Commercial enterprises doing business in Louisiana are beginning their recovery in the wake of Hurricane Laura. Many face catastrophic property losses, often accompanied by business income losses due to a complete cessation of business activities. Fortunately, many business owners have had the foresight to contract for business interruption insurance (also called “business
Spell Authors an Article on Wage and Hour Issues Caused by COVID-19
Maggie Spell, a partner in the Labor & Employment Practice Group in the New Orleans office, wrote the article “COVID-19 Crisis Stirs Up Lots of Wage and Hour Issues,” originally published in the Southeast Employment Law Letter and republished by HR Daily Advisor. Maggie identifies areas that need extra attention right now, such as changes in job duties and pay cuts, and how they tie into the anticipated litigation trends.
Return to School Raises FFCRA Leave Questions
With kids going back to school, new questions regarding eligibility for paid leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) are cropping up. Thankfully, the Department of Labor (DOL) recently supplemented its Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to answer some of the questions that have arisen thus far.
Jones Walker Disaster Prep & Recovery Team Readies for Gulf Coast Storms
As Tropical Storm Marco heads toward the coast of Louisiana, reports indicate Tropical Storm Laura is expected to strengthen to a hurricane before it makes landfall on the Gulf Coast late Wednesday or early Thursday.
The very rare event of back-to-back storms is forcing evacuations, and may cause widespread damage,
136 Jones Walker Attorneys Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021
Jones Walker LLP is pleased to announce that 136 attorneys across the firm’s offices are listed in the annual peer-review attorney rankings in The Best Lawyers in America© for 2021. In addition, 18 attorneys received the esteemed The Best Lawyers in America© “Lawyer of the Year” designation for 2021, and 32 attorneys are recognized on the inaugural The Best Lawyers in America© “Ones to Watch” 2021 list.
First Major Court Decision in PPP Agent-Fee Litigation Deals a Victory to Lenders
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) agent-fee litigation is one of several emerging risks that the Jones Walker PPP Bank Litigation and Regulatory Task Force has been following since the implementation of the program. Very early on in the PPP loan process, our team saw that this area of litigation would be one that banks would face. Now, we are seeing the first major court decision on this issue, and it deals a victory to lenders.
Kogos Authors HRLaws.com Article on Employee Fired Over Gross Misconduct and Workplace Violence
Jennifer Kogos, a partner in the Labor & Employment Practice Group, published the HRLaws.com article “Pregnant Employee Fired Because of Violent Acts, Not Bias.”
DOL Issues New FMLA Forms
On July 17, 2020, the US Department of Labor (DOL) released new forms for use under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). With a new two-step process, the DOL opines that the process will be easier and will ensure the capture of all necessary information. Electronic signatures are also part of the process to help reduce human contact.
Paycheck Protection Program Loan Forgiveness Process Underway
Lenders began submitting their Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan forgiveness decisions to the Small Business Administration (SBA) on Monday, August 10. In its July 23 Procedural Notice, the SBA laid out instructions for lender submission of PPP loan forgiveness decisions to the SBA and SBA loan forgiveness reviews.
Trump Signs Payroll Tax Deferral Executive Order
Over the weekend, President Trump signed an executive order purporting to defer the payment of the employee’s share of the Social Security portion of FICA (payroll) tax from September 1, 2020, until December 31, 2020. The order is limited to only the employee’s share of the Social Security portion of
“Wage and Hour in the Time of COVID-19,” BLR’s Compensation Management News and Corporate Compliance News
Maggie Spell, a partner in the Labor & Employment Practice Group in the New Orleans office, wrote the article “Wage & Hour in the Time of COVID-19,” published in BLR’s Compensation Management News and in Corporate Compliance Insights.
Jones Walker Launches PPP Bank Litigation Tracker and Toolkit
Jones Walker has been assisting bank clients in all phases of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) since the program was created.
Paycheck Protection Program Loan Forgiveness Process Set to Begin August 10
On Monday, August 10, 2020, lenders may begin submitting their Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan forgiveness decisions to the Small Business Administration (SBA). In its July 23 Procedural Notice, the SBA laid out instructions for lender submission of PPP loan forgiveness decisions to the SBA and SBA loan forgiveness reviews.
Federal Court Rejects Request for In-Person Deposition in Trade Secret Case
With the COVID-19 pandemic still ongoing throughout the United States, lawyers have had to come up with creative solutions to complete discovery, particularly when it comes to taking depositions.
DOL Finally Releases Their Much Anticipated Electronic Disclosure Safe Harbor Final Rules for Retirement Plans
The Department of Labor (DOL) recently issued the long-awaited electronic disclosure final regulations providing employers with two new safe harbor methods for electronic delivery of retirement plan disclosures. The final rules are effective July 27, 2020; however, plan administrators may rely on them prior to that date. This Client Alert provides a summary of these new rules.