According to a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) study reported in Health Affairs on March 24, 2020, national health care spending reached $3.81 trillion in 2019 and is projected to increase to $4.01 trillion by the end of 2020.  CMS also projects that by 2028, health care spending will reach $6.19 trillion, and

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On July 24, 2020, the California Department of Public Health (“CDPH”) issued guidance entitled “COVID-19 Employer Playbook For a Safe Reopening.”  The CDPH then revised the 32-page Employer Playbook a week later, on July 31st.  A link to the most up-to-date guidance is available here.

The stated purpose of the Employer Playbook is to…

According to a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) study reported in Health Affairs on March 24, 2020, national health care spending reached $3.81 trillion in 2019 and is projected to increase to $4.01 trillion by the end of 2020.  CMS also projects that by 2028, health care spending will reach $6.19 trillion, and

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During the first few months of the COVID-19 lockdown, with virtually all major sporting events cancelled, sports betting and gambling companies turned their eyes toward the esports universe in search of a solution. While initially large scale esports events were also cancelled, professional gaming competitions soon began taking place online. As one of the only

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The U.S. government has prioritized oversight and enforcement of cases related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sheppard Mullin’s COVID-19 Oversight & Enforcement Response Team is tracking new federal enforcement actions related to the COVID-19 in areas including fraud under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Stability Act (CARES Act) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), hoarding and…

California’s Proposition 13 prevents the assessed value of California real property from increasing by more than 2% per year, unless there is a change of ownership or completion of new construction.  On November 3, 2020, California voters will decide whether most commercial and industrial property should be removed from the protections of Proposition 13, with

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In a July 21, 2020 American Hospital Association (“AHA”) Press Release, the AHA announced the results of a new analysis prepared by Kaufman, Hall & Associates, LLC that, “highlights the dire impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the financial health of hospitals and health systems.”  According to the Press Release, the analysis shows that,

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In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, many employers have been forced to conduct staff layoffs as businesses were closed in compliance with shelter-in-place orders and subsequently rehire employees as lockdown restrictions have been lifted. One concern employers should bear in mind is how the layoffs and later rehiring of employees impact the enforceability of any

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Most employers wrestling with COVID-19 related employment law issues aren’t paying much attention to the labor law issues arising out of the pandemic.  Indeed, because most U.S. employers are non-union, many operate under the mistaken belief that they fall outside the reach of the National Labor Relations Act (Act or NLRA) and don’t have to…

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused severe disruption, distress and uncertainty for companies across almost every industry. While this initially resulted in a substantial slow-down in the M&A market, transactional activity is expected to accelerate in certain areas as the economy begins to recover; for example, we expect to see more carveouts by companies that seek

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The COVID-19 pandemic has caused severe disruption, distress and uncertainty for companies across almost every industry. While this initially resulted in a substantial slow-down in the M&A market, transactional activity is expected to accelerate in certain areas as the economy begins to recover; for example, we expect to see more carveouts by companies that seek

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Beginning July 27, 2020, Virginia will become one of the first states to implement comprehensive, mandatory safety regulations for employees returning to work during and post-COVID.  In a press release last week, Governor Ralph Northam announced that the Virginia Safety and Health Codes Board had voted to adopt an emergency temporary standard, §16VAC25-220,

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Many areas of the country are experiencing resurgences of COVID-19, and it is foreseeable that second and perhaps third waves of the virus will hit pockets of the country throughout the remainder of 2020. As healthcare organizations struggle to balance their continued response efforts to the pandemic, with preparations for future waves, we have received

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On July 17, 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) announced it will begin distributing $10 billion in a second round of funding to hospitals operating in high impact COVID-19 areas. The distribution is anticipated to begin as early as today, Monday, July 20, 2020. Hospitals with over 161 COVID-19 admissions between January…

It would be an understatement to say that the COVID-19 pandemic impacted transactional activity for buyers and sellers across a range of industries, the hemp and cannabis merger and acquisition (“M&A”) space being no exception.  In particular, the current period of COVID-19 volatility in the hemp and cannabis space is marked by numerous consequential outcomes,

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