Coronavirus Resources

With the constantly changing information concerning the COVID-19 global pandemic, we recognize that businesses are navigating in uncertain and unprecedented times.  McLane Middleton is advising clients on various COVID-19 related issues.  Conditions are changing rapidly across state and national government.  We are committed to providing updated information to help our clients make critical decisions for their employees and businesses.  To assist you, we will be updating this site regularly with legal analysis, and state and federal information as it pertains to businesses.  If you have an immediate question, please reach out to your legal professional or call (603) 625-6464 to be connected with the McLane Middleton team.  We are providing this information as a broad resource for businesses and it should not be considered legal advice.  For guidance specific to your situation, please contact a legal professional.

Visit our Business Recovery Center for articles and resources to assist your business in navigating the resources and challenges associated with reopening.

Email Updates:
To sign-up to receive updates on how COVID-19 is impacting businesses and professional organizations, email us at marketing@mclane.com.

The uncertain times are requiring businesses to make critical decisions at a rapid pace.  We are regularly advising on the following issues and have added the resources below to assist you and your business:

 

EMPLOYMENT/WORKFORCE

• Employee paid leave and workforce reduction
  • FFCRA Leave: Gone But Not Forgotten as DOL Issues Guidance Post-Stimulus (1/5/21)
  • President Trump Signs Executive Actions That Would Provide Certain Pandemic Relief (8/10/20)
  • Emergency Sick Leave Under Families First Coronavirus Response Act Policy (6/2/20, updated)
  • Documentation Employers Need to Receive Tax Credits for FFCRA Paid Leave Benefits (4/21/20)
  • DOL Regulations Offer Employers Guidance for Implementing Paid Leave Under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (4/6/20)
  • USDOL Provides Guidance Regarding Emergency Paid Sick Leave and Paid Family and Medical Leave (3/30/20)
  • Families First Coronavirus Response Act – Paid Sick Leave and Expanded Family and Medical Leave Poster – Federal (3/26/20)
  • Families First Coronavirus Response Act – Paid Sick Leave and Expanded Family and Medical Leave Poster – Non-Federal (3/26/20)
  • Q&A Families First Coronavirus Response Act (3/23/20)
  • Emergency Paid Leave Related to COVID-19 Signed Into Law and Takes Effect on April 1, 2020 (3/22/20)
  • FAQs regarding furloughs (3/20/20)
  • What measures are being considered for businesses and employees that need to close? (3/17/20)
• Wage and benefit policies
  • The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021: What Does It Mean for Employers? (3/19/21)
  • Benefit Plan Provisions in the Stimulus Bill (12/29/20)
  • Platform for Gig Workers to Apply for Unemployment Benefits in Massachusetts Now Open (4/21/20)
  • CARES Act Expands Pandemic Unemployment Assistance to Those Not Previously Covered (4/13/20)
  • Employer Considerations for CARES Act Benefit Plan Relief Provisions (3/30/20)
  • Families first coronavirus relief becomes law (3/19/20)
  • Are employees covered under FMLA if they need to take care of a family member? (3/17/20)
  • Will I qualify for State and Federal benefits? (3/17/20)
  • State and Federal Authorities Work to Find Solutions for Workers Impacted by Coronavirus (3/16/20)
  • COVID-19: What Should Employers Do NOW? (3/13/20)
  • Are You Prepared for the Coronavirus? (3/10/20)
• Employee rights
  • CDC Revises Quarantine Guidance For Those Who Have Been Vaccinated, Or Who Have Recovered From A COVID-19 Infection (2/16/21)
  • The Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services Issues Employer Vaccine Guidance on Heels of Federal EEOC Position Allowing Employers to Mandate Vaccines (2/5/21)
  • NH Issues New Quarantine Guidance for Employers (1/14/21)
  • EEOC Provides Guidance to Employers on Vaccines (12/18/20)
  • Should Employers Mandate COVID-19 for Flu Vaccines? (12/9/20)
  • Employers: Antibody Testing Not Allowed for Return to Work (6/22/20)
    EEOC Offers Guidance for Accommodating Older Workers and Pregnant Employees in Return to Work Following Pandemic-Related Closures (6/16/20)
  • USDOL Begins Enforcement of Employee FFCRA Rights (5/4/20)
  • The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Allows Employers to Test Employees for COVID-19 (4/24/20)
  • Are employers required to follow the American Disabilities Act (ADA) when implementing CDC guidelines? (3/19/20)
• Immigration
  • How are employee immigration matters being handled? (3/27/20, updated)
  • H-1B Employees: Work-From-Home; Reduction in Hours; Furlough; Termination (3/26/20)
  • Can foreign nationals on nonimmigrant visas (NIV) collect unemployment benefits? (3/23/20)
  • Form I-9 Compliance Requirements Due to COVID-19 (3/20/20)
  • DHS Announces U.S. Border Closings for “Non-Essential” Traffic (3/20/20)
  • Can H-1B workers work from home? (3/19/20)
• Health Care Providers
  • DOL’s Implementing Regulations Shed Some Light On Defining “Health Care Provider” Under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (4/3/20)

CORPORATE

• Business Operations
  • Governor Baker to Lift Mask Restrictions (4/27/21)
  • Governor Sununu Issues Emergency Order Mandating Masks (11/20/20)
  • MA DLS Offering Free Review of COVID-19 Safety Protocols for Positive Clusters (9/23/20)
  • The PREP Act and COVID-19: Immunity for Private Businesses and Individuals (4/7/20)
  • Suffolk County is Looking Out for Small Businesses During COVID-19 Crisis (4/3/20)
  • New Hampshire Businesses Offering Essential Services (3/31/20)
  • MA Corporations: Consider Alternative to “In-Person” Shareholder and Board of Director Meetings (3/30/20)
  • NH: COVID-19 Impact on Annual Shareholder Meetings (3/30/20)
• American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
  • Overview of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (3/16/21)
• Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act
  • SBA Updated Guidance Regarding Necessity (5/13/20)
  • Changes to PPP Loan Based on April 2 SBA Guidance (4/4/20)
  • Treasury Department’s PPP Borrower Information Sheet (4/3/20)
  • SBA’s PPP Borrower Application Form (4/3/20)
  • SBA’s PPP Guidance for Lenders (4/2/20)
  • The Payroll Protection Program: Additional Guidance and Forms (4/2/20)
  • Small Business Owner’s Guide to The CARES Act (3/30/20)
  • Senate Passes CARES Act (3/26/20)
• Business Interruption Insurance
  • Does my insurance policy cover my business due to COVID-19? (3/20/20)
• Essential Business Classification
  • Massachusetts Lengthens Essential Services List During Extended Shutdown (4/1/20)
  • Gov. Sununu Orders Non-Essential Businesses to Close Until May 4 (3/27/20)
  • New Hampshire Residents Impacted by Massachusetts Essential Business Order (3/24/20)
  • Definition of “Essential Business” in Massachusetts (3/21/20)
  • MA Executive Order: Non-Essential Businesses Closed (3/21/20)
• Contracts
  • New Hampshire Executive Order Allowing Online Notarization of Legal Documents (3/24/20)
  • Creating Enforceable Contracts Electronically (3/22/20)
  • Force Majuere and Impossibility: Are the terms of my contracts enforceable? (3/18/20)
  • COVID-19’s Impact on Force Majeure (3/17/20)
• Small Business Administration Loans
  • PPP Flexiblity Act of 2020 (6/5/20)
  • SBA Updated Guidance Regarding Necessity (5/13/20)
  • Changes to PPP Loan Based on April 2 SBA Guidance (4/4/20)
  • Payroll Protection Loan FAQ Chart (4/4/20, updated)
  • Keeping American Workers Paid and Employed Act (3/30/20)
  • Applying for Small Business Administration Loans (3/25/20, updated)
• Bankruptcy, Restructuring, and Creditors Rights
  • Managing Credit Risk (3/30/20)
  • Avoidance of Preferential Transfers (3/30/20)

PRIVACY AND INFORMATION SECURITY

• Information security for remote employees
  • Videoconferencing: How Can You Ensure Privacy and Security? (4/9/20)
  • Are we in compliance with HIPAA, GDPR, and CCPA? (3/19/20)
  • Do my existing policies cover remote access? (3/17/20)
  • Are my employees working on secure networks from home? (3/17/20)
  • Is my business vulnerable to hacking while employees work remotely? (3/17/20)
• Privacy for health and personal information
  • HHS Provides More Information on HIPAA During COVID-19 Crisis (3/24/20)
  • How does COVID-19 impact the privacy of health and personal information? (3/19/20)
  • How do I maintain employee privacy while notifying my workforce? (3/17/20)
  • How and when am I obligated to notify public health officials? (3/17/20)
• Health care
  • Additional Leniency in HIPAA Privacy Rule Enforcement (4/8/20)
  • HHS Provides More Information on HIPAA During COVID-19 Crisis (3/24/20)
  • Are there restrictions to telehealth for Medicare and Medicaid patients? (3/20/20)

EDUCATION

• Is the Application Your School Plans to Use to Track Coronavirus Symptoms Really Secure? (8/4/20)
• The Importance of Understanding and Fulfilling the Duty of Reasonable Care When Reopening School (5/13/20)
• Independent Schools Must Be Prepared to Respond Strategically to the Current Economic Crisis (4/22/20)
• The Crisis Has Come.  Is Your Board on Board? (4/10/20)
• FFA and the SBA: Implications for Independent Schools Accepting Federal Financial Assistance (4/8/20)
• Remote Learning and Reimagining Enrollment Contracts (3/30/20)
• NH Emergency Order #17 (Closure of Non-Essential Businesses) and Independent Schools (3/27/20)
• One More Task: Consent Related to Online Learning (3/26/20)
• NH Governor Sununu’s Executive Orders and Independent Schools (3/23/20)
• MA Governor Baker’s Executive Orders and Independent Schools (3/23/20)
• Role and boundary issues when teaching remotely (3/18/20)
• What is the standard of care for independent schools? (3/12/20)

REAL ESTATE

• Working Remotely and Too Much Space.  Can Tenants Reduce Their Square Footage Following the Pandemic? (6/17/20)
• Commercial Evictions During the COVID-19 State of Emergency (updated 4/22/20)
• COVID-19 Impact on NH Real Estate Transactions (updated 4/6/20)
• Construction, MA – To Build or Not to Build (4/6/20, updated)
• Can a landlord in NH initiate eviction proceedings during COVID-19? (3/18/20)
• Will the purchase of my property be affected by the Registry of Deeds being closed? (3/18/20)

LITIGATION

• EEOC Delays Right-to-Sue Letters and Reminds Employers About Anti-Discrimination Laws (4/22/20)
• Does the Coronavirus Excuse Performance of a Contract?  Force Majeure and Impossibility or Impracticability of Performance (4/8/20)
• My business had matters in the court system.  What should I expect since the courts are closed? (3/18/20)

TAX

• The IRS Clarifies the Deductibility of Expenses Paid with the Proceeds of a Loan Made Under the PPP (5/15/20, updated)
• IRS Guidance on Estate and Gift Tax Deadline Postponements (5/1/20)
• The Effect of Telecommuting on Massachusetts Taxation (4/27/20)
• IRS Issues Updated Guidelines on 2019 and 2020 Payment and Filing Extensions (4/10/20)
• Massachusetts Department of Revenue Tax Relief (4/3/20, updated)
• New Hampshire Department of Revenue Tax Relief (3/31/20)
• Tax-Free Payments to Employees Affected by COVID-19 (3/30/20)
• IRS Issues Guidance on Filing Deadline of Extensions for Tax Returns (3/26/20)
• Has the IRS announced any updates for taxpayers? (3/20/20)

TRUSTS & ESTATES

• Client Service During COVID-19 Pandemic – Drive By Witnessing/Notarization Events
• Massachusetts Passes Emergency Law Authorizing Remote Notarization and Witnessing (4/30/20)
• CARES Act Brings Relief for Retirement Plan Participants (3/30/20)
• Protecting Our Elder Law Community During the COVID-19 Emergency (3/30/20)
• Remote Notarization of New Hampshire Estate Planning Documents (3/25/20)
• Navigating Estate Planning Issues (3/24/20)

ENVIRONMENT

• Environmental Enforcement During the Pandemic (8/6/20)
• EPA Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Programs (3/30/20)
• Applications to the NH Petroleum Reimbursement Fund (3/30/20)
• Notice Regarding Required Groundwater Management and Release Detection Permit Sampling (3/30/20)
• Regulated Storage Tank Construction Inspections (3/30/20)

NON-PROFITS

• Non-Profit’s Guide to the CARES Act (4/6/20)
• Non-Profit’s Guide to the FFCRA (4/6/20)

FAMILY LAW

• Trials and Depositions: The Rules Are Different (4/13/20)
• How to Handle Your Parenting Plan During COVID-19 (4/6/20)

 

McLane Middleton Resources:

• Pfizer Announces its Vaccine May Soon be Administered to Children (5/5/21)
• NH’s Emergency Orders and Rules Addressing COVID-19 (updated 5/11/20)
• MA’s Emergency Orders and Rules Addressing COVID-19 (updated 5/4/20)
• President Trump’s Guidance for Opening America (4/20/20)
• The Latest on NH Emergency Orders (3/24/20)
• Massachusetts Resources for Smaller Businesses in Wake of COVID-19 (3/19/20)

 

McLane Middleton Webinar Series:

As part of our commitment to community, we are partnering with the NH Food Bank and Merrimack Valley Food Bank to accept donations as part of our webinar series. These organizations are working hard to assist those in our communities struggling with food insufficiency during these unprecedented times.  Please join us in supporting these organizations by clicking one of the following links:

Click here to donate to the New Hampshire Food Bank

Click here to donate to the Merrimack Valley Food Bank

Webinar Replays:

• Moving Toward Mandates? The Latest Thoughts on COVID Vaccination for Employers (8/5/21 by Susan E. Schorr and Laura McKelligott Kahl)
• Employers and COVID-19 Vaccinations (2/24/21 by Susan E. Schorr and Laura McKelligott Kahl)
• An Overview of the Consolidated Appropriations Act (1/12/21 by Patrick C. Closson and Kimberly A. Kramer)
• News You Can Use (Employment Law Update) (11/18/20 by Charla Bizios Stevens, Adam M. Hamel, Jennifer L. Parent, Cameron G. Shilling, and Laura McKelligott Kahl)
• What You May Have Missed: A Trusts & Estates Update in a Unique Year (6/11/20 by Ryan J. Swartz and Audrey G. Young)
• Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act (6/9/20 by Patrick C. Closson and Kimberly A. Kramer)
• Considerations for Re-Opening Your Business (5/7/20 by Adam M. Hamel and Linda S. Johnson, and The Honorable David Shulkin, Ninth Secretary, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Dr. Michael R. Jaff, Chief Medical Officer at a Global Medical Device Manufacturer and the former CEO of Newton-Wellesley Hospital; and Philip Hauserman of The Castle Group.)
• You Have a PPP Loan.  Now What Do You Need to Do? (5/6/20 by Linda S. Johnson and Susan E. Schorr)
• Q&A for the Paycheck Protection Program Loan Forgiveness (4/30/20 by Patrick C. Closson and Kimberly A. Kramer)
• Paycheck Protection Program Loan Forgiveness (4/28/20 by Patrick C. Closson and Kimberly A. Kramer)
• CARES Act: What You Need to Know Now (4/10/20 by Linda S. Johnson, Patrick C. Closson, and Adam M. Hamel)
• The CARES Act Q&A for Non-Profit and Charitable Organizations (4/9/20 by Adam M. Hamel and Kimberly A. Kramer)
• The CARES Act: An Overview for Non-Profit and Charitable Organizations (4/7/20 by Adam M. Hamel and Kimberly A. Kramer)
• The CARES Act Q&A (4/2/20 by Patrick C. Closson, Kimberly A. Kramer, Charla Bizios Stevens)
• An Overview of the CARES Act (3/31/20 by Patrick C. Closson and Kimberly A. Kramer)
• Coronavirus Employment Q&A (3/26/20 by Charla Bizios Stevens, Adam M. Hamel, Jennifer L. Parent)
• Update on COVID-19 for Businesses and Professional Organizations (3/20/20 by John D. Colucci, Cameron G. Shilling, and Charla Bizios Stevens)

 

Additional Resources:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Commonwealth of Massachusetts
• COVID-19 Essential Services – Exhibit A of the Order of the Governor of Massachusetts
• Families First Coronavirus Response Act – Paid Sick Leave and Expanded Family and Medical Leave Poster – Federal
• Families First Coronavirus Response Act – Paid Sick Leave and Expanded Family and Medical Leave Poster – Non-Federal
• Guidance on Optimization of PPE in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
• MA Attorney General Fair Labor Division’s FAQ
• Massachusetts Court System Response to COVID-19
• Massachusetts Executive Order: Non-Essential Businesses Closed
• Medicare Telemedicine Health Care Provider Fact Sheet
• NH Department of Business and Economic Affairs
• NH Emergency Order 17 – Essential Businesses
• NH Judicial Branch Order on Court Proceedings
• OSHA
• OSHA’s Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19
• Pandemic Preparedness
• SBA’s PPP Borrower Application Form
• SBA’s PPP Guidance for Lenders
• State of New Hampshire
• TerraLex Resource for International Businesses
• Treasury Department’s PPP Borrower Information Sheet
• U.S. Center for Disease Control
• U.S. Senate’s Small Business Owner’s Guide to the CARES Act
• VT Executive Order – Stay Home/Stay Safe
• World Health Organization (WHO)

 

Contacts:

Employment

Adam M. Hamel
(781) 904-2710
adam.hamel@mclane.com

Corporate

 

Tax

 

Trusts & Estates

 

Real Estate

 

Cybersecurity and Privacy

 

Government Relations

 

Education

 

Immigration

 

Environment

 

Non-Profits

Government Affairs & Communications