Client Alerts

On Friday, August 7, 2020, Governor Whitmer issued Executive Order No. 2020-166 (the “Order”)

It is well-established that a company can be sued in a state where they are headquartered or have their principal place of business. But what if a company is sued in a state where it has no physical presence and where its only contact is that one of its products landed in the “stream of commerce” and ended up causing injury in the forum state?

As this firm has repeatedly advised now for years, certain members of Congress have been attempting to enact federal non-compete legislation for some time. 

Because of the health, law and social-based distancing impact of COVID-19, the practice of the law and, in particular, taking depositions has had to evolve at a speed that the industry and its practitioners have never before seen. 

The President announced late Thursday by way of a Presidential Proclamation the reinstatement of Section 232 tariffs on aluminum from Canada.

Non-compete agreements are generally valid and enforceable in most states. However, drafters of non-compete agreements must exercise caution to ensure the restrictions imposed are reasonable and narrowly tailored.  

Citing the number of increasing COVID-19 cases over the past month, Governor Whitmer increased restrictions through Executive Orders 2020-160 and 2020-161, which take effect today.

Despite the current pandemic and nearly 30 million unemployed people on the sidelines, a number of companies are engaged in an intense battle to hire, attract, and retain top talent, all the while protecting their most confidential information and trade secrets. 

On the heels of important developments in Europe, the U.S. government has settled on a new, more aggressive approach in its sanctions policy concerning China, and in particular, Huawei.

On July 16, 2020, the Court of Justice for the European Union (CJEU) issued its much-anticipated opinion addressing the available privacy and data protection mechanisms in the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that govern the cross-border transfer of personal data between the EU and the US. 

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) included $100 billion in Provider Relief Funds (PRF) to healthcare providers, to be released in several phases by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). These payments are not loans and do not have to be paid if certain requirements are met.

In an election year, it’s worthwhile for nonprofit organizations to review the rules about public policy, lobbying, and political activities.

COVID-19 continues to create unprecedented challenges for businesses throughout the world. Manufacturers—particularly those in the automotive supply chain—are no exception. Due to continuing governmental directives and social distancing guidelines, many manufacturers, along with their suppliers and customers, find themselves unable to meet some or all of their volume demands due to capacity or output constraints.   

In a press conference on July 14, 2020, followed by an Executive Order, President Trump declared that Hong Kong “is no longer sufficiently autonomous to justify differential treatment in relation to the People’s Republic of China (PRC or China)” Id.

The old adage of “be brief, be bright, be gone” has inspired authors to become masters of concise content. We write essays and white papers that are published on corporate websites. We write columns and articles that are posted with online newspapers. We craft blogs and even social media posts that we publish on social media websites and social networking platforms. These works often become critical components of our business content and valuable intellectual property. 

On Thursday, July 9, 2020, Governor Whitmer issued Executive Directive No. 2020-7  which will require implicit bias training as part of the “knowledge and skills necessary for licensure, registration, and renewal of licenses and registrations of health professionals in Michigan.”

The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act is a federal law that prohibits overseas bribery and attempts to hide such payments through improper accounting practices. The U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission are responsible for enforcing this statute.

On July 1, 2020, a state court judge in Lansing, Michigan, issued what is believed to be the first judicial decision in the country on an issue at the heart of scores of lawsuits nationwide:  Are business interruption losses due to coronavirus closure orders covered by insurance? 

On June 29, 2020, the Supreme Court handed down a potentially seminal decision in Seila Law v. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. On its face, Seila Law appears to apply only to debt collectors and some of their practices. But the scope of the decision is potentially much broader and could extend well beyond that context.

We are a few days away from the United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA) entry into force date of July 1, 2020. Is your business ready to comply with the USMCA new rules of origin?  If not, you may still have time to prepare.