The New York Law Journal has highlighted the promotion of three counsels to partner and the promotion of five associates to counsel.

Tarter Krinsky & Drogin is pleased to announce the promotion of the below three counsels to partner and the promotion of five associates to counsel.

On January 20, 2021, President Biden appointed Charlotte A. Burrows as Chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

On January 21, 2021, President Biden issued an executive order requiring the issuance of revised guidance to employers for workplace safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On December 27, 2020, the President signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (the Act). The Act is wide-sweeping in its breadth at over 5,500 pages and provides the annual funding for the federal government. Importantly, for many small businesses, the Act contains several important rules providing further relief for those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, including revisions to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). For purposes of this alert, we will highlight some of the PPP provisions we believe will be of interest to employers.

On December 27, 2020, the President signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (the Act). The Act, among many other things, expands the employee retention tax credit and includes favorable changes to other employer-related tax provisions.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (the Act) signed by the President on December 27, 2020, includes a second round of funding for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). It also contains an important provision specifically including “housing cooperatives” as eligible applicants for PPP funding.

As we start a new year, we would like to share with you some of our most popular legal alerts from 2020. Our top alerts range from bankruptcy, construction, COVID-19, labor & employment, immigration, trusts & estates, corporate & securities, litigation and intellectual property, reflecting the broad array of our full-service practice. We hope that our alerts have been helpful to you and your colleagues, and demonstrate our commitment to providing important information to you.

In a highly anticipated decision, Judge Ronnie Abrams of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, in Melendez v. The City of New York, dismissed a challenge to the “Guaranty Law” and related legislation that was enacted by the New York City Council in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Foreign nationals who find themselves in the United States during the holiday season who wish to return abroad for family visits during the time of COVID-19 must keep in mind the travel restrictions and bans to ensure their uninterrupted and smooth return to the United States.

Under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the Small Business Administration (SBA) is tasked with administering the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the loan program intended to allow employers to continue to pay their employees and assist with certain other expenses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.On October 2, 2020, the SBA released a procedural notice (Notice) – available here – addressed to SBA employees and PPP lenders clarifying the required procedures for changes of ownership of an entity that has received PPP funds.

With the COVID-19 pandemic ongoing now for close to six months, U.S. permanent residents and conditional permanent residents caught outside the United States due to COVID-19 are experiencing significant challenges in making return travel plans home to the United States.

The COVID-19 global pandemic has created additional health and safety considerations for employers, who as it is, already have a general duty to provide a safe working environment. As businesses and employers prioritize the health, safety, and well-being of their employees and workers, their families, and the wider community, through updating and maintaining their required written Reopening Safety Plans, they are also focusing on disseminating written COVID-19-related workplace policies.

Under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the Small Business Administration is tasked with administering the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the loan program intended to allow employers to continue to pay their employees and assist with certain other expenses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston announced the Main Street Lending Program is “now fully operational, ready to purchase participations in eligible loans that are submitted to the program by registered lenders.”

New York City entered Phase III of reopening on Monday, July 6, 2020. However, indoor dining was postponed in New York City due to concerns regarding the risk of spreading COVID-19.

Under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the Small Business Administration (SBA) is tasked with administering the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the loan program intended to allow employers to continue to pay their employees and assist with certain other expenses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

On June 4, 2020, the Internal Revenue Service issued Notice 2020-39, which provides temporary relief to qualified opportunity funds (QOFs) and their investors as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston announced changes to the Main Street Lending Program (Program) to allow more small and medium-sized businesses to be able to participate in the Program. 

The Federal Reserve recently announced that the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston has set up the special purpose vehicle (SPV) to purchase participations in loans originated by eligible lenders under the Main Street Lending Program (Program). In addition, Program loan participation agreement, form borrower and lender certifications, and other required form agreements are now available on the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston’s Main Street Lending Program Forms and Agreements website. The Federal Reserve also updated its Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), dated May 27, 2020.

On June 5, 2020, President Trump signed H.R. 7010 (the Bill), which the Senate had unanimously passed. The Bill amends several provisions of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo recently announced phased reopening of businesses, with the construction industry included in Phase 1. The Governor’s announcement means project owners in New York should prepare for construction to restart. Given the long pause of most projects in New York, contractors and subcontractors will first report to their most profitable projects where payments are made timely.  We recommend that owners consider taking the following steps before the construction ban is lifted to successfully restart their projects.

For certain small businesses, non-profits and landlords who did not receive a Paycheck Protection Program loan or an Economic Injury Disaster Loan from the Small Business Administration, New York State is making available loans under the New York Forward Loan Fund (NYFLF). The NYFLF is a new economic recovery loan program aimed at supporting New York State’s small businesses, non-profits and landlords as they reopen after the COVID-19 outbreak and New York State on PAUSE.

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell announced on May 19, 2020, before a Senate Committee that the Main Street Lending Program (Program) is anticipated to be launched around the end of May. Prospective borrowers should be preparing for making loan applications with participating lenders when the Program commences.

On May 26, 2020, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio signed the City Council’s bill No.1932-A (the Personal Liability Bill). The Personal Liability Bill adds a new section 22-1005 to the administrative code of the City of New York, suspending the enforcement of personal liability provisions for certain commercial tenants affected by the COVID-19 crisis.

On May 22, 2020, the Small Business Administration (SBA), in consultation with the U.S. Department of Treasury, published an interim final rule (the Review Guidance) to supplement previous Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan forgiveness guidance. The Review Guidance is intended to establish the standards by which the SBA will investigate whether a loan met program requirements and the circumstances under which it will be released from liability on a guarantee for such a loan.

On May 22, 2020, the Small Business Administration, in consultation with the U.S. Department of Treasury, published an interim final rule to supplement previous Paycheck Protection Program loan forgiveness guidance.

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell announced on May 19, 2020, before a Senate Committee that the Main Street Lending Program (Program) is anticipated to be launched around the end of May. Prospective borrowers should be preparing for making loan applications with participating lenders when the Program commences.

One need not have a specialized “barometer” to anticipate an onslaught of partnership storms for closely held businesses. Similar to the way in which sociologists and family counselors have predicted unfortunate spikes in marital divorce rates across the nation, all largely the result of our global pandemic and our ongoing attempts to adjust to this so-called “new normal,” we too have seen increased rancor among business partners. Interestingly, the unrest is not limited to businesses that are failing or otherwise suffering. Regrettably, we are also seeing increased partner discord in healthy thriving enterprises.

On May 15, 2020, the Small Business Administration, in consultation with the U.S. Department of Treasury released the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan Forgiveness Application (the Forgiveness Application) and detailed instructions for the Forgiveness Application. To apply for PPP loan forgiveness, the borrower must complete the Forgiveness Application and submit the completed application and required documentation to its lender.

Under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the Small Business Administration (SBA) is tasked with administering the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the loan program intended to allow employers to continue to pay their employees and assist with certain other expenses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.As the PPP went into immediate effect without the standard comment period, the SBA continues to issue additional guidance in the form of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and responses as well as Interim Final Rules (IFRs). The most recently updated FAQs, current as of May 13, 2020, are available here and the most recently issued IFRs are available here. Importantly, the U.S. government will not challenge lender PPP actions that conform to the FAQs, and to IFRs and any subsequent rulemaking in effect at the time.

Under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the Small Business Administration (SBA) is tasked with administering the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the loan program intended to allow employers to continue to pay their employees and assist with certain other expenses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

On May 7, 2020, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo signed Executive Order No. 202.28 (the Executive Order), extending the existing moratorium on evictions and foreclosures for an additional 60 days. The Executive Order also extended time periods set forth in certain prior executive orders, including tolling all statutes of limitations until June 6, 2020.

Under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the Small Business Administration (SBA) is tasked with administering the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the loan program intended to allow employers to continue to pay their employees and assist with certain other expenses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. As the PPP went into immediate effect without the standard comment period, the SBA continues to issue additional guidance in the form of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and responses. The most recently updated FAQs, current as of May 6, 2020, are available here. Importantly, the government will not challenge actions that borrowers and lenders take consistent with the guidance in effect at the time.

Under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the Small Business Administration (SBA) is tasked with administering the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the loan program intended to allow employers to continue to pay their employees and assist with certain other expenses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.