Navigating the Coronavirus Pandemic

Overview

As the coronavirus outbreak turned into a pandemic, we have been helping clients navigate the impacts and potential impacts to their operations. Our team is paying close attention to the guidance from relevant government entities, to the experiences shared by colleagues in Europe and Asia, and to media reports. We are thinking critically about how to best protect our clients against the business and legal risks posed by COVID-19, the rise of remote work, and the knock-on effects of the pandemic.

Click into the industries below to see examples of how we can help. You can also find our latest alerts and webinars here, and you can subscribe to our alerts here.

Areas of Focus

Development Services

Our Development Services Industry Team is assisting commercial and residential real estate owners, investors, developers, tenants, builders, and others in navigating COVID-19's impacts to projects, transactions, and operations. Our team is closely monitoring and communicating with regulators and local governments regarding permitting, environmental compliance, and other due diligence issues affecting projects moving forward. Our real estate attorneys are assisting clients on landlord/tenant matters, loan compliance, and general contract performance issues.

Education

Our Education Industry Team continues to collect the most relevant and pertinent information to help our higher education clients navigate the potential impacts to their communities and operations. We are actively engaged with multiple institutions spotting and working through complex issues and areas of concern, including the following:

COVID-19 vaccination policies, Families First Coronavirus Response Act leave, and other employment and benefits issues.
Student housing agreements.
Continued student occupancy.
Meeting the needs of international students.
Vendor contract management and force majeure clauses.
Title IV compliance.
Student and exchange visitor programs.
Online learning, including accessibility and licensure issues.
Assessing options for ongoing misconduct investigations.
Tuition reimbursement.
Addressing COVID-19 related discrimination.
Updating relevant policies and procedures.

Energy

Our Energy Industry Team is assisting energy sector participants: utilities, generation developers, and owners. Our team is closely monitoring and communicating with regulators and local governments regarding regulatory and permitting advisories and requirements, including environmental and North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) compliance. We are also working with other practice areas within our firm to provide clients with comprehensive guidance on employment, lending, securities, and other relevant commercial issues.

Financial Services

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, financial institutions face challenges related to distressed customers and changing financial regulations, as well as the ongoing legal needs of operating their businesses. Our Financial Services Industry Team has a deep understanding of the industry and a problem-solving approach to meeting our clients’ needs, including in the areas of:

Paycheck Protection Program compliance.
Financing transactions, including loan modifications and payment deferrals.
Financial restructuring.
Employment compliance and litigation.
Securities filings.
Governance, risk and compliance.
Corporate real estate.
Regulatory investigations.
Tax compliance and controversy.
Environmental compliance and risk mitigation in financing transactions.
Intellectual property.

Government & Municipalities

The pandemic is heavily impacting state and local governments, both in terms of their own operations and the guidance they are providing to their residents. We are helping government clients navigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on labor and employment issues, access to the capital markets, and federal assistance available through new legislation. Additional areas in which we represent clients include:

Open meetings law compliance in the time of social distancing.
Public hearings without a mass gathering of more than 10 people.
COVID-19 vaccination policies, testing of employees, and other employee health concerns.
Paid leave policies under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and subsequent government relief.
Essential government operations under stay at home orders.
Conducting internal investigations and counseling on allegedly fraudulent activities during the crisis.
Advising on cyber crimes.

Health Care

Our Health Care Industry Team’s COVID-19 Rapid Response Group assists health care provider clients of all sizes in navigating the pandemic. Health care organizations have unique obligations in the current crisis. Our team includes a cross section of attorneys with insight into the health care industry, allowing us to provide comprehensive counsel. Our attorneys are helping health care providers and organizations:

Analyze opportunities for assistance and enhanced reimbursement through the federal relief packages.
Manage employment and workforce changes under evolving federal guidance.
Monitor and interpret daily changes to federal, state, and local regulations and guidance.
Review and revise policies and procedures to address the public health emergency.
Navigate regulatory channels to obtain clarifications when needed.

Life Sciences

Parker Poe is assisting life sciences and biotech companies on the front lines of this pandemic with corporate continuity and business funding issues. In addition to working on research and development to help with diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines, our clients' normal operations have been affected by the overall economic shutdown. For companies currently in the biotech space, as well as new companies entering the space for the first time to provide critical medical devices and supplies, navigating the regulatory hurdles in an environment where change is the new normal takes legal advisers who already understand the government playing field.

Manufacturing & Distribution

Our Manufacturing & Distribution Industry Group has formed a rapid response team for clients to provide:

Regular monitoring of federal, state, and local orders, pronouncements, and relief programs.
Counseling on compliance with shelter-in-place orders and limiting business interruption through essential business designations
Assessing eligibility for direct business assistance and recovery programs, including the Paycheck Protection Program, injury disaster loans, grants, rebates, and tax benefits included in federal relief packages.
Counseling on employment and workforce issues.
Strategic counseling on contracts resulting from business disruptions effected by COVID-19, including contracts with vendors, suppliers, and customers.
Back-to-work and production actions that include state re-entry applications, assisting manufacturers called in under the Defense Production Act, and navigating any necessary regulatory channels related to changes in product and technology classifications they are producing and distributing.