Blog: Opinions & Observations
December 18, 2020
There will be employees who contract the coronavirus and claim they were infected by a fellow-worker at the jobsite or in the office. Then these employees will bring a personal injury suit against their employer to recover money damages or, in the case of a fatality, their estate will bring a wrongful death action against the employer. This article outlines proposed legislation in the Congress and in the Virginia General Assembly that, if enacted, will allocate...
Read MoreSeparation and Divorce During COVID-19: Steps to Take During Lockdown
May 05, 2020
Despite being told that “this is the new normal”, there is nothing normal about the current coronavirus pandemic shutdowns and the related experiences people are enduring throughout Virginia, and the world. Many families are hunkered down in a home where parents are trying to assume new roles that may include classroom teacher, child entertainer, and in some cases, a full-time spouse. Every family has its own dynamic which develops into their “normal” lives. ...
Read MoreNew Unemployment Benefits Under the CARES Act
April 24, 2020
The recently enacted Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, known as the CARES Act, includes three new federally-funded programs to provide additional unemployment compensation for workers. While the federal government is providing the funding, the programs will be administered by the states as part of their unemployment insurance systems. What follows is a brief summary of each program. PANDEMIC UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE The CARES Act creates the...
Read MoreApril 24, 2020
UPDATED 4/27/20 - Virginia Governor signed the legislation. Our Community Association Practice Group has been fielding many questions from concerned Boards of Directors regarding their ability to conduct association business during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, the Virginia Property Owners’ Association Act and the Virginia Condominium Act, require at least two directors to be physically present at a board meeting in order for the rest of the board to...
Read MoreBrown Water Seamen and the Stowaway Virus: Coronavirus Precautions
April 23, 2020
When one thinks of the seamen of old or of modern times, images of sailing across the deep, blue ocean between continents on wooden sailing ships or, perhaps, making long voyages on ultra-large container vessels comes to mind. These “blue water” seamen, however, constitute only a small fraction of the crews that work onboard the vessels that make our economy run. Most vessels ply the waters closer to home, including tug boats, tow boats, pilot boats, derrick...
Read MoreCo-Parenting During Lockdown in Virginia
April 17, 2020
Faced with a worldwide pandemic, governors across the country have issued, for the first time in my lifetime, universal stay-at-home orders virtually shutting down our way of life. While it is an extremely difficult transition for in-tact families, persons who must co-parent with another parent during this current crisis are experiencing extra-ordinary difficulties. Under the best of conditions, it is sometimes difficult to work with the child’s other parent...
Read MoreCommercial Landlord-Tenant Relations During the COVID-19 Pandemic
April 17, 2020
Amid the health and economic crisis created by COVID-19, landlords, property managers, and tenants of commercial property are scrambling for information and establishing new policy. Briefings by the President and Governor change the way businesses can be conducted with little or no advanced warning. What makes sense one day, may not be an option the next. What has become clear, is that the COVID-19 pandemic is causing economic upheaval for businesses. Among the...
Read MoreCan Virginia Renters Be Evicted During the COVID-19 Crisis?
April 16, 2020
There seems to be a common belief that landlords may not evict residential tenants during the COVID-19 pandemic. Like most beliefs, it’s rooted in truth, but the details may be surprising. On March 16, 2020, the Virginia Supreme Court made an emergency judicial order in response to COVID-19 that essentially put the brakes on all cases for 21 days. On March 27, the Court extended the order by another 21days. At the present time, all civil matters are continued...
Read MoreCOVID-19 Presents Construction Industry with Challenging New Legal Issues
April 15, 2020
Businesses who are engaged in construction related activities, whether on public or private projects, including owners, contractors, subcontractors, and material suppliers, as well as sureties under payment and performance bonds, can expect that there will be new and challenging legal problems resulting from the impact of the Coronavirus. While certain types of projects have been deemed to be essential, others have not, resulting in job shutdowns and layoffs of...
Read MoreCOVID-19: Helpful Resources for Businesses and Individuals
April 13, 2020
(UPDATED April 22, 2020) Congress passed major legislation to address economic and health problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and is currently considering additional changes to the law. Government agencies are regularly providing regulations and guidance for businesses and individuals to understand how these laws affect them and what new benefits are available. We have compiled the links below to help clients and community members locate relevant...
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