CSG COVID-19 Resource Center
Last updated April 2021
Welcome to the CSG COVID-19 Resource Center. Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC (“CSG”) has established a multidisciplinary COVID-19 Crisis Management Task Force and this COVID-19 Resource Center to help clients and the business community address the numerous legal, regulatory and commercial implications they are facing now and may experience in the weeks and months ahead.
When a crisis occurs, it is imperative to have sound advice to establish best practices and understand how to navigate the new and varied business and legal issues which may arise.
The challenges arising from the COVID-19 outbreak are far-reaching: affecting workplace safety and health, employee relations, commercial contracts, supply chains, and business travel – among a myriad additional critical issues.
The CSG COVID-19 Crisis Management Task Force is closely monitoring the evolving and serious series of events arising out of the outbreak and the various federal, state and local responses and stands ready to provide guidance to supplement your ongoing business continuity efforts and address your liability posture.
Please visit this page regularly for helpful, real-time insight.
Back to Business: Navigating the Liability Roadmap
Banking & Finance
COVID-19 Government Relief Programs
- New Jersey Business Magazine: Law Firms Prove Vital for High-Tech Startups
- The New Jersey Economic Recovery Act of 2020 Explained
- SBA Releases Procedural Notice for PPP Loans and Changes of Ownership
- Small Business Administration Releases New and Improved Paycheck Protection Program Loan Forgiveness Applications
- Small Business Administration Releases Additional Paycheck Protection Program Guidance
- Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020 Heads to President’s Desk
- Applications Will Open on June 9 for Phase 2 of the NJEDA’s Emergency Grant Program
- NJEDA Announces $50 Million Expansion of Emergency Grant Program for Small Businesses and Non-Profits: More Funding, Larger Grants, Expanded Eligibility
- Small Business Administration Releases Critical Guidance on Paycheck Protection Program Loan Forgiveness and Application Review
- SBA Finally Releases Loan Forgiveness Application for Paycheck Protection Program
- Small Business Administration Extends “Safe Harbor” Deadline to Return Paycheck Protection Program Funds to May 14th
- President Trump Signs Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act
- The SBA Issues Guidance on PPP Loans for Self-Employed Individuals
- SBA Issues Clarification of “Payroll Costs,” Applicability of Affiliation Rules and Answers Other Questions
- Paycheck Protection Program to Begin April 3rd
- Employer-Provided Tax-Free Disaster Relief Payments
- New Economic Assistance Programs for New Jersey Businesses and Non-Profits Impacted by COVID-19
- New York City Implements COVID-19 Relief Measures for Small Businesses
- Expansion of Access to Small Business Administration Loans and Forgiveness of Loans: Is The CARES Act Too Good to be True?
- SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans for Small Businesses
Corporate & Securities
- Is the COVID-19 Pandemic a “Natural Disaster”? An Analysis of the SDNY’s Force Majeure Ruling in JN Contemporary Art, LLC v. Phillips Auctioneers LLC
- New Jersey Business Magazine: Helping small businesses survive and thrive
- ConstructionDIVE: The Dotted Line: 4 ways to interpret construction contracts amid coronavirus
- Governor Murphy Announces Plan to Reopen New Jersey
- Securities Fraud in the Age of COVID-19: Now Is Not the Time to Relax Compliance Programs or Internal Controls
- New Jersey Businesses Required to Report PPE Inventory Under Executive Order No. 109
- Challenges Raised by “Essential Business” Designation
- SEC Staff Provides Guidance for Upcoming Shareholders’ Meetings
- Premerger Notification Office Allows Temporary e-Filing in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic
- COVID-19 and its effect on contract performance
- SEC Announces Filing Extensions Amid COVID-19 Concerns
Environmental
- COMMERCE Magazine: COVID-19 has changed protocols, but the work and projects continue across the Garden State
- EPA Sets Termination Date for Temporary Policy Suspending Certain Monitoring and Reporting Requirements Due to COVID-19
- NJ Governor’s Executive Order 136 Tolls Timeframes for DEP Review & Extends Filing Deadlines
- Environmental Concerns Related to COVID-19
- New Jersey Board of Public Utilities Issues an Emergency Order in Response to COVID-19
Family Law
- NJ.com: Is coronavirus straining marriages? N.J. divorce lawyers predict a wave of pandemic splits
- New Jersey Law Journal: How to Best Navigate the Virtual Family Law Mediation Process
- Co-Parenting with COVID-19
- A Silver Lining for Family Law Practitioners and Litigants in These Uncertain Times
Food & Beverage
- ROI-NJ: State to offer restaurants temp permits to serve alcohol on expanded outdoor seating areas
- FoodDive: Coronavirus casts a spotlight on risks facing food workers, employers
Governor Murphy Expands Indoor Dining Capacity and Eliminates Curfew Starting February 5 at 8:00 a.m. - Indoor Dining Resumes in New Jersey: What Restaurant Owners Need to Know
- New Jersey Announces Outdoor Dining Protocols and Process to Allow Liquor Licensees to Expand Premises
- New Jersey Residents Can Now Order a Cocktail To Go
- In Good News for Licensees and Consumers, Bill Would Allow the Sale of Mixed Drinks in To Go Cups
- New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control Issues Charges in COVID-19 Related Violations of State Alcohol Laws
- New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control Requires Special Rulings Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 33:1-12.39 and N.J.S.A. 33:1-12.18 to be Submitted Electronically
- New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control Extends the 2020-2021 License Renewal Deadline to September 30, 2020
- How can liquor licensees sell and deliver alcohol during the COVID-19 shutdown?
Healthcare & Hospital
- COVID-19 Has Not Slowed Down HIPAA Enforcement
- New Jersey Issues Guidance on Resuming Elective Surgeries and Invasive Procedures
- CMS Issues Guidelines for Resuming Essential Non-COVID-19 Care
- HHS to Distribute $30 Billion in Immediate Relief as Part of the $100 Billion Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund
- CMS April 3rd Correction to Previous Telehealth Billing Guidance – Modifier 95 Required
- The CARES Act Earmarks $100 Billion for Eligible Health Care Providers
- New Jersey Agencies Loosen Telemedicine/Telehealth Restrictions During COVID-19 Emergency
- Governor Murphy Issues Executive Order 109 Requiring the Suspension of Elective Surgeries and Invasive Procedures
- CMS COVID-19 Telehealth Waiver and Associated Announcements Regarding Cost-Sharing Waivers and HIPAA Enforcement
- The COVID-19 Pandemic – Does HIPAA Apply to My Business?
Immigration
- SEVP Modifies Temporary Exemptions for Nonimmigrant Students Taking Online Courses During Fall 2020 Semester
- President Trump Issues Proclamation to Suspend Entry for Certain Nonimmigrant Aliens and Extend Immigrant Visa Restrictions
- Trump’s Executive Order Temporarily Suspends Immigration for Certain Green Card Categories
- Modifications in Department of Homeland Security and Department of State Immigration Services Due to COVID-19
- COVID-19 and Immigration Considerations for U.S. Employers
Intellectual Property
- USPTO Announces Deferred-Fee Provisional Patent Application Pilot Program to Foster Innovation in Combating COVID-19
- USPTO Announces Further Filing Relief for Small and Micro Entities
- USPTO Implements Prioritized Examination Program for Trademark Applications Covering Qualifying COVID-19 Medical Products and Services
USPTO Extends Two Month Priority Petition for COVID-19 - United States Patent And Trademark Office Announces Continuing Relief Measures In Light of Expiration of Most Extensions on May 31, 2020
- United States Patent and Trademark Office Extends Patent and Trademark Deadlines If Delay Is Due to COVID-19
- United States Patent and Trademark Office Announces Certain Fee Waivers In Response to COVID-19
Employment
- NEW: The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021: Critical Update for Employers Voluntarily Providing Paid COVID Leave
- ROI-NJ: Shot in the dark: Can employers mandate COVID vaccines? And should they? Answers aren’t simple, employment attorneys say
- ROI-NJ: Ask the Experts – Do employees have to use PTO if they can’t work?
- ConstructionDive: Contractors consider COVID-19 Vaccine Incentives for Hesitant Workers
- Employers Can Voluntarily Extend FFCRA Benefits Through March 31, 2021
- Back to School 2020: Employer FFCRA Obligations
- NJ Warn Act Amendments Postponed Due To COVID-19 Health Crisis
- OSHA Issues Workplace Posters to Reduce Risk of Coronavirus Exposure
- Department of Labor Guidance and Form Notice Issued for the Families First Coronavirus Response Act
- New Jersey Expands Paid Leave Benefits To Cover Those Impacted By COVID-19
- Coronavirus in the Workplace: Recent OSHA Guidance
- New York Paid Leave for Quarantined Employees
- Governor of New Jersey Issues Stay at Home Order Closing All Non-Essential Retail Businesses
- Complying With Harassment, Discrimination And Retaliation Laws And Policies During The COVID-19 Pandemic
- Coronavirus Relief Act Signed Into Law: What Employers Need to Know
- Families First Coronavirus Response Act: House Passes Bill Mandating Two Forms of Paid Leave
- Employers’ Best Practices for Managing Responses to the Coronavirus
Litigation
- New Jersey Law Journal: ‘Much Adapting Required’ – Litigators Brace for More of the Same, and a Few New Curveballs
- COMMERCE Magazine: Managing Risk and Avoiding Liability During COVID-19
- Various Sectors Affected by Wave of COVID-19 Bills Signed into Law on April 14 by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy
- New Jersey’s Emergency Pricing Law Triggered by the COVID-19 Crisis Requires Clarity
- Civil Court Deadlines and Operations
- New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy Signs Executive Order 106, Prohibiting Residential Evictions Amid COVID-19 Outbreak
Privacy & Data Security
- COVID-19 Fraud Warnings from the FBI: Do Not Let Fear Allow You to be Phished
- Privacy Laws, Duty to Warn and Communication Considerations Concerning COVID-19
- Practical considerations for employers as their workforce goes remote amid COVID-19 outbreak
Professional Liability
- Attorneys: Six Tips to Protect Yourself from Malpractice Claims in Today’s COVID-19 Environment
- Attorney Ethics Considerations in the Age of Coronavirus
Property Taxation & Valuation
- New Legislation Establishes July 1, 2020 as the Filing Deadline for All 2020 Property Tax Appeals
- New Jersey Supreme Court Issues Order Extending Filing Deadlines for 2020 Tax Appeals
Qualified Opportunity Zones
Real Estate, Development & Land Use
- Real Estate NJ: Relaxed deadlines could bring new attention, momentum to Opportunity Zone projects
- New Jersey Law Journal: A Changing Landscape – Balancing Rights and Interests in Retail Leases
- New Jersey Law Journal: This NJ Order Just Made It Easier to Evict, Foreclose on Commercial Properties
- ROI-NJ: Virtual reality: Land use, zoning approvals enter uncharted waters as in-person meetings are forced online by COVID pandemic
- ROI-NJ: Land bank law can help relieve stress on economy hurt by COVID-19
- Real Estate NJ: Landlords brace for fallout, search for solutions with retailers battered by COVID-19 shutdown
- Temporary Halt in Residential Evictions
- New Jersey Begins Re-Opening Process
- In Continued Effort to Flatten the Curve, Governor Murphy’s Executive Order 122 Places Restrictions on Non-Essential Construction
- Local Planning Boards and Zoning Boards of Adjustment to Conduct Business as Usual During the COVID-19 Crisis Says the NJDCA – Virtually or Telephonically
- Franchise Secrets: How Franchisees Can Navigate Lease Issues During COVID-19
Renewable Energy & Sustainability
Tax
- Expand Tax Relief for Tax Fil
- Treasury Secretary Sets Credit Date
- Tax Benefits Available Under the $2 Trillion Coronavirus Relief Package
- IRS Issues Employer Credit and Tax Extension Guide
- IRS, New and New Jersey All Extend Tax Deadlines
- Second Coronavirus Law Provides Tax Credit for Employers and Self-Employed
- Coronavirus Tax Relief Means Millions of Taxpayers Have Until July 15th to Pay Their Taxes
- Trump Administration Requests Delay of Tax Filing Deadlines as Coronavirus Relief Measure
Trust & Estates
- Wealth Transfer Planning Opportunities in the Current Environment
- Why Clients are Reviewing their Estate Plans Now
Additional Resources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
U.S. Food & Drug Administration
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Internal Revenue Service
State of New Jersey
State of New Jersey Department of Health
New Jersey Courts
New York State Department of Health
State of New Jersey Department of Consumer Affairs
New Jersey Chamber of Commerce
US Senator Cory Booker’s Coronavirus Pandemic Resource Guide for New JerseyansNew Jersey Board of Public Utilities
New Jersey Board of Public Utilities