In a changing COVID-19 world filled with new regulations, adjustments, and uncertainty, Kang Haggerty provides services to help our clients avoid litigation or to obtain favorable outcomes in litigation. Some COVID-19 services offered by Kang Haggerty that will help you address COVID-19-related issues include: Continue reading ›
On May 15, 2020 Governor Phil Murphy issued Executive Order 145, allowing elective surgeries and elective invasive procedures to resume. Under EO-109, healthcare facilities were instructed to cease performing all elective surgeries and invasive procedures, intending (largely) to free up PPE and beds.
On Wednesday, May 27th Kang Haggerty Member Jacklyn Fetbroyt joins fellow DAA Board Members Frank Plum, Workplace HCM and Marie Manley, Hardenbergh Insurances to present Reopening Playbook: Changes to your Business Post-Pandemic.
Doctor’s Advisory Alliance is a group of business professionals in the Greater Philadelphia area that are dedicated to changing the way doctors and dentists are serviced in their professional and personal lives. Its goal is to fundamentally change the way doctors do business, allowing them to spend their time doing what they love, practicing medicine. We hold regular events throughout the Greater Philadelphia Area. These events are focused on identifying practice solutions for doctors and dentists in a relaxed and casual atmosphere.
Link to Full Flyer: DAA Guide to Getting Back
Many businesses have now turned to the force majeure clauses present in their contracts—invoking the idea that the COVID-19 pandemic is an unforeseeable “act of God” that has hindered the ability of parties to perform their duties as agreed.
In the May 14, 2020 edition of The Legal Intelligencer Edward T. Kang, managing member of Kang Haggerty wrote “Force Majeure During a Pandemic and Potential Contractual Disputes”
In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, businesses and individuals alike have struggled with following through on contracts that were agreed upon long before the novel coronavirus was even discovered, let alone foreseen as the cause of a worldwide health crisis. Many have now turned to the force majeure clauses present in their contracts—invoking the idea that the COVID-19 pandemic is an unforeseeable “act of God” that has hindered the ability of parties to perform their duties as agreed. For those who do not have such clauses present in their contracts, can the same concept be invoked in a court of law?
On May 13, 2020 Governor Murphy issued Executive Order 142, permitting the resumption of non-essential construction, curbside pickup at non-essential retail businesses, and car gatherings for the purpose of drive-through and drive-in events. The construction and non-essential retail provisions will take effect at 6:00 a.m. on Monday, May 18th, while the car gatherings provision will take effect immediately. EO142 reduces and supersedes some of the restrictions that were previously in under Executive Order 107 and 122. Continue reading ›
While shelter-in-place and other restrictions on business remain in effect due to the pandemic, many expect re-openings (whether gradual, on a timeline, based on industry, or otherwise) are imminent. If you have not adhered to the old adage to “learn from the past lest it repeat itself” maybe now is a good time to review some of your company policies. Continue reading ›
May 6, 2020, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy issued Executive Order 138, which extends the Public Health Emergency declared on March 9, 2020 and extended on April 7, 2020. EO138 is intended to extend the public health emergency for 30 additional days to prevent its expiry as required under the Emergency Health Powers Act. As such, the emergency declaration is renewed for another month.
Pursuant to EO138, all previously entered Executive Orders relating to the pandemic remain “in full force and effect” including non-essential business closures of brick & mortar locations, remote work when possible, closures of non-essential construction projects, and aggressive social distancing measures.
The recitals of EO138 provide that, although New Jersey’s social distancing measures have helped to slow the increase of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the State, the total number of cases and deaths in New Jersey has continued to rise and would rise at an even more precipitous rate absent these important measures.
Although originally slated for May 8, the construction industry in Pennsylvania re-opened a week early on Friday, May 1st, with guidelines imposed by the Commonwealth. All construction businesses authorized to conduct in-person operations in the Commonwealth must adhere to requirements of the guidance, as well as all applicable business and building safety orders issued by the Secretary of Health, though localities may elect to impose more stringent requirements.
The guidance, developed with the assistance of the General Contractors Association of Pennsylvania, includes an array of distancing and cleaning mandates such as:
In New Jersey, Executive Order 128 addresses landlord and tenant issues due to COVID-19. Finding that the earlier EO106 provides some protection to tenants by staying enforcement of all judgments for possession, warrants of removal, and writs of possession while in effect (unless the court determines otherwise), EO128 suggests that there are other consequences in addition to evictions, such as interest and late fees and negative credit reports. Continue reading ›
In Delaware, Governor John C. Carney issued a Declaration of State of Emergency in connection with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. This month, the Declaration was modified (the Tenth Modification) to address the numerous shareholder meetings to be noticed for Delaware companies. The Tenth Modification, acknowledging that physical gatherings are explicitly discouraged, advise that shareholder meetings be held remotely for the “safety, health and wellbeing of participants”.
Corporations are permitted to adjourn their physical meetings or move to a remote format, provided that certain steps are taken if the date and/or “location” (yes, virtual) are being changed. Pursuant to § 232 of Title 8 of the Delaware Code, notice of stockholder meetings is usually given through mail, courier service, or email – but the Securities and Exchange Commission is currently allowing companies to provide certain notices via required public filings and press releases. Consequently, to effectuate the change of an annual meeting to a remote format, Delaware corporations should file this notice with the SEC and issue a press release on their websites immediately afterwards.
Although Delaware law already does generally provide that corporations are allowed to hold stockholder meetings remotely, these provisions (e.g. the board of directors has the discretion to decide upon a remote meeting) must be in the corporation’s organizational documents. Consequently, the Tenth Amendment contains crucial provisions for those corporations whose organizational documents may not have been as explicit on these issues. The other provisions of 8 Del. C. § 211, such as the “reasonable measures” to verify the presence and participation of stockholders/proxyholders, as well as record-keeping, have not been changed by the Tenth Amendment.
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