From Media & Entertainment Law360

Monday June 8 2020

TOP NEWS

Privacy Risks Lurk In Tech-Heavy Return-To-Work Plans

With businesses increasingly coming back online amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, employers are turning to an assortment of apps and high-tech gadgets designed to make their workplace safety plans easier to execute, but attorneys warn those technologies come with privacy risks and employee relations headaches.

Crackdown On Chinese Cos. Could Be A Double-Edged Sword

More Chinese public companies are considering listing their shares abroad as they mull alternatives before a looming crackdown by U.S. policymakers concerned that Chinese issuers have long dodged transparency requirements governing U.S.-listed companies.

Coronavirus: How Law Firms Are Handling The Downturn

UPDATED June 8, 2020, 2:31 PM 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. 

Pandemic Puts More Stress On Struggling Pension System

The coronavirus outbreak has presented daunting challenges for an already-struggling multiemployer pension plan system. It’s also amplifying calls for Congress to step up and pass legislation to protect against millions of retirees losing their financial livelihood.

Calif. Gives Hollywood A Green Light To Restart Production

California authorities announced on Friday that the state’s entertainment industry can get up and running again by next week, laying out some basic guidelines for restarting production amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

CLOSINGS AND RESTRICTIONS

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Coronavirus: The Latest Court Closures And Restrictions

UPDATED June 8, 2020, 2:08 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 8, 2020, 12:00 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.

WHAT ATTORNEYS NEED TO KNOW

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Coronavirus Q&A: King & Spalding’s Health Team Leader

In this edition of Coronavirus Q&A, King & Spalding LLP’s national health team leader discusses how health care providers are struggling to resume normal operations, what the pandemic means for M&A, and why COVID-19 will spark a litigation firestorm involving insurance reimbursement, workplace safety, patient deaths and the False Claims Act.

Law360’s Tort Report: COVID-19 Biz Immunity Laws Passed

The passage of state legislation shielding businesses from civil suits related to COVID-19 and a $22.5 million deal to end suits over Catholic Church sexual abuse in Minnesota lead Law360’s Tort Report, which compiles recent personal injury and medical malpractice news that may have flown under the radar.

COVID-19 IP Catch-Up: Publishers, Vodka Co. Head To Court

In the last week or so, the Internet Archive’s library service came under fire, a vodka company that started making hand sanitizer sought to defend its brand name, a convicted intellectual property thief asked to be let out early over the pandemic, and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office launched a new resource center. 

The Week In Bankruptcy: Eyes On The New Normal

The COVID-19 outbreak’s effects on numerous industries continued over the last week as companies succumbed to the economic pressures of the pandemic.

3 Lingering Opportunity Zone Questions Amid The Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely slowed the commercial real estate market as investors are skittish and banks are reluctant to loan, and while the IRS on Thursday provided important relief for investors in opportunity zone projects, questions and hurdles for such deals still remain. Here, Law360 looks at several.

Fla. Jail Inmates Sue Sheriff Over Failure To Stop Virus Spread

Inmates at Broward County Jail filed a proposed class suit Friday against the county sheriff’s office demanding the release of medically vulnerable people to home confinement and improved conditions within the jail to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

NJ Justices Give Inmates Voice In Virus Release Process

New Jersey inmates seeking release due to the COVID-19 pandemic will have more say in the decision-making process as well as the ability to appeal unfavorable outcomes in court, the state Supreme Court ruled Friday in a case brought by advocates for prisoners.

Dems Urge Top Lawmakers To Back $1B Virus Broadband Bill

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., have called on congressional leaders to get behind their emergency broadband bill, which would create a billion-dollar fund to support high-speed internet access for college students stuck at home amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pandemic Prompts GOP To Push Capital Gains Tax Relief

As lawmakers weigh additional legislation to counter the economic fallout from the novel coronavirus pandemic, congressional Republicans are considering proposals to ease capital gains taxes to revive business investment and replace jobs lost due to COVID-19.

ABA Wants Firms Working With Cannabis To Get Virus Aid

The American Bar Association sent a letter Friday to the U.S. Small Business Administration urging the agency to clarify that law firms that work with the legal cannabis industry are not ineligible for federal relief in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

3M Says Ex-Marine Faked Bill Gates Ties In Massive N95 Scam

3M filed a lawsuit in Minnesota federal court Friday accusing a former Marine of using his service record and non-existent ties to 3M and the Gates Foundation to try and trick companies into giving him billions or even trillions of dollars to purchase N95 respirators he does not have.

Reese Witherspoon COVID-19 Dress Promo A Scam, Suit Says

Reese Witherspoon promised free dresses to teachers who signed up with her clothing company, but after nearly a million handed over their personal information, the movie star offered only a 250-dress lottery, teachers said in a putative breach of contract class action removed to California federal court.

EXPERT ANALYSIS

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Law Firms Must Beware Risks In Nontraditional Financing

Law firms in today’s financial crisis may be looking at nontraditional arrangements such as portfolio funding or factoring to provide liquidity and cash support, but firms must first consider lawsuits brought against Pierce Bainbridge and other recent developments, says Katherine Toomey at Lewis Baach.

‘The Government Said I Could’ As A Defense During COVID-19

Pursuant to long-recognized due process principles, litigants should be entitled to reasonably rely on governmental directives related to COVID-19, and, in appropriate cases, assert it as complete defense to civil liability, say attorneys at Butler Snow.

A Creative Strategy For Repaying PPP Loans

Although most small businesses cannot meet the Payroll Protection Program’s loan forgiveness requirements, using this CARES Act program in conjunction with the Small Business Debtor Reorganization Act could be the solution for companies trying to survive the current pandemic era, says Thomas Lehman at Levine Kellogg.