By Porter Wright on More than $800 billion in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans were approved over the life of the program that was created by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) to support small businesses in payroll and certain non-payroll expenses during the pandemic. Some or all of the funds may be forgiven. My … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on Borrowers of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans – together with their affiliates – who have loans in excess of $2 million and seek loan forgiveness will potentially need to complete necessity questionnaires according to the Small Business Administration. There are separate forms for for-profit and non-profit businesses and will likely affect 52,000 borrowers. My colleagues … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on Ohio Gov. Michael DeWine signed House Bill 606 into law recently that addresses whether businesses reopening due to COVID-19 are subject to tort liability if an employee, customer, vendor or other person contracts COVID-19 while on the premises. My colleague Arslan Sheikh explains the law and what businesses it impacts in this blog on the Employer … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is now closed to new applicants. While talks on extending or changing the program have stalled on Capitol Hill, the Small Business Administration (SBA) has issued 23 more frequently asked questions specifically related to loan forgiveness. These FAQs are contained in a separate list from the previously released FAQs last updated on June … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on Although the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is still open to applicants, borrowers who received PPP loans earlier this spring are getting ready to request that their loans be forgiven, in whole or in part. Lenders are preparing for the influx of a new round of “paperwork.” However, many questions about the program remain … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on “Force majeure” clauses are enjoying their day in the sun this year. Historically a boilerplate contract provision that excused performance in the event of some “act of God,” “war or insurrection,” or other unforeseen calamity likely never to occur, force majeure clauses were for years more frequently invoked by contracts professors and bar examiners than in … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on Employers generally must withhold income taxes on behalf of employees based on where the employee works. Typically this determination is simplified by the location of the employer’s offices. The COVID-19 pandemic and corresponding stay-at-home orders have altered the working situations for most Americans. Employers must now consider the impact of employees working remotely and confirm … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on The Small Business Administration (SBA) has issued two new borrower-friendly Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) forgiveness applications: the EZ Application and a revised Forgiveness Application. The changes come in response to the recent passage of the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act as well as pressure to simplify the forgiveness process for borrowers. My colleagues Jack Beeler, … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on The U.S. Treasury Department’s Main Street Lending Program is expected to be up and running within days. The program is intended to provide financing opportunities to small and medium–sized businesses. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin announced details on the program on April 9, 2020 and updated the terms recently with a second set of FAQs. … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on With many businesses opening back up again, many are pondering the question of how to screen for COVID-19. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has released guidance allowing employers to test employees for COVID-19 under certain circumstances. My colleague Jyllian Bradshaw explains on this Employer Law Report blog.… Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on We’ve seen some incredible collaborations and innovations during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have also seen price volatility during these uncertain times. While these may not be top of mind for some, antitrust law and consumer protection law still apply and ignoring them could be costly for businesses down the road. Porter Wright’s Jay Levine discussed … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on It is simple enough: press record and you can easily share your internal video conference call, re-watch it later, or forget it and move on. You move on until you receive a discovery request or a subpoena for information if the company is sued. Now, your internal video call is discoverable and may be seen … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on Lenders are getting some much-deserved rest after enduring nearly two weeks of processing applications for the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which ran out of funds in the early hours of Thursday, April 15 – tax day. The program has been sharply criticized by lenders and borrowers alike, citing confusing guidance and … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on Employers may claim the Employee Retention Tax Credit and the tax credits available under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) for relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. They do this first, by reducing the employer portion of Social Security taxes, and then, by reducing the employer’s payroll deposits in an amount equal to the refundable portion of … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released additional information on the delayed payment and filing deadlines to ease the burden on taxpayers during the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ve written previously about the deferral of the federal income tax payments and filing obligations and initial guidance released last month. Ohio has also followed the federal government in … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on On April 9, 2020, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin announced the details for a “Main Street Lending Program” intended to provide financing opportunities to small- and medium–sized businesses. Secretary Mnuchin said, “The Main Street Business Lending Program will make a significant difference for the 40,000 medium-sized businesses that employ 35 million Americans.” My colleagues Jack … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on Distressed commercial tenants and their landlords may find themselves in tense situations during the COVID-19 pandemic. As those parties consider how to handle their lease obligations, they should consider, among other things, the varying contours of recent executive and emergency orders. As shown below, orders from various jurisdictions have taken different approaches to addressing the … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on Since the passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security CARES Act, the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the U.S. Treasury Department have released a series of interim final rules and updated Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) (as of April 8, 2020) regarding Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). These updates provide critical guidance and information to … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on Certain government programs, including SBA loan programs, are reserved for “small businesses.” In order to qualify for those programs, a business must satisfy both the SBA’s definition of a “small business concern” as well as the size standards for a small business. My colleague Jack Meadows offers answers to some frequently asked questions in this … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on As COVID-19 cases continue to mount nationwide, so have lawsuits relating to fallout from the virus. On April 6, 2020, in one of the first COVID-19-related lawsuits of its kind, the estate of an Illinois Walmart Supercenter employee sued Walmart and the premises owner for wrongful death in Toney Evans v. Walmart, Inc., et al. My colleague Brodie … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on On March 27, 2020, President Donald Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act into law. Among other things, the CARES Act made some important changes to the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Specifically, the CARES Act modified subchapter V of the bankruptcy code to make it more widely available to small businesses. The … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ohio’s legislative, executive, and judicial branches are working together to clarify requirements for civil litigants and alleviate mounting pressure on Ohio’s courts. My colleague Sean Klammer explains in this Porter Wright Law Alert.… Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on The third phase of COVID-19 legislation was signed into law on Friday, March 27, 2020, and has been named the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). For small businesses, this legislation means that $349 billion in stimulus dollars is heading out to eligible small businesses, sole proprietors, ESOPs, non-profits, veterans organizations, and … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on The Ohio Department of Taxation announced on March 27, 2020 that Ohio will be following the federal government and IRS in extending the deadline to file and pay state income tax. Please refer to our prior post for more information on the federal deadline change. The Ohio deadline for state income taxes is now July … Continue Reading
