The COVID-19 pandemic continues to present challenges to business owners across nearly all industries, even as a return to normalcy is in sight.  Widespread economic losses have been incurred, some of which may be covered by commonly held insurance policies.  In light of applicable statutes of limitation that vary state-to-state, as well as policy-imposed limitations […]

A new state grant program will provide up to $10,000 in relief to eligible small businesses struggling due to the COVID-19 outbreak. “We are committed to helping small businesses across our state survive this unprecedented crisis, Governor Phil Murphy said. “A stronger and fairer New Jersey starts from the bottom up. The Small Business Lease […]

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the risk of commercial tenants filing for bankruptcy protection has risen substantially.  A concern for many commercial landlords is whether avenues exist for protecting their ability to initiate an action against tenants when they default on their lease obligations and file for bankruptcy protection. Below is a syllabus of […]

Earlier this month, the New Jersey Legislature made further changes to the state’s labor and employment laws in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.  In particular, the Legislature amended the Family Leave Act and the Millville Dallas Airmotive Plant Job Loss Notification Act (commonly known as the “NJ WARN Act”).  These changes directly impact the rights […]

The unprecedented events and dynamic changes necessitated as a response to COVID-19 have left many businesses grasping for a way to get a handle on the current situation. The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of New Jersey (AASP/NJ) turned to Ansell Grimm & Aaron PC’s Joshua Bauchner and Rahool Patel to get some guidance.  The […]

On April 3, 2020, the federal government unveiled the Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP), an undertaking intended to assist small businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic by providing them loans, and at the same time, incentivizing keeping employees on the payroll. What Businesses Qualify for Loans? The loans are available from existing SBA lenders to businesses with […]

Numerous companies are facing dramatic and unprecedented circumstances as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. To stay afloat, businesses are being forced to reduce their staffing at varying levels, decrease employee hours and salaries, and unfortunately, in many instances, eliminate staff altogether. In fact, in many states, including New Jersey, businesses deemed “non-essential” have been […]

Many leases contain a force majeure clause which, traditionally, excused performance by the tenant due to extraordinary circumstances or an Act of God. Perhaps not surprisingly, the law is ambiguous as to the effect of a force majeure clause in the face of the current pandemic: in sum, does the pandemic permit invocation of the […]

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, lawmakers in New Jersey and New York have amended the labor and employment laws of their respective states to provide greater protections to employees during this unprecedented time.  A brief summary is provided below:   New Jersey On March 20, 2020, Governor Phil Murphy signed Assembly Bill 3848 (“A3848”) […]

While we are facing a global crisis in connection with the Coronavirus, or COVID-19 pandemic, life as we know it has been significantly disrupted. Small businesses are struggling to stay afloat, especially those that have been made to work remotely, close their doors entirely, or substantially limit their business operations by order of state and […]