With the city, state and national authorities taking steps to contain and mitigate the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) epidemic, your business will likely face numerous legal issues over the coming weeks and months. Bell Nunnally is well-situated and prepared to continue operations seamlessly for our clients during this time. We are taking all necessary precautions to protect the health and well-being of our team, clients and the community. We are closely monitoring the CDC, WHO, and federal, state, and local authorities as we make daily operational decisions.
As this situation unfolds, the Bell Nunnally team is here to provide resources and knowledge to help you deal with issues you may already be facing and others you may in the near future. Our hope is that we can provide resources that will minimize the uncertainty of these times. This page is a collection of the firm's client alerts regarding the unfolding COVID-19 epidemic. We will update this page regularly as new issues arise, so please check back often.
A Message From Bell Nunnally's Managing Partner Chris Trowbridge
General Guidance
- COVID-19 Liability Protection Legislation for Businesses Designated as an "Emergency Item" for Passage This Year, March 5, 2021 (Heath Cheek, Katie Beaird, Brent Hockaday)
- Texas is Open for Business: Unmasking Executive Order GA-34, March 3, 2021 (Heath Cheek, Dominic Cruciani)
- Keeping Businesses Afloat: An Overview of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, January 25, 2021 (Saba Syed, Dominic Cruciani)
- When Can We Open? Frequently Asked Questions on Federal and Texas Guidelines to Restart the Economy, May 7 (Heath Cheek)
- Overview of the CARES Act and Resources Available for Businesses, March 26 (Jennice Lee)
Bankruptcy and Financial Restructuring
Commercial Finance
- PPP Round 2: Changes to the Program, Expanded Coverage, and Who Is Covered, January 25, 2021 (T.J. Hales)
- PPP Loan Forgiveness Application is Now Available, May 15 (Trey DeLoach, Nikki Gibson, Ed McQueen, Ira Perez)
- SBA Issues New Guidance on PPP Loans, with Safe Harbors for Certain Borrower Certifications Regarding Loan Necessity, May 14 (Jean Boyea, Nikki Gibson, Ira Perez)
- Congress Approves Additional Funding for Small Businesses; Treasury Issues Guidance Clarifying PPP Loan Eligibility, April 24 (Trey DeLoach, Nikki Gibson, Ed McQueen, Ira Perez)
- PPP Loans: A Cheat Sheet, April 9 (Trey DeLoach, Nikki Gibson, Ed McQueen, Ira Perez)
- Business Size Requirements and Affiliation Rules for SBA Loan Eligibility under the CARES Act, April 3 (Ira Perez)
- Relief for Small Businesses under the $2 Trillion CARES Act, March 26 (Trey DeLoach, Nikki Gibson, Ed McQueen, Ira Perez)
- COVID-19 Expected to Launch Wave of Loan Workouts and Refinances, March 18 (Trey DeLoach, Nikki Gibson, Ed McQueen)
Construction - Litigation
Creditors' Rights
Entertainment, Advertising and New Media
Health Care
Immigration
Insurance - Litigation
Intellectual Property
Labor, Employment and Benefits
- OSHA Withdraws All but Recordkeeping Requirements of its Healthcare ETS, January 6, 2022
- CDC Updates and Shortens Recommended Isolation and Quarantine Periods - What this Means for the Workplace, December 31, 2021
- The Reinstatement of Enforcement of Both the CMS Vaccine Mandate and the OSHA Vaccine and Testing ETS and What this Means for Covered Businesses, December 23, 2021
- Federal Contractor Vaccine Mandate Blocked Nationwide, December 9, 2021
- The Suspension of Enforcement of the New CMS Vaccine Mandate and What this Means for CMS Covered Facilities, December 8, 2021
- OSHA Suspends its Temporary Standard on Covid Vaccination and Testing for Employers with 100 or More Employees, November 18, 2021
- OSHA Vaccination and Testing Requirements for Employers with 100+ Employees, November 5, 2021
- President Biden Announces Sweeping New COVID Vaccination and Testing Requirements Aimed at the Private Sector, September 14, 2021 (Brent Hockaday)
- If your employer fires you because you won’t get the COVID vaccine, don’t expect to collect unemployment, September 2021, (Alana Ackels)
- Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins Issues Mask Mandate, August 17, 2021 (Alana Ackels)
- OSHA Issues Emergency COVID-19 Standards for Health Care Industry, July 16, 2021 (Jay Wallace)
- As Texas Opens for Businesses, Are Businesses Free To Operate As They Wish?, March 29, 2021 (Jay Wallace, Brent Hockaday)
- COVID-19 FAQ: Can Employers Require a Vaccine?, February 10, 2021 (Jay Wallace)
- Technology, the Workplace and Covid-19: Tracking Employees to Safeguard Against Spread of Virus, August 4 (Jay Wallace, Tom Case)
- Navigating Employment Laws as America Returns to Work, May 8 (Alana Ackels, Jay Wallace, Tom Case)
- New Guidance for Reopening Offices in Texas May 18, May 6
- Mitigating the Risks from COVID-19 as America Returns to Work, April 29 (Jay Wallace, Alana Ackels, Sydnie Shimkus)
- Small Businesses May Qualify for Exemption from Paid Sick Leave Requirement, April 16 (Katie Beaird)
- Understanding the CARES Act: Employee Retention Credit, April 16 (Katie Beaird)
- Enhanced Unemployment Benefits Available Under CARES Act, April 2 (Alana Ackels, Sydnie Shimkus)
- Unemployment and Layoffs During the COVID-19 Pandemic, March 23 (Alana Ackels)
- COVID-19 Update for Employers, March 23 (Jay Wallace, Alana Ackels)
- What the Families First Coronavirus Response Act Means to Your Business, March 19 (Brent Hockaday)
- Concerns Regarding Layoffs Due to COVID-19, March 18 (Jay Wallace, Tom Case)
Litigation
- Insurers Have Edge In Georgia COVID-19 Coverage Fights, November 20, 2021 (Ross Williams)
- The Effect of COVID-19 on Existing Litigation, May 20 (Heath Cheek, Saba Syed, Brent Turman)
- Emerging COVID-Specific Business Interruption Litigation Issues in Texas, May 8 (Brent Turman, Ross Williams)
- Precautionary Measure Against COVID-19 Exposure Claims: Waiver of Liability, May 5 (Ross Williams, Jennice Lee)
- Completing Service of Process and Establishing Proof of Delivery in Light of COVID-19 Social Distancing Orders, April 3 (Randall Lindley, T.J. Hales)
- Force Majeure – The Biggest Buzz Term of Litigation in a COVID-19 World, March 30 (Craig Warner)
- Effective Mediation During COVID-19, March 25 (Perrin Fourmy, Dominic Cruciani)
- Planning for the Incoming Wave of COVID-19 Litigation, March 18 (Tammy Wood)
Mergers and Acquisitions
Real Estate
Tax
White Collar and Regulatory Defense
Events
- The Paycheck Protection Program and Civil Enforcement: The False Claims Act, SBA Compliance and the SEC, June 15, 2021 (Craig Warner)
- Voting in Texas During the Pandemic and Beyond, April 27, 2021 (Saba Syed)
- Employer COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions for 2021, April 27, 2021 (Alana Ackels, Mark Shoffner)
- Labor & Employment Conversations, January 28, 2021 (Alana Ackels, Ben Riemer)
- The Lasting Legal Impact of COVID: An Overview, December 17 (David Webster)
- Spotting the Red Flags: How to Protect Your Company from PPP Fraud Prosecution, December 11 (Jeff Ansley, Saba Syed)
- COVID-19 Impact on Cannabis: Industry Insights and Expectations, August 5 (Karen Hart)
- Legal Issues Impacting the Live Event and Entertainment Industries in the Wake of COVID-19, June 25 (Saba Syed, Brent Turman, Ira Perez)
- Legal Issues Impacting the Live Event and Entertainment Industries in the Wake of COVID-19, May 21 (Saba Syed, Brent Turman, Ira Perez)
- Legal Issues Impacting the Live Event and Entertainment Industries in the Wake of COVID-19, April 16 (Saba Syed, Brent Turman, Ira Perez)
- Preparing Leaders in Real Estate-How to Manage the Effects of COVID-19, April 15 (Karen Hart)
- Employment Law Webinar - Pandemic Style, April 14 (Alana Ackels, Mark Shoffner)
- COVID-19 - Impact on Oklahoma and Arkansas, April 8 (Karen Hart)
- Texas Mechanic's and Materialman's Liens in the COVID-19 World, April 7 (Randall Lindley)
- Panel on COVID-19 Impact on Legalink Law Firms, April 3 (Christopher Trowbridge)
- COVID-19: Force Majeure, Impossibility and Frustration of Purpose, April 1 (Karen Hart)
- Karen Hart Moderates COVID-19, Force Majeure Panel for ABA, March 31 (Karen Hart)
- COVID-19 Impact on Texas: Know Your Legal Rights, March 27 (Karen Hart, Randall Lindley)
- COVID-19 Business Legal Alert: Navigating the New Normal, March 26 (Karen Hart, Gwen Walraven)
- COVID-19 - Legal Update for Credit Professionals, March 25 (Karen Hart)
Related Media Coverage
- Bell Nunnally's Brent Hockaday Quoted on Retail Dive Regarding Impact of U.S. Supreme Court Vaccine Mandate Decisions, Retail Dive, January 14, 2022
- Bell Nunnally Partner Alana Ackels Quoted in "New York health-care workers who are fired for refusing to get vaccinated aren’t eligible for unemployment benefits — in most cases," MarketWatch, October 2, 2021
- Bell Nunnally's Alana Ackels on D CEO Digs into Texas Employer COVID Vaccination Mandates, D CEO, August 11, 2021
- Bell Nunnally Partner Alana Ackels Quoted in the New York Times Regarding Updated CDC Mask Guidance Affecting Workplaces, The New York Times, July 28, 2021
- Bell Nunnally Partner Alana Ackels Quoted in SHRM Article Looking at Issues for Employers as Country Reopens, Starts to Demask, Society for Human Resources Management, June 4, 2021
- Bell Nunnally's Heath Cheek, Brent Hockaday and Katie Beaird on Texas Lawyer Look at Texas' Pending Liability Shield Legislation, Texas Lawyer, May 24, 2021
- Bell Nunnally Managing Partner Chris Trowbridge in Texas Lawyer Firm Leader Q+A Talks 2020's Perseverance and 2021's Promise, Texas Lawyer, May 11, 2021
- Bell Nunnally's Heath Cheek and Dominic Cruciani Explore on D CEO Healthcare Texas' Reopening, Mask Mandate Ending and Return-to-Work Issues for Employers, D CEO Healthcare, April 7, 2021
- Bell Nunnally's Saba Syed and Dominic Cruciani on Texas Lawyer Break Down American Rescue Plan, Impact in Texas, Texas Lawyer, April 6, 2021
- Bell Nunnally's Jeff Cash Breaks Down M&A Challenges, Opportunities During a Pandemic, The Texas Lawbook, January 26, 2021
- Brent Turman and T.J. Hales Explore on D Magazine Biometrics Expansion During COVID-19 and Regulations in Texas, D Magazine, December 18, 2021
- Bell Nunnally's Brent Turman Quoted on Dallas Morning News Regarding Movie Theater Reopening Challenges, Dallas Morning News, December 2, 2020
- Partner Ross Williams Quoted on Law360 Regarding Developments in Business Interruption Litigation, Law360, October 23, 2020
- Litigator and Entertainment Attorney Brent Turman Quoted on CNBC Regarding Movie Theater Reopen Struggles, CNBC, October 6, 2020
- Parker Burns Featured on NPR Regarding Pro Bono Representation of Tenant Infected by COVID-19 Now Facing Eviction, Loss of Extra Unemployment Benefits, NPR, July 24, 2020
- Jeff Ansley, Arianna Goodman and Katherine Devlin on D Magazine Look at COVID-19 Health Care Regulatory Waivers Nationally and in Texas, D Magazine, July 14, 2020
- Ross Williams Quoted in Dallas Morning News Regarding COVID-19 Liability in the Workplace, Dallas Morning News, July 13, 2020
- Ross Williams Comments on Houston's FOX 26 COVID-19 Liability Waivers, FOX 26 Houston, June 16, 2020
- Kris Hill Looks at Non-Competes in the Age of COVID-19, Bloomberg Law, June 22, 2020
- Alana Ackels on Texas Lawyer Looks at "Layoffs and Unemployment Basics" During COVID-19, Texas Lawyer, April 13, 2020
- Ross Williams and Mason Jones on Dallas Business Journal Look at Business Interruption Insurance During COVID-19, Dallas Business Journal, April 7, 2020
- Alana Ackels, Mark Shoffner and Mason Jones on Texas Lawbook Offer a COVID-19 Update for Employers, Texas Lawbook, March 27, 2020
- Partner Ross Williams Quoted in Washington Post on Business Interruption Insurance and COVID-19, Washington Post, April 2, 2020
