May Edition 2020

15 In the U.S., “initially, there was an immediate need for guidance navigating the vast number of federal, state and local stay-at-home and shelter-in-place orders related to COVID-19 and what they meant for businesses, their operations and their people,” pointedo ut BrianKaplan ,C hair ofU.S.Employment andGlobal Co- Chair of Employment, at global law firm, DLA . “Next came legal issues involved with transitioning to remote workforces and working through the patchwork of employee-related legislation,includingtheFFRCA(TheFamiliesFirstCoronavirus Response Act). Since then, we’ve frequently been asked to transition to helping clients anticipate and plan for the future, including addressing the economic implications for employers through short-term furloughs, compensation reductions, freezes and deferrals, potential reductions in force and other cost- saving strategies, and longer-term strategies concerning getting employees back to work and what lies ahead beyond the curve.” In China, “when the outbreak was most widespread between late January and early March, many of our multinational clients asked about issues related to the ‘force majeure’ clauses in contracts and under PRC law, as well as new rules / obligations imposed on employers as a result of COVID-19,” indicate d Sungbo Shim , Ma naging Partner of the Beijing office of Squire Patton Boggs . “As the infection started to spread quickly outside China, especially in the U.S., we saw a significant increase in queries about contractingwithChinese suppliers for masks and other medical equipment needed to fight the virus outside China, relevant Chinese FDA regulations, certification requirements, customs requirements, and so on.” As DWF’s Reif added: “First, clients needed labor law advice and support in getting government funding. Now more and more companies are looking to receive support in regard to claims against the state for closing businesses and/ or suppliers for not fulfilling their obligations.” In relation to contracts, “social-distancing measures have caused a huge surge in requests for advice around the use of electronic signatures in relation to all types of transactions. For many clients electronic signatures represent new ground and they need practical, and often urgent, guidance on their use,” pointed out partner Neil McDonald in the London office of international offshore lawfirm, Walkers . “Our Restructuring and Finance groups have been particularly prominent so far, with the need for restructuringadvicebeingdrivenby the severeandunprecedentedfinancial distress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic across nearly all industry sectors, and finance transactions being spurred by the global rush to access or shore up liquidity.” Clients’ Headaches