LAW 360 From Media & Entertainment

Friday, May 28, 2021

TOP NEWS

3 Takeaways On COVID-19’s Impact On Law School Faculty

A new study of law school faculty across the United States found that the COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed how these educators see their responsibilities and continues to shape legal education’s future.

IP Waiver Talks Hinge On Use Of Big Pharma’s Trade Secrets

As advocates for a World Trade Organization proposal to temporarily waive intellectual property protections for COVID-19 vaccines try to win more support from developed countries, one obstacle to reaching consensus is whether compulsory licenses will require pharmaceutical companies to divulge trade secrets, experts say.

New EEOC Guidance Tackles COVID Vaccine Incentives

Employers can offer workers perks to encourage COVID-19 vaccinations, but any documentation about workers’ vaccination status is confidential medical information that must remain closely guarded, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said in updated guidance Friday.

Employers Not Keen On Mandatory Vaccinations, Survey Says

Eighty-three percent of U.S. employers aren’t forcing workers to get the COVID-19 vaccine, even though most businesses want their employees to get the jab, according to a Fisher Phillips survey of professionals including human resources staff, counsel and executives released Tuesday.

Builders Face Myriad Cost Pressures, And Issue May Worsen

The cost of construction materials has soared over the past year as demand has surged and supply has tightened, and experts say the pricing situation could worsen as more projects start to come on line later this year. Here, Law360 looks at the rise in construction costs, what it means for contracts and what the future may hold for developers.

Coronavirus Litigation: The Week In Review 

Two New Jersey universities have escaped claims that they owe students tuition and refunds for switching to virtual instruction during the pandemic, a top New York judge is among those opposing landlords trying to overturn statewide eviction protections, and a Southwest Airlines flight attendant seeks to preserve her suit alleging the airline’s failure to adhere to coronavirus safety protocols caused her to contract the virus and infect her late husband.

HOW COURTS ARE ADAPTING

Coronavirus: The Latest Court Closures And Restrictions

UPDATED May 28, 2021, 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. Click state or court to jump to section. 

11th Circ. Drops Mask Mandate For Vaccinated Court Visitors

The Eleventh Circuit has dropped its face mask and social distancing requirements for court visitors who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while planning to resume in-person hearings in June.

HOW LAWYERS ARE IMPACTED

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

The continuing decline in COVID-19 cases and the upcoming Memorial Day holiday spurred more reopening activity this past week in places like New Jersey, where Gov. Phil Murphy announced the major move of lifting the indoor mask mandate and indoor and outdoor social distancing requirements ahead of the holiday weekend.

SG Tells Justices To Pass On NH v. Mass. Remote Tax Case 

New Hampshire’s complaint against Massachusetts’ regulation imposing income tax on remote workers during the COVID-19 pandemic does not merit the U.S. Supreme Court’s original jurisdiction, the acting solicitor general told the justices in a brief.

Pa. Judge Grants Virus Coverage To Pittsburgh Tavern

A Pennsylvania state court judge went against the majority of COVID-19 insurance rulings when she ruled Tuesday that an insurer must cover the pandemic-related losses suffered by a downtown Pittsburgh tavern.

Chubb Unit Gets Dismissal Of Health System’s $5M Virus Suit 

A Minnesota federal judge has thrown out a health system’s $5 million bid for pandemic loss coverage, saying the coronavirus wasn’t a covered pollutant under its policy with Chubb unit ACE American Insurance Co.

Sympathetic Judge Won’t Review Restaurants’ COVID-19 Case

A Georgia federal judge won’t reconsider his dismissal of a bid by Atlanta restaurants for pandemic-related insurance coverage, saying his “immense sympathy” for them doesn’t change the law or the outcome of their case.

Travel Insurance Buyers Say AIG Units, United Misled Them

United Airlines and two AIG units have been hit with a proposed class action accusing them of misleading customers by advertising and selling travel insurance for fees that United had scrapped in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

NY To Launch Pandemic Rent Relief Program On June 1 

A long-awaited program to administer more than $2 billion in federal pandemic rental assistance across New York will open on the morning of June 1, state officials said Tuesday.

Tribe Seeks $4M Increase For COVID-19 Relief Funds 

The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation has asked a D.C. federal judge to increase COVID-19 relief funds set aside for the tribe by roughly $4 million, arguing that the government didn’t rely on accurate population data when determining the payment allocations.

Most New Gov’t COVID Loans Won’t Be Regulated, Says FCA

Britain’s finance watchdog has made it clear that it will not regulate most of the new government-backed pandemic loans, which were brought in to help prop up businesses hit by COVID-19.

EXPERT ANALYSIS

5 Current Ad And Marketing Legal Risks To Watch Out For

As companies respond to changing circumstances including the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing social justice struggles, they should be aware of advertising, marketing and promotion practices that may increase scrutiny from regulators, competitors and class action plaintiffs, say Amanda Beane and Jason Howell at Perkins Coie.