A Pennsylvania Supreme Court Decision may help policyholders seeking claims coverage for COVID-19 losses. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court recently issued an opinion that provides helpful language that policyholders and their counsel will likely cite in support of arguments for insurance Continue Reading
True Colors Shining Through: Update on Protection for Product Packaging
Brands have long struggled to protect product and packaging designs from competitors and copycats seeking to trade on their looks. But even after committing significant resources to creating a design that will resonate with the public, companies may find it hard to convince the U.S. Patent and Continue Reading
COVID-19 Labor & Employment Frequently Asked Questions
As the COVID-19 pandemic expands, disrupting lives of everyone around the globe, employers should keep a few guiding principles in mind. Keep up with and follow the best public health advice available. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has guidance for businesses here; state Continue Reading
SBA Provides Answers to PPP Loan Forgiveness in Newly Released Forgiveness Application
The Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) has provided more than half a trillion dollars in potentially forgivable loans to small businesses trying to weather the medical and economic storm caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the efforts to control and contain it. As a part of the CARES Act, the PPP Continue Reading
Transportation of Energy
With few exceptions, the transportation of natural gas, electricity, and oil is accomplished under the jurisdiction of a federal or state regulatory agency. The rates, terms, and conditions of such transportation traditionally have been set forth in filed rate schedules or tariffs. Retail rates for Continue Reading
Some Brands Have All the Luck
The Supreme Court has now resolved a nearly 20-year legal battle between Lucky Brand Dungarees and Marcel Fashions Group over their respective trademarks. The ruling is important to trademark owners because it reinforces how changes in trademark use over time and the likelihood of confusion between Continue Reading
How USPTO Examiner Type Affects Patents: Part 1
Patent procurement at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is affected by the type of examiner. We gathered data from the LexisNexis PatentAdvisor database for each year from 2009 to 2019, for examiners in each of eight nondesign Tech Centers at the USPTO. Examiners are categorized into Continue Reading
Main Street Lending Program Expanded by Federal Reserve
On April 30, 2020, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve updated the proposed terms of the Main Street Lending Program by publishing three term sheets and frequently asked questions (the “FAQs”). The updated terms of the program will have an impact on how useful this program may be to Continue Reading
The Evolution of Contract Financing: Resurrecting Performance-Based Payments Under Fixed-Price Contracts
Loan Modifications and Forbearance Agreements in the Age of COVID-19
Although the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to impact the economy, numerous commercial borrowers have begun contacting their lenders about either actual or anticipated defaults on their loans, seeking payment deferrals, interest-only periods on amortizing loans, temporary or permanent modification Continue Reading