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Amid COVID-19, Are Business Law Matters Moving Forward?

As COVID-19 unleashed a health crisis on an international scale, an economic crisis has also occurred and has impacted every single Californian/American. While COVID-19’s stay-at-home orders and social distancing requirements are still in place in Southern California, questions concerning legal matters have continued well through March, April, and May, 2020. These are some of the most frequently asked questions:

Question: Are business law matters moving forward?

Answer: Yes, absolutely. Here are a few issues and matters that have come across our desks the last few months:

  • I’m opening up a new business, can you help me with the formation process and starting that up?
  • I’m in need of a loan, can you help review my promissory note?
  • I need help navigating the Payment Protection Program (PPP). Can you assist in helping how to maximize this opportunity?
  • My business will need to temporarily close due to COVID-19. What do I need to get in place in order to do this while limiting liability?
  • I’m merging my business and its resources with another local business, can you help with the paperwork involved?
  • Operations have impacted our business only a little, we need help navigating new additional requirements from regulating agencies involved in our industry.
  • My business is still closed but I need to get a few contracts in order, can those be ready in a week or two?
  • My business partner has died and we had no business succession planning in place, the spouse and I need help determining what happens to the business partner’s share
  • I’m looking to secure a business succession plan and have no idea where to start. In case I die, I want my children to inherit the business and if they don’t want it, look for a buyer. Can you help?
  • I don’t know that my operations will make it beyond COVID-19. Can you help assess our business and provide some guidance as to how to either proceed or close our doors.
  • I’d like to file a suit against a non-paying customer and understand the court’s are closed. What are my options?
  • An employee has filed unemployment, but I let him go because he was a bad apple. Is there a way to restrict benefits?
  • During this downtime I have really ramped up my marketing and creating a brand. Can you help protect that and get things in order so that when business re-opens I can have things protected and in place?
  • My commercial landlord is not providing rent relief during COVID-19. What can I do?
  • I operate in a business focused primarily in social gatherings. How can I minimize my losses and adjust to this new normal?

Clearly these are paraphrased but this is a brief, incomplete list of the legal inquiries that have come through this law firm amid COVID-19. For some business owners, it has been a matter of adjusting their operations to new areas of work or entirely new industries. For others, it is business as usual, just slightly delayed or altered.  If you need help with business matters, call in and let’s determine how this office can help.