COVID-19 Response Blog

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By: Mayer Brown

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Melissa A. Anyetei
Sandor A. Callahan
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Julie A. Gillespie
Gary A. Isaac
Paul A. Jorissen
Kim A. Leffert
Gordon A. Palmquist
Mark A. Prinsley
Elizabeth A. Raymond
Nathan A. Rice
Cecilia A. Roth
Jonathan A. Sambur
Yash A. Shah
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Alexandra Aninoiu
Kohshi Arnold Itagaki
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Latest from COVID-19 Response Blog

Economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic have led to an unprecedented global financial crisis with no end in sight. When it comes to stabilizing the financial system, the US president and his Democratic challenger have different approaches in mind. A second Trump administration would continue to see a loosening in financial regulation, while the Biden campaign has pledged to build on the Dodd-Frank Act, reflecting the major policy differences between Democrats and Republicans, as discussed…
Dress suits now occupy a dark corner of the closet, while sweatpants and jeans are the daily clothing choices for those of us working from home. This seismic wardrobe shift is having a profound effect across the global supply chain, impacting everyone from sheep farmers to business attire chains. London-based Litigation & Dispute Resolution partner James Whitaker confesses to not having purchased any office wear in 2020 in an October 15 Reuters article. “I…
A Kansas liberal arts college dropped a proposed class action against a national insurer, which alleged that the carrier did not cover financial losses related to COVID-19. As a result of the pandemic, Benedictine College had shut down campus activities and dorms and refunded students over $1 million in room-and-board fees. As detailed in an October 15 Law360 article, Zurich American Insurance Co. successfully urged the Kansas federal court to drop the suit, stating…
One of the top 10 issues affecting US immigration in the next 100 days will depend on the outcome of lawsuits challenging an overhaul of the eligibility, wage levels, and employment rules for the H-1B visa category, which governs the hiring of highly-skilled workers by US employers across industries. Today a leading group of business associations, including the US Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers, Bay Area Council, and National Retail Federation, as well…
Mayer Brown Employment & Benefits partners Duncan Abate and Hong Tran (both Hong Kong) predict few employers will move forward with mass employee COVID-19 testing. According to Duncan and Hong, once employers carry out individual risk assessments, many will likely avoid making testing a requirement, outside of those in the most at-risk industries. In an October 13 HR Magazine article, Duncan and Hong lay out several important questions for employers to consider when deciding…
After a period of relative leniency in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, bank regulators in the coming months are expected to begin taking a tougher stance and imposing stiffer penalties for COVID-19-related money laundering activities. In an October 7 article in S&P Global Market Intelligence, Paris-based counsel Joydeep Sengupta, a member of Mayer Brown’s Compliance, Regulatory & Investigations team, explains how in 2021, regulators are on track to focus on large-scale fraud cases…
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Executive Summary The Trump Administration has introduced long-anticipated changes to the H-1B visa program for highly-skilled foreign workers, aimed at tightening eligibility for STEM talent working at major US employers, including by imposing a rigid requirement that any job offered to an H-1B worker require a single specific degree in a subspecialty, and that each H-1B candidate have that specific degree to qualify. The changes, some of which come under immediate effect and all of…
Mayer Brown is among several law firms that have adjusted summer associate recruitment plans as a result of the pandemic. In an October 6 Business Insider article, attorney recruitment manager Susanne Schaeffer said the firm has increased its participation in on campus interviews, which are largely taking place virtually. The firm is also getting creative with student outreach, utilizing a new online application system and meet-and-greet breakout rooms over Zoom. Read the article on Business …
The White House has announced issuance of two new rules, both of which will take effect immediately upon publication in the Federal Register:  The Department of Homeland Security’s H-1B rule,  “Strengthening the H-1B Non-immigrant Visa Classification Program,” which has been on the DHS regulatory agenda for many years, including its first appearance in Fall 2017 under the current administration.  It has since appeared in every other regulatory agenda since then, including Spring 2018, Fall 2018,…
The US District Court for the Northern District of California has issued an order temporarily enjoining President Trump’s proclamation suspending the entry of certain temporary workers.  On June 22, 2020, President Trump signed Proclamation 10052, Section 2 of which suspended the entry of foreign nationals seeking admission in four visa categories of substantial importance to US companies—H-1B, L-1, H-2B, and certain J-1 visas—for the remainder of the calendar year and laid the groundwork for regulatory…