In a March 27, 2020 blog, “How Will COVID-19 Change How You Conduct Business?” by Courtney Fairchild of Global Services, PilieroMazza ’s Jon Williams advises “all federal contractors to take time to fully understand their rights and obligations under their contracts, communicate with their agency customers, and document all of the impacts that they are facing as a result of COVID-19.” He goes on to say that “Contractors may be entitled to equitable adjustment and claims based on delays and increased costs of . . . Read More
Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “Act” or the “CARES Act”) on March 27, 2020 in an effort to mitigate the economic impact of COVID-19 on businesses and employees. President Trump is expected to sign the bill into law any moment. Once signed, the CARES Act allows businesses to apply for loans to continue paying employees and maintaining operations, which may be forgiven, expands on provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Act ( FFCRA ), and . . . Read More
Yesterday, we discussed the emergency loan programs and loan forgiveness opportunities for small businesses in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”). However, it is critical to understand that there are other avenues for relief that do not have to wait for SBA or private lenders to start processing such loans. Specifically, OMB Memorandum M-20-18 gave Contracting Officers (“CO”) broad authority and specifically states that all contracting personnel should “feel fully empowered to use acquisition flexibilities.” Further, Section 3610 of the Act, entitled “Federal Contractor Authority,” specifically states that . . . Read More
On March 12, 2020, the Department of Defense (DOD) filed a motion for voluntary remand requesting that the Court of Federal Claims (COFC) remand the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) contract case for 120 days. This would allow DOD to reconsider certain aspects of its decision to award the JEDI contract to Microsoft. DOD’s re-evaluation could signify major flaws in the process. For background, in November of 2019 Amazon Web Services (AWS) filed a bid protest with the COFC protesting . . . Read More
If you have questions concerning the content below, please visit this link . CLIENT ALERT: The CARES Act and Leave Guide for Employers: Deciding Which Option is Best for You and Your Employees, March 27, 2020, Nichole Atallah , Sarah Nash , and Sara Nasseri . [ Read More ] COVID-19 CLIENT RESOURCE CENTER: To access more resources for businesses navigating the COVID-19 crisis, we invite you to visit PilieroMazza’s “ COVID-19 Client Resource Center .” WEBINAR: Teleworking in a COVID-19 Environment: Your Questions Answered, March 31, 2020, Nichole Atallah . [ Read More ] WEBINAR: COVID-19 Survival: . . . Read More
On March 25, 2020, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”), and the House of Representatives is expected to similarly pass the CARES Act on March 27, 2020. The legislation represents an unprecedented stimulus package as the government attempts to mitigate the economic damage associated with the novel COVID-19 pandemic. Below is a summary of some of the central components of the stimulus package that focus on economic relief for small businesses. . . . Read More
Federal, state, and local governments are working around the clock to implement various measures in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. Additionally, a number of federal agencies and departments are also taking action in response to the outbreak. For employers across the nation, it is undeniably an unstable and unclear time, with no concrete signs of when there will be a sense of normalcy again. However, in the meantime, we compiled a list of some of the agencies with brief . . . Read More
The coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to create extensive uncertainty for individuals and businesses. For parties actively pursuing an M&A transaction, COVID-19 presents the buyer and seller with additional risks both pre- and post-closing, including impacting the valuation of the target company, increasing exposure to liabilities relating to performance and payment obligations, expanding risk of claims from employees and other personnel, among other extraordinary risks that may result in delay or, in the worst cases, termination of the transaction. Traditionally, acquisition agreements include . . . Read More
If you have questions concerning the content below, please visit this link . ANNOUNCEMENT: PilieroMazza Forms “COVID-19 Client Response Team,” March 18, 2020 To address the concerns of our clients and resource partners during and long after the coronavirus pandemic, PilieroMazza created the “COVID-19 Client Response Team.” The Team’s purpose is to offer government contractors and commercial businesses practical guidance with information and resources necessary to protect you, your business, and your personnel against the far-reaching impacts of COVID-19. Please also visit . . . Read More
UPDATE: Since this alert was posted, all states and territories received an EIDL decaration. Also note that loan terms will change with the CARES Act. Please follow the linked text to PilieroMazza’s Client Alert “ Senate Passes Historic COVID-19 Stimulus Package: Billions Set Aside for Small Business ” for recent developments. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on small businesses has caused the Small Business Administration (SBA) to institute an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program aimed at aiding those affected by the pandemic. Whether you’re a government contractor . . . Read More
