Category: Uncategorized

How Lawyers and Other Professionals Can Set Up Their Work-From-Home Space During COVID-19

Since the federal government’s mandated social distancing orders due to covid-19, working from home has presented new challenges for professionals at law, real estate and financial firms alike. Below are four tips on how you can get acclimated in your redefined workplace.

  1. Set Boundaries – One of the benefits of working from home is the ability to take advantage of the extra time on your hands since the work commute has vanished. However, it can be tempting to work from the most comfortable place in your home – your bed. Studies have found that working from your bed decreases productivity levels and makes it difficult to fall asleep at night because your brain associates your bed with work and stress. It is important to set boundaries between your workspace and your place of relaxation. Try setting up your space in a separate room such as the living room or guest room; in a smaller or studio apartment, you can set up a divider wall to establish designated spaces for work and play.
  2. Lights, Camera, Action! – Having your workspace near a window where natural lighting can seep through is an energy booster and stress reliever. According to medical professionals, the rays from the sun improve the communication between the regions of the temporal lobe which control emotions such as anxiety and stress. Sunlight also produces endorphins and serotonin hormones – “happy” hormones – that enhance our moods throughout the day.
  3. Minimize Distractions – While this is a challenge if your home has turned into a school and entertainment center, there are ways to avoid daily distractions. One example is limiting cell phone usage by using the “Screen Time’s Downtime” feature available on all Apple iPhone devices and many Android devices. Try setting it up during your work hours to avoid spending unnecessary time on social media. Wall calendars, daily to-do lists and designated browsers for personal and business activities can also keep your mind focused throughout the day. If you live with loved ones and/or roommates, establish “quiet hours” so everyone is on board and aware of your allocated time to focus.
  4. Create a Routine – When adapting to this new reality, creating a routine is key to maintaining your mental wellness and productivity. Shower at the same time you normally would, wear what you would normally wear to the office (although loungewear may be tempting!) and prepare your preferred type of coffee, tea or infused water to start your day. Most notably, make sure you go outside and remain active to improve blood circulation to the brain. When it’s time to return to business as usual, you won’t feel sluggish and your mind will feel ready more than ever to tackle the day.

© 2020 Berbay Marketing & Public Relations

For more on working from home, see the National Law Review Law Office Management section.

A Virtual Discussion Series | Part I: Labor, Employment and OSHA Developments and Strategies for Companies and PE Investors Navigating COVID-19 Hurdles

In this webinar, Partners in the Private Equity/Mergers and Acquisitions Practice Group, Heather Rahilly and Andrew Ritter, moderate a discussion with Partners in the Labor, Employment and OSHA Practice Group, Michael Miller and Lawrence Peikes, to discuss developments and strategies in labor, employment and OSHA for companies and investors navigating COVID-19 hurdles.

Key takeaways from this webinar include:

  • New developments and trends in labor and employment laws
  • Summary of current changes to OSHA regulations and standards
  • New litigation and regulatory concerns and how to mitigate risk
  • How legal developments in OSHA, labor and employment may affect current and future deal practice

© 1998-2020 Wiggin and Dana LLP

For more on OSHA labor regulation, see the National Law Review Labor & Employment law section.

LIBOR Benchmark Replacement – “It’s Time to Get Off the SOFR” – An Overview of the Impact of LIBOR Transition on Aircraft Financing and Leasing Transactions

It’s time to face up to the fact that financial market participants will soon no longer be able to rely on LIBOR.

No one can claim that this comes as a surprise. In 2014, in response to concerns about the reliability and robustness of the interest rate benchmarks that are considered to play the most fundamental role in the global financial system, namely LIBOR, global authorities called for the development of alternative “risk free” interest rate benchmarks supported by liquid, observable markets. Notably, in July 2017, the Chief Executive of the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the authority which regulates LIBOR, made a seminal speech about the future of LIBOR, indicating that market participants should not rely on LIBOR remaining available after 2021. To emphasize the point in the United States, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the New York Federal Reserve famously quipped during a speech in 2019, “some say only two things in life are guaranteed: death and taxes. But I say there are actually three: death, taxes and the end of LIBOR.”

Even the enormous pressures heaped on market participants by COVID-19 have not changed the picture. As the impacts of COVID-19 continue to evolve, there is speculation as to whether the pandemic will delay the projected LIBOR cessation timeline. At the end of March 2020, the FCA confirmed that no such delay was forthcoming, remarking, “The central assumption that firms cannot rely on LIBOR being published after the end of 2021 has not changed and should remain the target date for all firms to meet.”

More recently, the Alternative Reference Rates Committee (ARRC), the working group convened by authorities in the United States, has announced a set of “best practices” for completing the transition from LIBOR. Of particular note is the ARRC’s recommendation that hard-wired fallbacks should be incorporated into loan documentation from as early as 30 June 2020, and the target date for ceasing to write new LIBOR deals should be 30 June 2021.

This article explores the steps already taken by the Loan Market Association (LMA), the ARRC and the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA), the likely impact of LIBOR benchmark replacement on loan and lease documentation and some of the uncertainties which still fall to be resolved.

LIBOR

LIBOR (the London Inter-Bank Offered Rate) is a rate of interest, ostensibly used in lending between banks in the London interbank market. The LIBOR rate is calculated for various currencies and various terms. In the aviation financing market, 1-month or 3-month USD LIBOR is most commonly used. Note that these rates are forward-looking, are calculated based on repayment at the end of a specified term and represent a rate of interest for unsecured lending.

In aircraft transactions, LIBOR:

  • can form part of the interest (and default interest) calculation in loan agreements;
  • can represent the rate against which floating rate payments under interest rate swap agreements are calculated; and
  • can form part of the default interest calculation in aircraft lease agreements (and, where lease rental calculations are made on a floating rate basis, the determination of rent).

SOFR

A number of alternative benchmarks were considered as suitable replacements for USD LIBOR. The emerging winner, and the ARRC’s recommended alternative, is the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR). SOFR is a broad measure of the cost of borrowing cash overnight collateralized by U.S. Treasury securities.

Unlike term LIBOR rates, SOFR is an overnight, secured rate.

Aircraft loan and interest rate swap repayments are not typically made on an overnight basis, so how would we apply an overnight rate to a loan which provides for accrued interest to be paid monthly or quarterly?

In time, it is anticipated that forward-looking term SOFR rates will emerge – this is the stated preference of the ARRC – but this has not happened yet and it is not certain that satisfactory term SOFR rates will be available ahead of LIBOR discontinuation. Therefore, the ARRC does not recommend that financial market participants wait until forward-looking term SOFR rates exist to begin using SOFR in their loans. Instead, a simple average or compounded average of overnight SOFR rates for an interest period might be made to apply in lieu of a term rate.

A further complication with an overnight rate arises because, unlike term LIBOR rates, the amount of interest payable on a loan interest repayment date cannot be calculated until the last day of the applicable loan interest period. This makes loan administration (for banks) and payment processing (for borrowers) complicated. Various alternative calculation conventions remain under discussion. Selecting a final methodology is proving challenging in light of the lack of market convention and the operational challenges faced with making such a calculation.

Credit Adjustment Spreads

Because SOFR is an overnight, secured rate it does not include any term liquidity premium or any bank credit risk element, unlike a term LIBOR rate, where interest is paid at the end of a specified term and which represents an unsecured rate. As a result, SOFR prices lower than LIBOR.

Bankers therefore intend to apply a “credit adjustment spread” on top of SOFR, in order to account for the differences in which LIBOR and SOFR are determined, and in order to limit any transfer of economic value as a result of the transition between benchmark rates. The basis on which a credit adjustment spread is calculated is also the subject of continuing discussion. A further complicating factor for determining the spread adjustment is that the spread between LIBOR and SOFR fluctuates in rather meaningful ways over time. This fluctuation is, in part, due to the fact that Treasuries yields may be pushed down during times of crisis where there is a flight to quality.

LMA and ARRC Slot-in Provisions dealing with LIBOR Transition

The LMA and ARRC have both been working on slot-in drafting for various financial instruments in anticipation of transitioning away from LIBOR.

On 21 December 2018, the LMA issued “The Recommended Revised Form of Replacement Screen Rate Clause and Users Guide”.

On 25 April 2019, the ARRC recommended two sets of fallback language, also for syndicated loan documentation – the “Amendment Approach” fallback language and the “Hardwired Approach” fallback language.

Note that the ARRC has also prepared recommended fallback language for floating rate notes and securitization transactions.

LMA and ARRC Amendment Approach – creating a framework for future agreement

The LMA and ARRC Amendment Approaches (the Amendment Approaches) do not set out the replacement benchmark or credit adjustment spread which should apply, or set out the detailed basis on which interest should accrue or be calculated. Instead, a framework is set out in order to facilitate future agreement and related amendments to the loan documentation.

The LMA Amendment Approach does this by reducing the threshold for lender consent that might otherwise apply to relevant amendments.

The ARRC Amendment Approach provides that the borrower and the loan agent may identify a replacement rate (and spread adjustment), and the required lenders (typically 51%) have five days to object. If the required lenders reject the proposal, the loan goes to a prime-based rate until a successful amendment goes through.

ARRC Hardwired Approach

The alternative, the ARRC “Hardwired Approach”, provides that, when LIBOR ceases, the benchmark rate converts to a specified version of SOFR plus a credit adjustment spread. Failing this, a rate agreed between the parties would apply. Unlike the ARRC Amendment Approach, the Hardwired Approach is also “future-proofed”, to cover further benchmark replacement to the extent this occurs.

The Hardwired Approach sets out a “waterfall” of replacement benchmarks which are to apply – firstly, a term SOFR rate or, failing which, the next available term SOFR rate; secondly, a compounded SOFR rate; and thirdly, an alternative rate selected by the loan agent and the borrower which has given due consideration to any selection or recommendation made by a “Relevant Governmental Body”, or market convention. The credit adjustment spread is added to the applicable replacement benchmark in each case.

The Hardwired Approach also sets out a waterfall of options to calculate the credit adjustment spread – firstly, the adjustment selected or recommended by a Relevant Governmental Body; secondly, the adjustment that would apply to the fallback rate for a derivative transaction referencing the ISDA Definitions to be effective upon an index cessation event with respect to USD LIBOR for a period equal to the relevant loan interest period; and thirdly, an adjustment agreed between the loan agent and the borrower giving due consideration to the factors which apply to determining a replacement rate of interest and set out above.

So, which approach is the aviation industry using? For the time being, we are seeing the Amendment Approaches (or negotiated variations of those approaches) applying, but as noted in the ARRC “best practices” recommendations, this is something which must develop quickly.

The ARRC noted that many respondents to their consultations who prefer the use of the ARRC Amendment Approach at the current time generally believe that eventually some version of the Hardwired Approach will be more appropriate. The Amendment Approaches set out a more streamlined procedure for LIBOR transition, but they leave many of the difficult questions unanswered and provide for additional amendments to be made further down the road. Banks and counterparties will need to consider whether it is feasible to amend thousands of loan documents in short order, and the related disruption this could cause.

ARRC Hedged Loan Approach

Outside of the syndicated loan market, the ARRC recommends a third set of fallback language – the “Hedged Loan Approach”, to be considered for bilateral USD LIBOR loans which benefit from interest rate hedging.

The “Hedged Loan Approach” is the alternative approach for those who want to ensure that the fallback language in their loan agreement is consistent with the fallback language in any corresponding hedge they enter into with respect to their credit facilities. There is no reason that the language cannot be amended to accommodate syndicated loan transactions.

Interest rate swaps are commonly used in aircraft lessor financings in order to mitigate basis risk between operating lease payments (typically calculated on a fixed rate basis) and scheduled interest rate payments under the related loan agreement (typically calculated on a floating-rate basis).

The Hedged Loan Approach aligns the trigger events, replacement rate, and any spread adjustments under a subject loan with those as determined in accordance with the soon-to-be finalized revisions to the ISDA Definitions.

Trigger Events for LIBOR Transition

There is some variation between the trigger events for LIBOR transition between the LMA and ARRC approaches. As you would expect, both cover events relating to an immediate or upcoming LIBOR cessation. Both also include an early opt-in election which may be made by the parties. The ARRC Hedged Loan Approach trigger events are tied to those that will apply under any relevant ISDA documentation.

The LMA has also included a “material change” event, such that a trigger event can apply if the methodology, formula or other means of determining the LIBOR screen rate has materially changed. The LMA offers both objective and subjective language (in the opinion of the Majority Lenders and, where selected, the Obligors) for making the material change determination.

The ARRC includes as an additional event an announcement from the supervisor of a benchmark administrator that the applicable benchmark is no longer representative. This is intended to reflect the requirements of, and the procedures which apply under, the EU Benchmarks Regulation (the BMR). Where such a determination is made, it is possible that the loan parties would want to accelerate LIBOR transition, and EU-supervised entities could be prohibited from referencing LIBOR in new derivatives and securities. U.K. and U.S. authorities have also stated that it might be prudent for market participants to include this pre-cessation trigger in their loan documentation.

The early election triggers that apply under the ARRC Amendment and Hardwired Approaches are also drafted differently. Note that a term SOFR rate only can apply if an early election trigger applies under the Hardwired Approach.

ISDA Benchmarks Supplement

ISDA published its Benchmarks Supplement in 2018 primarily to facilitate compliance with the requirements of Article 28(2) of the BMR, but it has been drafted so that market participants can use it to incorporate fallbacks for reference rates into derivative transactions, whether or not they or the transactions are subject to BMR. The Supplement includes a number of trigger events relating to benchmarks and fallbacks which apply upon the occurrence of one of those triggers. Currently, ISDA has provided for benchmark replacement in two scenarios: (i) a permanent cessation of the then applicable benchmark; or (ii) if applying an applicable benchmark would breach applicable law. These broadly align with the corresponding trigger events in the ARRC documentation, but there are some important variations, discussed below.

Ultimately, ISDA intends to update the ISDA Definitions to include fallbacks to selected alternative interest rate benchmarks, and work on this is ongoing, but in the meantime incorporation of the Supplement into transactions referencing LIBOR could form part of a wider strategy for the transition away from LIBOR, even if it is not required by BMR.

Tensions between the Loan and Derivatives Markets?

As described above, aircraft lessor financings will very often be hedged pursuant to an ISDA Agreement in order to avoid basis risk.

But what if the approach taken by loan markets in relation to the timing for LIBOR transition and the calculation of floating rate interest differs from the approach taken by derivatives markets under swap agreements? Payments are no longer fully hedged and basis risk is re-introduced.

The major issue goes to the rate itself – the ARRC is hoping for term SOFR rates to emerge which will be used to calculate floating rate loan interest payments, but it is almost certain that ISDA will not apply term SOFR rates to floating rate payments under derivatives transactions and a version of compounded SOFR will instead apply.

Trigger events for benchmark replacement also vary between the two markets, but work is ongoing to converge differing approaches.

Under the ISDA Benchmarks Supplement, no early opt-in election applies. This would tend to make it less likely that early opt-in elections for hedged loans would in fact be exercised.

Note also that no pre-cessation trigger event currently applies under the Supplement – so “material changes” to the benchmark calculation (as contemplated by the LMA Amendment Approach), and the non-representativeness test included in the ARRC provisions, are not included as trigger events, albeit that ISDA has consulted on the latter and an amendment to the Supplement to include the non-representativeness test is expected to be published in July.

Since the FCA has already announced the expected procedures that would apply if it were to make a determination that LIBOR was no longer representative and how such a determination would be communicated to the markets, it seems that the ARRC approach towards trigger events would be the preferred approach for hedged loan documentation.

It is also possible that the basis on which credit adjustment spreads are calculated will vary between the two markets but, on this point, it has been the ARRC’s turn to re-consult on the proposal made by ISDA; i.e. that the same spread adjustment value is used across all of the different fallback rates. It is hoped that a consistent credit adjustment spread can be made to apply between loan and derivative markets, although given that there is a range of methodologies for calculating pre-cessation credit adjustment spreads that could apply in loan markets, this might be more difficult to achieve where an early opt-in election is exercised and might make the actual exercise of early opt-in elections less likely for hedged loans.

Where Does That Leave Us?

Thus far, most borrowers/lessees within the aviation finance market have favoured some version of the LMA or ARRC

“Amendment Approach” fallback language in their loan or lease documentation – the advantage being that it does offer flexibility.

Parties have entered into a number of variants but the underlying principle behind the Amendment Approaches appears to be adhered to – it serves as a placeholder to the issue and aims to bring the commercial parties back to the table once the loan market has broadly accepted a replacement standard for LIBOR. Key reasons for this are the absence of a term SOFR rate and an absence of consensus as to the basis on which alternative SOFR rates and credit adjustment spreads might be calculated. People are not yet ready to commit to SOFR or a Hardwired Approach since at the moment no one knows exactly what they might be getting.

Notwithstanding the above, the “Hedged Loan Approach” should not be discounted for bilateral (or syndicated) aircraft lessor financings which are hedged by way of an interest rate swap. Lenders/borrowers that are concerned with “basis risk” upon LIBOR cessation may prefer this approach since it is designed to eliminate any basis risk between the loan and the related hedge. However, it remains to be seen whether loan markets will be able to accommodate a departure from whatever becomes settled loan markets convention, commercially and operationally.

If the floating rate under the swap and the floating rate under the loan are aligned, then the change from LIBOR to a different benchmark should theoretically be cost neutral for that borrower, except where a swap premium is payable as a result of transition to a replacement benchmark rate. The requirement to pay a swap premium may be considered more likely if a swap is required to pay a floating rate that reflects a term SOFR rate or another loan market convention where the same is at odds with the default position in the derivatives market. Commercial parties will follow this issue with particular interest.

Note also that on 6 March 2020, the ARRC released a proposal for New York State Legislation for USD LIBOR contracts, which would operate to replace LIBOR by the recommended alternative benchmark included in the legislation and other related matters.

Operating Leases

Lessors and lessees will need to consider how LIBOR transition is achieved under their operating leases.

Most operating leases do not make provision for LIBOR transition, nor do they provide for a fallback rate in the event of LIBOR cessation beyond requesting reference bank rates (which is not itself an effective fallback, since a shrinking number of reference banks are prepared to quote a rate even now).

At this stage, where LIBOR is referenced in operating leases, it would be prudent for leasing companies to take a similar approach in their operating leases to that taken in the Amendment Approaches referred to above. This will ensure that LIBOR transition triggers are broadly consistent between operating leases and any related financing and hedging arrangements; it will also ensure that appropriate interest calculation methodologies and market approaches can be introduced into operating leases by amendment at the appropriate time.

Where fixed rate operating lease rentals are payable, the parties might also consider an alternative basis on which to calculate default interest under the lease which avoids SOFR and credit adjustment spreads altogether, but this would require careful thought, particularly regarding the way in which this interacts with any upstream financing.

Leasing parties will need to consider an appropriate costs allocation for amendments of existing leases.

Another point to note is that fixed rate operating lease rental calculations are usually constructed from a swap screen rate for an agreed term (taken an agreed number of business days ahead of the rent calculation date), and lease rentals cannot be adjusted after the event.

The swap screen rate will itself have been constructed from an interest rate exchange which assumed that 1-month LIBOR rates would remain available for the duration of the swap period, which means that such correlation as previously existed for leasing companies between outgoings (funding costs) and income (lease rental) is lost. Whether this creates a windfall or a loss for leasing companies will depend on what happens to SOFR rates in the future.

So, some real food for thought and some important decisions lie ahead. Discussions should start now and action should be taken soon in order to ensure an orderly transition.

© 2020 Vedder Price

For more on LIBOR/SOFR see the National Law Review Financial Institutions & Banking law section.

Riot-Related Damage and Income Losses are Covered under Most Business Owners’ Policies

Following the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, and Rayshard Brooks, protests against systematic racism in general, and police brutality in particular, have swept the globe. These protests have largely been peaceful, but a small, fractious group of individuals has used the protests as cover to incite violence, damage property, and loot businesses. While it might be cold comfort to the affected business owners to hear that property damage is not the norm, most have insurance that protects their pecuniary interest.[1]

 First-party property insurance policies generally include riot and civil commotion as covered causes of loss, unless there is a specific exclusion in the policy. Although courts have acknowledged that defining a “riot” can be difficult because they can vary in size, courts have identified at least four elements:

  1. unlawful assembly of three or more people (or lawful assembly that due to its violence and tumult becomes unlawful);
  2. acts of violence;
  3. intent to mutually assist against lawful authority where “lawful authority” is not limited to official law enforcement, but extends to those whose rights are or may be injured and who seek to protect those rights; and
  4. some degree of public terror (i.e., any minor public disturbance does not rise to the level of “riot”).

Blackledge v. Omega Ins. Co., 740 So. 2d 295, 299 (Miss. 1999).

Civil commotion likewise is undefined in most property policies. As a starting point, the term necessarily means something other than “riot,” since each term in an insurance policy is presumed to have its own meaning. See, e.g., Portland Sch. Dist. No. 1J v. Great Am. Ins. Co., 241 Or. App. 161, 171 (2011). Thus, while “civil commotion” may be similar to a riot, courts have construed the term more broadly, finding that civil commotion entails “either a more serious disturbance or one that is a part of a broader series of disturbances.” Pan Am. World Airways, Inc. v. Aetna Cas. & Sur. Co., 368 F. Supp. 1098, 1138 (S.D.N.Y. 1973), aff’d, 505 F.2d 989 (2d Cir. 1974). In fact, most property policies contain no limitation on the breadth of commotion or the type of harm that it might pose to person or property.

In many policies, riot, civil commotion, vandalism, and malicious mischief are “specified causes of loss.” The practical effect of this designation is that numerous exclusions will contain exceptions for loss caused by these situations. For example, while damage to a business’s electronic data may be excluded, the exclusion may contain an exception for damage to electronic data resulting from specified causes of loss, such as riot or civil commotion. Similarly, even where the policy contains a pollution exclusion – purportedly excluding loss, damage, cost, or expense caused by or contributed to or made worse by the release of “pollutants,” which could include tear gas – that exclusion may not apply to loss or damage caused by riot, civil commotion, or vandalism.

If a policy covers riot or civil commotion, covered losses may include property damage to the building and its contents, and lost income while the building is under repair or subject to government orders affecting the business’s operations (e.g., curfews limiting hours of operation) where the order is the result of property damage elsewhere. Business insurance policies may also cover costs incurred in protecting insured property from future, imminent harm or continued damage. These costs might include hiring (or increasing) security personnel, boarding up windows and doors, securing inventory in place or moving inventory and operations off-site.

Prior to the riots in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the costliest U.S. civil disorder occurred after the acquittal of police officers involved with the arrest and beating of a black American, Rodney King, from April 29 through May 4, 1992, causing $775 million in insured losses.[2] More recently, there were approximately $24 million in insured losses following the death of Freddie Gray, a black American who died in police custody after suffering a spinal cord injury.[3] Insured losses are not yet available for the riots in Minneapolis, but the Property Claims Services (“PCS”) unit of Verisk Analytics designated the event as a catastrophe. On June 4, 2020, PCS included over 20 other states, making the civil unrest that started in Minnesota a multi-state catastrophic event.[4]

If your business has experienced or may experience a loss because of civil unrest or riots, you should begin keeping track of these losses – and costs incurred to avoid them – immediately. Save receipts and inventory damages. Contact your insurance company as soon as you experience a loss to report your claim and diligently log your interactions with your insurer and its representatives. If you feel your insurer wrongfully denied your claim or delayed payment, contact experienced insurance coverage counsel.

[1] The authors by no means intend to equate property damage and a lost life. Quite the opposite. One is recoverable (and insurable); the other is irreplaceable.

[2]  https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-civil-disorders (last viewed June 15, 2020).

[3] Id.

[4] Id. By June 4, 2020, at least 40 cities in 23 states had imposed curfews. National Guard were called in Washington, D.C. and at least 21 states.

Copyright © 2020, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP. All Rights Reserved.
For more on property insurance amid protests, see the National Law Review Insurance, Reinsurance and Surety law page.

Supreme Court of the United States Upholds DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals)

In a 5-4 decision written by Chief Justice John Roberts on Department of Homeland Security et al vs. Regents of the University of California, the Supreme Court held that the DACA rescission was improper under the Administrative Procedures Act.

In the decision, Chief Justice Roberts concludes “that the acting secretary violated the [Administrative Procedure Act]” and thus the decision to end the DACA program must be vacated. Today, over 700,000 foreign nationals have availed themselves of the opportunities provided by DACA.

In his opinion, Chief Justice Roberts writes:

“We do not decide whether DACA or its rescission are sound policies. ‘The wisdom’ of those decisions ‘is none of our concern.’ Chenery II, 332 U. S., at 207. We address only whether the agency complied with the procedural requirement that it provide a reasoned explanation for its action. Here the agency failed to consider the conspicuous issues of whether to retain forbearance and what if anything to do about the hardship to DACA recipients. That dual failure raises doubts about whether the agency appreciated the scope of its discretion or exercised that discretion in a reasonable manner. The appropriate recourse is therefore to remand to DHS so that it may consider the problem anew.”

Chief Justice Roberts was joined in the majority by Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Elena Kagan and Sotomayor. Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh filed opinions that concurred with parts of the dissent and majority.

On June 15, 2012, then-Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano issued a memorandum creating a non-congressionally authorized administration program that allowed certain individuals who entered the United States as children and met various other requirements, namely lacking current lawful immigration status, to request deferred action for an initial period of up to two years, with the ability to renew thereafter, and eligibility for work authorization. This program became known as DACA – Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

The program has faced continuous constitutional scrutiny since its creation, including the Department of Homeland Security’s order that ended the program in 2017. Lower court rulings enabled the DACA program to continue, ultimately leading to suit being brought before the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court’s decision is not a final resolution on DACA, but instead rules that the Trump Administration’s total recession of DACA was “arbitrary and capricious” and that the administration failed to give adequate justification for ending the program. This decision keeps the DACA program in place.

The full ruling on the case can be found here.

©2020 Greenberg Traurig, LLP. All rights reserved.

EEOC: What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency responsible for enforcing federal anti-discrimination laws, today updated its Technical Assistance Questions and Answers, “What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws.” This Technical Assistance is intended to help employers address practical issues that may arise in their day-to-day operations and oversight of their employees as they return to work in the context of COVID-19. The EEOC has consistently reminded employers that the federal anti-discrimination laws continue to apply during the pandemic and that these laws do not interfere with the guidance issued by public health authorities, including the CDC.

What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws

The EEOC’s previously issued Technical Assistance discussed critical issues such as disability-related inquiries and medical examinations, confidentiality of medical information, and hiring and onboarding during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the EEOC provided detailed guidance on handling reasonable accommodations during the pandemic. In this newly issued Technical Assistance, the EEOC focuses in even further on these and related issues, and provides an analysis of common topics that many employers have been or will be facing as employees are preparing to return to work.

The updated questions and answers include topics such as: whether an employee is entitled to an accommodation under the ADA to avoid exposing a family member who is at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19; whether reasonable accommodations are required during the process of screening employees before they enter the worksite; whether employees age 65 or older, who are at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19, can be involuntarily excluded from the workplace based on their age; whether pregnant employees can be involuntarily excluded from the workplace due to their pregnancy and, relatedly, whether there is a right to accommodation based on pregnancy during the pandemic. In addition, the updated Technical Assistance discusses steps employers can take to prevent and address possible harassment and discrimination that may arise related to the pandemic, particularly as against employees who are or perceived to be Asian.

EEOC Technical Assistance Questions and Answers

Employers should review this newly issued Technical Assistance from the EEOC so that they are prepared to address these issues if they arise as businesses are re-opening and employees are returning to the workplace.

©2020 Norris McLaughlin P.A., All Rights Reserved

For more on EEOC COVID-19 guidance, see the National Law Review Labor & Employment law section.

The Federal Government Is Taking Action Against COVID-19 Fraud

The federal government has responded to the coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic with legislation to aid individuals and struggling businesses. One of the many laws created was the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”), a $2 trillion federal appropriation addressing the economic fallout caused by COVID-19. Many are rightfully concerned about individuals aiming to take advantage of the vulnerability, panic, and available federal dollars during this time. In response, the federal government has vowed to aggressively take action against COVID-19 related fraud.

Fraud Committed Against Individuals

The Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced its first enforcement action against COVID-19 fraud in March 2020. A website, coronavirusmedicalkit.com, was offering access to World Health Organization (“WHO”) vaccine kits for a shipping cost of $4.95. However, no vaccine currently exists nor is a vaccine currently being distributed by the WHO. Once alerted of the website’s existence, U.S. District Judge, Robert Pitman immediately issued an injunction preventing any further public access to the site. The site operators are currently facing federal prosecution.

Fraud Committed Against the Federal Government

Opportunists are not only acting to deceive the public but are also acting to defraud the federal government. Recently, Samuel Yates, a Texas native attempted to defraud $5 million in federal funds. The Small Business Association (“SBA”) is providing loans to businesses through a Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”). The PPP allows employers to continue paying their employees during the pandemic. Yates applied for two loans. In one loan application, he sought $5 million claiming to have 400 employees with a $2 million monthly payroll expense. In another application, he claimed to have only 100 employees. Each application was submitted with a falsified list of employees created by an online name generator, and forged tax records. Yates was able to obtain $500,000 in loan proceeds before his scheme was uncovered. He is currently facing federal prosecution for bank fraud, wire fraud, false statements to a financial institution, and false statements to the SBA.

Christopher Parris, a Georgia resident, also attempted to defraud the federal government by selling millions of non-existent respirator masks. Unlike Yates, Parris was able to make millions on sales orders by misrepresenting himself as a supplier who could quickly obtain scarce protective equipment. His plan was uncovered just a few weeks ago after attempting to sell masks to the Department of Veteran Affairs (“VA”). The VA became suspicious of the price—which was about 15 times what it was paying amid the shortage, and alerted their Inspector General who brought in Homeland Security. Over $3.2 million was seized from Parris’ bank account related to this scheme, and he is currently facing federal prosecution for wire fraud.

Although enforcement action has been taken against individuals, companies should take note that fraud is being prioritized and aggressively prosecuted against businesses as well. Just last month, the Securities & Exchange Commission (“SEC”) charged two companies with issuing misleading claims to the public. The first represented that it could slow the transmission of COVID-19 through thermal scanning equipment that could quickly detect individuals with fevers and would be immediately released in each state. The other offered a finger-prick test kit that could be used from home to detect whether someone was COVID-19 positive. Both claims were untrue and each company is facing federal charges for violating the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws.

These federal efforts mark the beginning of a shift, holding both individuals and companies accountable for COVID-19 related fraud. The Department of Homeland Security has noted that those taking advantage during this vulnerable time will inevitably increase. Inter-agency efforts, swift enforcement, and emerging legislation will likely follow in an effort to protect the public against all levels of COVID-19 related fraud. As they have during previous economic crises, whistleblowers will play a critical role in aiding these enforcement efforts.

Katz, Marshall & Banks, LLP

For more on COVID-19 related fraud, see the National Law Review Coronavirus News section.

Recognizing Juneteenth and Strengthening Company Culture: Tips for Employers

Several prominent companies across the nation recently announced that they would observe Juneteenth as a holiday. This new trend of observing Juneteenth comes in the wake of several weeks of protests across the world advocating for an end to racial injustice and police brutality. These protests have generated discourse across the country, including in workplaces, about systemic racism and what actions we all can take to address the issues. Although Juneteenth is not a new holiday, recognizing and observing the holiday is one of many proactive measures that employers can take to demonstrate their commitment to fostering diverse and inclusive workplaces and to promoting racial justice.

What Is Juneteenth?

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the end of legal slavery in the United States. Although the Emancipation Proclamation was issued on January 1, 1863, the news did not reach enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, until June 19, 1865, where it was met with shock and jubilation.

The newly-freed people in Galveston celebrated after the announcement, and the following year, freedmen and freedwomen organized the first of what became the annual celebration of “Jubilee Day” on June 19 in Texas. Over time, the annual celebration spread from the Black community in Texas to the rest of the United States. Juneteenth celebrations focus on education, history, self-improvement, culture, and pride.

Who Is Observing Juneteenth?

Many companies have announced they will make Juneteenth an annual corporate holiday. The decision to observe Juneteenth in the workplace comes as more employers voice their support for racial justice. Other companies have also announced donations to organizations promoting racial justice.

How Can Employers Observe the Holiday?

Give employees a paid day off.

Consider observing Juneteenth as a company holiday and giving employees a paid day off as the company would for other observed holidays. This can help remind employees that the employer believes that the history of all its employees matters and that it is taking an active stand to promote racial justice.

If closing to observe Juneteenth is not a viable option for a company, they may want to consider alternatives. For example, some companies plan to remain open and give full-time non-exempt workers the option of taking the day off with full pay or working the day with time-and-one-half pay.

Honor Juneteenth in the workplace.

Recognizing Juneteenth in the workplace can strengthen a company’s commitments to its mission, vision, and values to promote a diverse and inclusive workplace and to foster social and racial justice.

There are many ways that employers can commemorate Juneteeth in the workplace:

  • Invite guest speakers to the workplace to speak on current issues;
  • Sponsor relevant workplace activities (on-duty and off-duty); or
  • Engage in the same kinds of activities that the company engages in for other commemorations for people of color.

Participate in local Juneteenth events.

Many communities across the country host Juneteenth celebrations. These events include parades, rodeos, cookouts, live concerts, and community outdoor activities. Consider hosting a company-sponsored booth or contest in these community events.

Is Juneteenth an Observed Holiday?

Juneteenth is an observed holiday in 47 states and the District of Columbia, but it is not a mandated federal holiday. Texas was the first state to recognize Juneteenth as a state holiday in 1980. A more comprehensive history of Juneteenth can be found here.

© 2020, Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C., All Rights Reserved.

Court Rejected A Trustee’s Objection To Personal Jurisdiction In His Individual Capacity But Affirmed The Objection In His Capacity As Trustee

In Hanschen v. Hanschen, a trustee challenged a default judgment. No. 05-19-01134-CV, 2020 Tex. App. LEXIS 4075 (Tex. App.—Dallas May 28, 2020, no pet. history). The family sued the trustee in his personal capacity and in his capacity as trustee for breaching fiduciary duties. While the trustee was in Texas, the family served him in his personal capacity. The family then obtained a default judgment against him in both capacities when he did not file an answer. Later, the trustee filed a special appearance challenging the court’s personal jurisdiction, and the trial granted the motion. The family then appealed.

The court of appeals reversed the special appearance against the trustee in his personal capacity. The court held that because the trustee was personally served in Texas, the trial court had personal jurisdiction over him:

In this case, the family personally served James with the petition and citation while he was in Texas. The family concedes they “have never asserted that Texas has general jurisdiction over James or that the traditional minimum contacts analysis would be met in the absence of his physical presence.” They are correct and the case law is clear that a trial court has authority to exercise in personam jurisdiction over a nonresident where the court’s jurisdiction grew out of the personal service of citation upon the nonresident within the state. A nonresident, merely by reason of his nonresidence, is not exempt from a court’s jurisdiction if he voluntarily comes to the state and thus is within the territorial limits of such jurisdiction and can be duly served with process.

Id. The trustee also argued that the court did not have adequate jurisdiction over him in his personal capacity because there were no claims against him in that capacity, but the court of appeals disagreed:

While we may agree with James that the default judgment granted relief against the entities for which it would be necessary for Texas courts to have jurisdiction over James in representative capacities, the family’s petition pleaded causes of action against James individually for breaches of fiduciary duties arising from his role as trustee of the Progeny Trust and his roles in NBR-C2, NBR-C3, and NBR-Needham. The family seeks exemplary damages against James for these alleged breaches of fiduciary duties. James does not make a specific argument why these claims are not pleaded against him personally. In Texas, generally an agent is personally liable for his own tortious conduct. For these reasons, we agree with the family that James was personally served with process in Texas, so the trial court has personal jurisdiction over him in that capacity.

Id.

The court of appeals then turned to whether the trial court had personal jurisdiction over the trustee in his capacity as trustee. The court noted that the citation was not issued to him in that capacity. The court held that this defect was dispositive and affirmed the special appearance for the trustee in his representative capacity:

We have held, “[t]he capacity in which a non-resident has contact with a forum state must be considered in the jurisdictional analysis.” James was not served with a citation directed to him in any representative capacity; only “JAMES HANSCHEN WHEREEVER HE MAY BE FOUND.” At oral argument, the family argued the listing of all the parties in the citation was sufficient to constitute service on James in each representative capacity he was listed as a defendant. We reject this contention and the family’s counsel acknowledged in oral argument a citation addressed to one defendant inadvertently served on a different, unrelated defendant would not constitute good service of process merely because all defendants’ names were in the list of defendants in the style of the lawsuit… In this case, James was not served with citations which were returned to the court clerk stating he had been served in his representative capacities. Any failure to comply with the rules regarding service of process renders the attempted service of process invalid, and the trial court acquires no personal jurisdiction over the defendant. A default judgment based on improper service is void. Accordingly, the trial court did not have personal jurisdiction over James in his representative capacities.

Id.

© 2020 Winstead PC.

Excessive Spending During Divorce

Once a divorce is looming, some people change their spending habits.  Some start excessive spending expending money on purchases that they never did before, while others start taking trips or signing up for classes. Is any of this spending appropriate during the time you are going through your divorce?

I often run into clients who have been counseled to spend a lot more, apparently to show what that person’s needs are and to validate the request for more money.  I think it is fair to say that this is an emotional time for everyone, and some people are not acting in the right way.  You shouldn’t be spending any differently during a divorce then you would typically  The law in Illinois-domestic relations division, wants everyone to maintain the status quo.  If you always spent $400 a month getting your hair done, then it is not a problem.  But if you never used to go and now you start, the court is going to look at the reasonableness of what the person is doing.

Spending in Ways Not Beneficial to Your Marriage?

If you believe that the excessive spending your spouse is doing is not beneficial to your marriage, you might have a claim for dissipation.  When the court divides the marital property in your divorce case, dissipation is something that is considered by the court.  What exactly is dissipation?

Is it the Dissipation of Marital Assets?

Dissipation is the spending of marital monies for the benefit of one spouse for purposes unrelated to the marriage while the marriage is undergoing an irreconcilable breakdown. The party alleging dissipation must first demonstrate that dissipation has occurred, and once that hurdle is met, the burden shifts to the other party to prove the money was used for a legitimate purpose.

Illinois law requires that you file a document, called a Notice of Intent to Claim Dissipation.  That document must be filed 30 days after discovery closes and no later than 60 days before the trial.  The notice has to tell the court when the breakdown in your marriage occurred.  This is an important element that many people overlook.  People are allowed to spend money however they like, and just because you did not like it that your spouse spent $45,000 on a race car, does not necessarily mean it is dissipation.

Is the Marriage Irretrievably Broken?

The first question you need to ask is whether your marriage has irretrievably broken down. Although you might not have been happy with the expenditure for the car, were you still a couple?  Were you still going out with friends or going out to dinner together?  I have had a couple of divorce trials that had to examine the sexual nature of the relationship.  Are you still engaging in marital relations?  Share the same bedroom?  These all need to be examined if your spouse indicates that you were still a couple and there was not a breakdown.  Without a break down in the marriage, an irretrievable breakdown, you cannot allege dissipation.

But let us say you can prove that your marriage underwent an irretrievable breakdown.  You can prove that your spouse has been living in the basement for a year, you never go out together, you take separate vacations and you have different friends.  Then you have made it through the first hurdle and an examination of the spouse’s expenses needs to be looked at.

One thing the court always asks is “how long has this been going on?”  I once had a case in trial where the wife claimed that the husband’s weekly bowling was dissipation.  My client testified that he had been bowling weekly for over ten years.  The continuation of his bowling habit continued while they were married and after they separated.  The judge did not find dissipation.

Spouse Commits a Criminal Act?

What about when a person has a spouse who commits a criminal act?  The spouse is arrested and spends money on a lawyer?  Loses his job?  The money the spouse spent on a lawyer could be considered dissipation.

Is There an Extramarital Affiar?

What about a claim for dissipation filed by the wife when she found out her husband had had an affair and was paying child support to the other woman?  Or if the wife found out that her husband had been cheating on her for the past 5 years?  If the family continued to go on vacation and act like a couple, and their marriage had not broken down, then no dissipation.

I remember when golf pro Tiger Woods was going through a divorce and his wife found out about his extramarital affairs and the money spent on them.  There could not be a claim for dissipation because her marriage had not broken down, but you have to wonder if it would have broken down a lot earlier if she knew.  We can speculate as to the answer and it seems unfair that if your spouse hides something from you, that it cannot be dissipation.  If you had known, you would likely have broken up.  But that is not the way our law works — you have to be irretrievably broken in order to claim dissipation.

I have had trials where the parties had been separated for 20 years, but neither had gotten around to filing for divorce. Each side made claims of dissipation going back 10 years or more.  These types of cases resulted in a change to our statute and now you have a time limit on the claim for dissipation.  No dissipation shall be deemed to have occurred prior to 3 years after the party claiming dissipation knew or should have known of the dissipation, but in no event prior to 5 years before the filing of the petition for dissolution of marriage.

Watch Your Marital Finances for Excessive Spending

Marriages require some trust between the two, so it is hard when your spouse ruins the trust you placed in them.  But if you do not pay attention to your finances, or what is on the credit card statements, you could be in a position where dissipation cannot be claimed by you for the excessive spending in the event of a divorce.

If you decide to go to trial on the issue, then you will need to establish which expenditures are dissipation.  Is paying the mortgage from the spouse’s retirement account dissipation?  Typically, you would not think so. But each case is fact-specific.

 

 

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This posting is for educational purposes only to give you general information and a general understanding of the law, not to provide specific legal advice. By using this website you understand that there is no attorney-client relationship between you and the National Law Review and/or the author, and the opinions stated herein are the sole opinions of the author and do not reflect the views or opinions of the National Law Review or any of its affiliates.