mandates.

Manafort’s Release Helps Spring Ex-NFL Lineman From Prison

Citing the compassionate release of former Donald Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, a federal judge said Friday that a former NFL lineman should be able to serve the rest of his prison sentence for a $2.5 million real estate fraud scheme in home confinement to protect him from COVID-19.

NY Firm Sues Cuomo Over COVID-19 Closure Orders

A western New York law firm slapped with a “cease and desist” order by the state for continuing to allow employees to report to the office amid the COVID-19 pandemic is suing Gov. Andrew Cuomo and state Attorney General Letitia James for alleged abuse of power.

Release Unlikely For Virus-Fearing Brooklyn Inmates, For Now

A New York federal judge on Thursday expressed skepticism about releasing inmates who claim a Brooklyn prison is keeping them in unconstitutionally unsafe conditions amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

OSHA Urges Nursing Homes To Screen For Virus Symptoms

Nursing homes and long-term care facilities should regularly screen workers and residents for coronavirus symptoms and closely monitor them if they’re exposed, the U.S. Department of Labor’s workplace safety office said Thursday in one of three new safety alerts.

Fla. Nursing Homes May Be Facing Wave Of COVID-19 Suits

Plaintiffs’ firm Morgan & Morgan on Thursday said it is preparing lawsuits against two Florida nursing homes that have had 34 combined deaths from COVID-19 in their facilities, which could usher in a wave of litigation after a failed attempt by the industry at getting immunity during the pandemic.

Judge Says Fla. Virus Restrictions Protect ‘Majestic Freedoms’

A federal judge in West Palm Beach tossed a suit challenging COVID-19-related restrictions ordered by Florida Gov. Ron Desantis, saying the limitations on business and other activities are necessary to protect citizens’ “majestic freedoms.”

Calif. Updated Budget Shows $41.2B Tax Loss Amid COVID-19

California’s governor on Thursday confirmed a grim fiscal picture for the nation’s most populous state, saying the abrupt recession brought on by the novel coronavirus will lead to a $41.2 billion drop in tax revenue.

Navajo Virus Case Bump Highlights Data Challenges

The Navajo Nation added 99 previously unidentified novel coronavirus cases to its official tally Thursday, part of quality assessment efforts that highlight the challenges of tracking and verifying cases on a reservation spanning 10 counties and three states.

NYSE Seeks More Relief From Shareholder Approval Rules

The New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday filed a proposal with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission seeking temporary relief from certain shareholder approval rules that would make it easier for listed companies to raise capital amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Coping With A Pandemic: Duane Morris’ Seth Goldberg

As society continues to adapt to COVID-19, Law360 is sharing reactions from around the business and legal community. Today’s perspective comes from Philadelphia-based Seth Goldberg, leader of the cannabis practice at Duane Morris.

EXPERT ANALYSIS

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Major Trends In COVID-19 Business Interruption Lawsuits

A look at the business interruption insurance lawsuits filed across the country in connection with COVID-19 losses reveals three ways policyholders are arguing for coverage, as well as a variety of approaches to the issue of virus exclusions, say Lee Siegel and Ryan Maxwell at Hurwitz & Fine.

Pandemic Presents Teamwork Test For Law Firms

To ensure smooth operations during these uncertain times, all members of the law firm team — leaders and partners, diversity and talent professionals, associates and other staff members — need to commit to their unique roles and intensify support for colleagues, says Manar Morales, president and CEO at the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance.