Business Recovery Center

The coronavirus pandemic is a global public health crisis that has affected the way in which we live, socialize, and conduct business.  To control the spread of the virus, businesses from hospitality, real estate development, to retail were forced to terminate operations or dramatically cut back on commercial activities.  That has left previously strong enterprises facing financial challenges never imagined by the entrepreneurs that founded them and the managers that helped the businesses grow.

At McLane Middleton, we have put a team together to help you navigate this new landscape so as we emerge from social distancing and stay at home orders you can stabilize your business and position it to withstand credit and other risks while also working with you to protect you from personal liability if, despite best efforts, the damage done to your enterprise cannot be repaired.

Our Business Recovery Taskforce is helping businesses as they move from the first phase of this crisis (dealing with all the issues associated with the immediate shock of the economic shutdown and triaging their operations) to planning and executing on the second phase (managing continuing operations as it drags on, protecting themselves from fallout associated with the continuing shock and putting in place measures to best position themselves to recover when we get through it).  As part of that process, we’ve put together the following resources to assist your business during this transition.

Visit McLane Middleton’s Coronavirus Resource Center for articles and resources related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

GOVERNMENT RESOURCES AND LOANS

• Governor Baker to Lift Mask Restrictions (4/27/21)
• American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (3/16/21)
• FFCRA Leave: Gone But Not Forgotten as DOL Issues Guidance Post-Stimulus (1/5/21)
• Benefit Plan Provisions in the Stimulus Bill (12/29/20)
• President Signs COVID-19 Relief Package Extending Benefits for Millions Impacted by Pandemic (12/28/20)
• Massachusetts Governor Imposes Additional Restrictions, Seeking to Avoid Post-Christmas Surge (12/22/20)
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are Set to Issue New Guidelines for Quarantine Periods within the Next Few Days (12/3/20)
• States Issue New Travel and Quarantine Restrictions in Advance of Thanksgiving Holiday (11/23/20)
• Governor Sununu Issues Emergency Order Mandating Masks (11/20/20)
• MA Governor Broadens Restrictions in Light of COVID Case Surge (11/6/20)
• Massachusetts Governor Issues Stronger Mask Mandate (11/3/20)
• SBA Guidance Re: Changes of Ownership and PPP Loans (10/15/20)
• MA DLS Offering Free Review of COVID-19 Safety Protocols for Positive Clusters (9/23/20)
• To Come to Massachusetts or Not to Come?  That is the Question. (9/9/20)
• President Trump Signs Executive Actions That Would Provide Certain Pandemic Relief (8/10/20)
• SBA FAQs Regarding PPP Loan Forgiveness (8/6/20)
• 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)
• PPP Flexiblity Act of 2020 (6/5/20)
• Interim Final Rules Regarding SBA Loan Review Procedures and Related Borrower and Lender Responsibilities  (5/27/20)
• SBA PPP Loan Forgiveness Application: Summary (5/18/20)
• SBA PPP Loan Forgiveness Application: Required Documentation (5/18/20)
• SBA Updated Guidance Regarding Necessity (5/13/20)
• Governor Baker Announces 4-Phased Approach to Reopening Massachusetts (5/11/20)
• Massachusetts Allows Certain Non-Essential Businesses to Open in a Limited Capacity (5/6/20)
• New Hampshire Takes First Step Towards Re-Opening Economy (5/4/20)
• DOL Invites Feedback On Opening America’s Workplaces Again (5/4/20)
• Documentation Employers Need to Receive Tax Credits for FFCRA Paid Leave Benefits (4/21/20)
• Platform for Gig Workers to Apply for Unemployment Benefits in Massachusetts Now Open (4/21/20)
• 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)
• Keeping American Workers Paid and Employed Act with Payroll Protection Loan chart (4/4/20, updated)

SAFE WORKPLACE GUIDELINES

• The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021: What Does It Mean for Employers? (3/19/21)
• 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)
• CDC Updates What is Considered “Close Contact” (10/23/20)
• How Can Employees Support Working Parents This School Year? (8/17/20)
• Coronavirus Tracking Programs Need to Comply with Privacy Laws (7/31/20)
• The Daycare Dilemma: Employers and Employees Alike Challenged with Summer Camp Closures and the Uncertainty of the Next School Year (6/29/20)
• Family Leave Provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (6/29/20)
• OSHA Outlines Reporting Requirements for COVID-19 Incidents in the Workplace (6/12/20)
• Massachusetts Announces Plans for First Phase of Reopening (5/18/20)
• A Win-Win for Employers and Employees: The Benefits of Tax-Free Qualified Disaster Relief Payments in Connection with COVID-19 (5/18/20)
• Governor Baker Announces 4-Phase Mandatory Reopening Protocols for Businesses in Massachusetts (5/18/20)
• Mask and Face Covering Requirements in NH Workplaces (5/15/20)
• The Importance of Understanding and Fulfilling the Duty of Reasonable Care When Reopening School (5/13/20)
• NH Healthcare Providers Receive Roadmap for Remaining Open and Reopening Workplaces (5/11/20)
• NH Retailers Receive Roadmap for Remaining Open and Reopening Workplaces (5/11/20)
• NH Manufacturers Receive Roadmap for Remaining Open or Reopening Workplace (5/8/20)
• Checklist for Employers Wanting to Re-Open Their Businesses in the Coming Weeks (5/4/20)
• Massachusetts Now Requires Cloth Face Coverings (5/4/20)
• Stay at Home 2.0 Provides Roadmap for Reopening NH Business and Safety Guidelines for Employers (5/4/20)
• The Do’s and Don’ts of Employee Temperature Checks (5/4/20)
• The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Allows Employers to Test Employees (4/24/20)

LITIGATION

• Post-COVID-19 Employment Litigation is Coming: How Can Employers Avoid It? (5/22/20)
• Litigation During the Coronavirus (5/18/20)

REAL ESTATE/LEASE

• 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)

CONTRACTS AND SUPPLY CHAIN DISRUPTIONS

• Does the Coronavirus Excuse Performance of a Contract?  Force Majeure and Impossibility or Impracticability of Performance (4/8/20)
• Does my insurance policy cover my business due to COVID-19? (3/20/20)
• Force Majuere and Impossibility: Are the terms of my contracts enforceable? (3/18/20)
• COVID-19’s Impact on Force Majeure (3/17/20)

TRADE CREDITORS RIGHTS, REMEDIES AND PROTECTIONS

• Managing Credit Risk (3/30/20)
• Avoidance of Preferential Transfers (3/30/20)

BANKRUPTCY AND BUSINESS RESTRUCTURING

• Officer and Director Liability in the Age of Coronavirus (6/4/20)
• Struggling Business: The First Step Toward Recovery is a Budget (6/1/20)
• Struggling Business: Owners and Management Should Be Mindful of Personal Liability (6/1/20)
• CARES Act Enhances Newly Enacted Small Business Bankruptcy Provisions (6/1/20)

McLane Middleton Resources

• WEBINAR – Moving Toward Mandates? The Latest Thoughts on COVID Vaccination for Employers (8/5/21 by Susan E. Schorr and Laura McKelligott Kahl)
• WEBINAR – An Overview of the Consolidated Appropriations Act (1/12/21 by Patrick C. Closson and Kimberly A. Kramer)
• WEBINAR – 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)
• WEBINAR – The Child Care Dilemma: Balancing the Legal and Practical Aspects of Business and Family Needs (8/19/20 by Charla Bizios Stevens and Adam M. Hamel)
• WEBINAR – COVID-19’s Litigation Impacts on Your Business Contracts (6/23/20 by Michael A. Delaney, Wilbur A. Glahn III, and Jennifer L. Parent)
• WEBINAR – What You May Have Missed: A Trusts & Estates Update in a Unique Year (6/11/20 by Ryan J. Swartz and Audrey G. Young)
• WEBINAR – Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act (6/9/20 by Patrick C. Closson and Kimberly A. Kramer)
• WEBINAR – Considerations for Re-Opening Your Business (5/27/20 by Jennifer Parent, Steve Dutton, and David Dodge of Gradient)
• WEBINAR – Preparing Your Workforce for Re-Opening (5/12/20 by Jennifer L. Parent, Charla Bizios Stevens, and Stephanie Marshall from KGA)
• WEBINAR – 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.)
• WEBINAR – You Have a PPP Loan.  Now What Do You Need to Do? (5/6/20 by Linda S. Johnson and Susan E. Schorr)
• WEBINAR – Q&A for the Paycheck Protection Program Loan Forgiveness (4/30/20 by Patrick C. Closson and Kimberly A. Kramer)
• WEBINAR – Paycheck Protection Program Loan Forgiveness (4/28/20 by Patrick C. Closson and Kimberly A. Kramer)
• WEBINAR – The CARES Act Q&A (4/2/20 by Patrick C. Closson, Kimberly A. Kramer, Charla Bizios Stevens)
• WEBINAR – An Overview of the CARES Act (3/31/20 by Patrick C. Closson and Kimberly A. Kramer)

Additional Resources

• WEBINAR – On Pins and Needles – Should Employers Require COVID-19 Vaccinations for Employees? (1/14/21 By Andrew P. Botti – Associated Industries of Massachusetts)
• WEBINAR – The Legal Perspective on Standard of Care (6/8/20 by David Wolowitz and Susan E. Schorr)
• The Heroes Act – State and Local Coronavirus Relief Funds
• WEBINAR – Bringing Employees Back to the Workplace (5/12/20 by John D. Colucci – OneDigital and North Shore Chamber of Commerce)
• President Trump’s Guidance for Opening America (4/20/20)
• NH Department of Business and Economic Affairs
• SBA’s PPP Borrower Application Form
• SBA’s PPP Guidance for Lenders
• Treasury Department’s PPP Borrower Information Sheet

Task Force Members