US Coronavirus: Afternoon briefing
From Media & Entertainment Law360 Special Report
| TOP NEWS Cadwalader Cuts Pay Across The Firm To Weather Pandemic Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft LLP’s leadership announced Tuesday that the law firm is pausing partner compensation distributions and reducing associate and senior administrative staff pay by 25% in response to the economic uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Reed Smith Slows Partner Pay Over COVID-19 ConcernsReed Smith LLP has slowed partner cash distributions as it takes a “fiscally conservative” approach to managing the potential economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, a firm spokesperson said on Monday. Womble Bond Is Latest Firm To Downsize Amid COVID-19 Womble Bond Dickinson’s U.S. branch has decided to lay off some employees and institute pay reductions in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the firm confirmed to Law360 on Monday, a week after two other firms announced they would be taking similar measures. Legal Recruiter David Lat Improves After COVID-19 Battle After having what he described as a “severe” case of COVID-19 that landed him in the intensive care unit “unconscious and intubated,” New York City-based legal recruiter and journalist David Lat said on social media that his condition has improved and he expects to be released from the hospital soon. Law Firm Mergers Dry Up Due To Coronavirus Pandemic After two record years for U.S. law firm combinations, deal-making has come to a screeching halt this spring as the nation grapples with a pandemic, in what could be the first time in four years the industry will see a decline in deals. Zoom Hit With Proposed Class Action Over Privacy Concerns Zoom Video Communications Inc., the video conference service and de facto platform for digital communication during the COVID-19 pandemic, has been hit with a proposed class action claiming the platform has failed to protect users’ personal information. CLOSINGS AND RESTRICTIONS Coronavirus: The Latest Court Closures And Restrictions UPDATED March 31, 2020, 2:11 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 RestrictionsUPDATED March 31, 2020, 5:09 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 IT MEANS FOR LAWYERS GCs Take Pay Cuts To Aid Cos. Amid COVID-19 General counsel at Marriott International, Macy’s and The Cheesecake Factory are among the corporate executives shouldering pay cuts to share the pain and help their businesses stay afloat as some companies furlough employees or temporarily close their doors amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses Urged To Make COVID-19 IP Free During CrisisIn a bid to eliminate roadblocks in the fight against COVID-19, a group of scientists, lawyers and entrepreneurs launched a drive Monday for intellectual property holders to pledge not to sue those working to quell the pandemic. DOL Hits ‘Critical Issues’ In Coronavirus Leave Law Guidance The U.S. Department of Labor on Saturday further fleshed out its rules governing the new emergency sick leave law enacted in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic, tackling nearly two dozen “critical issues” that hadn’t yet been addressed. NLRB General Counsel Issues Guidance On Crisis BargainingWith the novel coronavirus disrupting businesses around the country, the National Labor Relations Board’s top attorney sent regional officials a letter to clarify employers’ obligation to bargain with unions during crises, citing NLRB rulings dealing with the aftermath of 9/11, hurricanes and other emergencies. 4 COVID-19 Questions Clients Are Asking Real Estate Lawyers The global spread of COVID-19 has created great uncertainty in the real estate market and as a result, real estate lawyers have been bombarded over the last month with wide-ranging questions and concerns from clients. Here, Law360 looks at four such questions. Pandemic’s Fallout May Include Heightened Fair Lending Risk With the coronavirus pandemic poised to wreak economic havoc on potentially millions of U.S. households in the coming months, the financial services industry could face a new wave of fair lending scrutiny as struggling borrowers fall behind on payments and seek relief on their mortgages. Tax Cuts In Coronavirus Relief Bill Raise Fiscal Questions A package of corporate tax relief measures in the $2 trillion coronavirus relief bill generated little controversy or attention as the legislation worked its way through Congress, but tax experts are expressing growing concerns that its cost could explode. Sen. Floats Bill To Shield COVID-19 Doctors From Legal Action A GOP senator on Monday introduced a bill that would grant broad legal immunity for health care providers providing treatment outside of their specialties to COVID-19 patients for the duration of the national health emergency. Sens. Warn Against Hasty N. American Trade Deal Enactment Nineteen members of the Senate Finance Committee on Monday warned the Trump administration against trying to implement its new trade deal with Canada and Mexico too quickly in light of the novel coronavirus outbreak’s ravaging of U.S. businesses. Coping With A Pandemic: Leon Cosgrove’s Andy Zaron As self-isolation and social distancing become the norm during the COVID-19 pandemic, Law360 is sharing reactions from around the business and legal community. Today’s perspective comes from South Florida-based Andrew Zaron, a partner at Leon Cosgrove specializing in bankruptcy, restructuring and commercial litigation. EXPERT ANALYSIS How To Conduct Depositions Remotely Remote depositions are a useful tool for meeting discovery deadlines while allowing all parties to stay at home amid the COVID-19 outbreak. But they come with a unique set of challenges, say Eliot Williams and Daniel Rabinowitz at Baker Botts. Client Advocacy Tips For Remote Hearings During COVID-19 As the judiciary implements telephone and video hearings in response to the coronavirus pandemic, attorneys can deliver effective advocacy by following certain best practices, such as using backup materials and specially preparing witnesses and exhibits, say attorneys at Fish & Richardson. |
