Publications
In a series of FAQs posted on its website, the Internal Revenue Service has now provided guidance on a number of additional issues related to the postponement of the federal income tax filing and payment deadline until July 15, 2020, as previously provided for by the US federal government in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic. […]
As the number of COVID-19 cases continues to grow across the U.S., employers should consider Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) injury and illness recording and reporting obligations in connection with confirmed employee cases of COVID-19. Generally, OSHA requires covered employers to prepare and maintain records of work-related injuries and illnesses. See 29 CFR § […]
The Coronavirus has had a devastating impact on small businesses. As states ban so-called “non-essential” commercial activity, businesses have been forced to shutter their operations. This has resulted in a sudden cessation of revenue flows, but not expenses. Debts, rent, and other liabilities must still be paid. Some relief is available through a hodge-podge of […]
College campuses have not been immune to the COVID-19 epidemic wreaking havoc on the national economy. As colleges grapple with how to handle the crisis, several higher education institutions sent a memo to Congress asking federal lawmakers to give DeVos “the authority to waive compliance with significant and/or costly new regulatory requirements that may be […]
On March 18, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Guidance Document for sponsors, investigators and institutional review boards (IRBs) conducting clinical trials during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The purpose of this Alert is to summarize the Guidance Document, which identifies potential challenges and outlines considerations to push ongoing clinical trials forward, without compromising […]
The New York legislature has enacted a new law in response to the growing public health and economic crisis caused by COVID-19. Effective immediately, the New York Quarantine Leave Law provides job-protected leave, and in some instances paid leave, for employees subject to a mandatory or precautionary quarantine or isolation order due to the coronavirus. Employers should take careful […]
The COVID-19 crisis has forced the Department of Health and Human Services’ (“HHS”) Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) to rethink Medicare’s stringent and limiting telehealth rules. As federal and state governments struggle to slow the spread of the virus, they are increasingly encouraging people to stay home as much as possible and, at […]
In the past week, we’ve spoken with many founders and venture capital investors whose businesses are facing drastic revenue reductions, uncertain capital availability, and other business challenges as a result of the current COVID-19 crisis. Although we hope that collective local and national efforts will provide sufficient support to many businesses, whether in the form of […]
COVID-19’s impact has extended to intellectual property cases in the courts, US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and patent and trademark offices abroad. In the IP licensing context, it has brought to the fore certain key issues in agreements that may need to be considered in the near term. The purpose of this Alert is […]
On Friday, March 20, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont issued Executive Order 7H in response to the deepening COVID-19 Pandemic. Order 7H requires all “non-essential” businesses and non-profits to reduce the number of employees they have working on-site at a workplace to zero, starting at 8 p.m. on Monday, March 23, and running through April 22 (though […]
Given the fast moving nature of the federal government’s responses to the Covid-19 pandemic, we already have one update to the Tax Filing and Payment Advisory we published on Friday. The Treasury Department has now removed the cap on the amount of tax payments (formerly $1 million for individuals and $10 million for corporations) that […]
On March 20th, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that for the next 60 days or within three business days after the termination of the National COVID-19 Emergency, whichever comes first, employers and workplaces that are operating remotely may “defer the physical presence requirements associated with Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9).” This means that […]
On March 20th, the Department of Labor (DOL) released an FAQ guide for complying with notice requirements for H-1B visa petitions and underlying Labor Condition Applications (LCAs) during COVID-19. The contents are summarized below with additional guidance from the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). 1) Complying with DOL Notice Requirements During COVID-19 When seeking to employ […]
Please note the following immigration benefit case processing and travel updates released by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of State (DOS): Effective March 16th U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) allows ESTA/Visa Waiver Participants (VWP) who were admitted into the U.S. through John F. Kennedy International Airport, NY (JFK) or Newark […]
On Friday, March 20, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont issued Executive Order 7H in response to the deepening COVID-19 Pandemic. Order 7H requires all “non-essential” businesses and non-profits to reduce the number of employees they have working on-site at a workplace to zero, starting at 8 p.m. on Monday, March 23, and running through April 22 […]
In response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the federal government and many states have developed paths towards economic relief for small businesses. Below is a summary of such programs at the federal level and in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey. I. Federal – U.S. Small Business Administration (the “SBA”) In response to the Coronavirus […]
On March 18, the United States Senate approved a relief package to provide sick leave, unemployment benefits, free coronavirus testing, and food and medical aid to people impacted by the pandemic. The legislation was passed by the House on March 14, and was signed by President Trump on the evening of March 18. The legislation […]
The U.S. federal government issued a series of announcements this week extending the deadline until July 15, 2020 for individuals and businesses to file their federal income tax returns and pay their federal income taxes (up to $1 million in taxes owed for individuals and $10 million for corporations) that would have otherwise been due […]
The spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) throughout the world is increasing the impact to multiple areas of immigration and compliance law in the U.S. To address client concerns and provide the most relevant and accurate information, Wiggin and Dana’s Immigration and Nationality Law and Compliance Practice Group will distribute immigration briefings to various clients. Briefings […]
On Friday, the Connecticut Department of Labor issued helpful guidance for employers on issues related to coronavirus. The document advises employers on unemployment eligibility; wage and hour compliance in the event of temporary closures, remote working arrangements, and other scenarios employers may be encountering; the Family and Medical Leave Act; and Connecticut’s paid sick leave law. […]
On March 9, 2020, the Office of Investment Security issued a proposed rule that would establish filing fees for parties submitting a voluntary notice to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (“CFIUS”). As set forth in the proposed rule “filing a declaration instead of a notice…does not require payment of a fee.”[1] This […]
New rules that became final on February 13, 2020 dramatically expand the jurisdiction of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). Where CFIUS was once concerned only with transactions that would result in foreign control of a U.S. business, the Committee’s authority now extends to non-controlling investments in a broad range of U.S. […]
Greetings, Court Fans! After the avalanche of opinions last week, The Nine gave us a break with just one new decision to report this week. In Kansas v. Garcia (No. 17-834), a five-justice majority upheld the state-law identity-theft convictions of three noncitizens who fraudulently used another person’s Social Security number on their employment authorization forms. […]
Greetings, Court Fans! The Court was back this week with its first two signed opinions of the term. As in past terms, The Nine led off with a relatively straightforward statutory interpretation case. But somewhat unusually, the Court’s first opinion was not unanimous, and not authored by Justice Ginsburg. To be fair, at 8-1 (or […]
Greetings, Court Fans! While Chief Justice Roberts was busy this week getting ready to preside over his first-ever trial (best to start with something small, like impeachment of the president), the rest of the Court was continuing with business as usual, issuing two new decisions. The Nine have also been at work filling out the […]
Greetings, Court Fans! It’s been ages, but we’re finally back with new decisions. After literally months of silence (at least with respect to opinions), the Court came roaring back this week with eight (eight!) new decisions: In Hernandez v. Mesa (No. 17-1678),the Court (5-4) refused to recognize a Bivens remedy for a cross-border shooting; In […]
The Department of Education (“DOE”) recently proposed new regulations to address how colleges and universities deal with speech and religious student organizations. While the First Amendment and principles of academic freedom have long protected speech on campus, the DOE’s proposed regulations would add a new layer of protection—the threatened withdrawal of federal funding. Under the […]
New rules that became final on February 13, 2020 dramatically expand the jurisdiction of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). Where CFIUS was once concerned only with transactions that would result in foreign control of a U.S. business, the Committee’s authority now extends to non-controlling investments in a broad range of U.S. […]
Wiggin and Dana is pleased to present its Intellectual Property Practice Group’s latest newsletter: “Recent Developments in IP Law.” This newsletter takes a look back at some of the biggest developments in intellectual property law in 2019, as well as a look forward at what we can expect for 2020. To read the newsletter, please […]
“I notice that your account does not have a beneficiary listed, would you like to list one now? Listing a beneficiary can avoid the expense and delay of probate.” This is a question more and more of our clients are being asked (and encouraged to prepare) by representatives at financial institutions. However, for many of our […]