The Franchise Memorandum

Franchisors and distributors across the country are confronting a myriad of challenges and pressures related to the spread of COVID-19. Lathrop GPM has established a cross-disciplinary team to provide alerts, articles, and other resources to help clients navigate these uncertain times. Some of the following may be of particular interest to franchisors and distribution-based businesses:

Webinars:

• Insurance Recovery 101 for Franchisors: Maximizing Your Coverage (Including COVID-19 Related Losses) by Insurance Recovery Practice Group Leader Kim Winter, Insurance Recovery Partner Rick Kubler, and Franchise Partner Craig Miller
• COVID-19 Webinar: The Employer’s Perspective by Megan Anderson, Neil Goldsmith, Mark Mathison, and Brian Woolley
• What You Need to Know About the CARES Act by Jeff Peterson, Andrew Hogenson, Daryn McBeth, and Sarah Duniway

covid-19 Legal updates:

• Employment Alert: Employer Documentation Required to Support New Paid Leaves, and Related Tax Credits, Detailed by DOL and IRS by Brian Woolley, Megan Anderson and Garrett Pratt
• Insurance Recovery Alert: Will Business Interruption Losses From COVID-19 Be Covered By My Insurance? by Kim Winter and Noah Nash
• E-Business Alert: Using E-Commerce to Survive COVID-19 by Michael Cohen
• Litigation Alert: COVID 19 – Restrictive Covenants and Trade Secret Protection During the “New Normal” by Kate O'Hara Gasper and Jennifer Hannah
• Litigation Alert: The Invisible Customer – What Owners Should Consider If a Customer Later Tests Positive for COVID-19 by Danielle Twait and Patricia Lehtinen Silva
• Food Alert: FDA Eases Enforcement of Nutrition Labeling Rules for the Restaurant Industry by Julia Dayton Klein
• CARES Act Update: COVID-19 Federal Loan Assistance Programs by Andrew Hogenson
• CARES Act Reference: Overview of SBA Loan Programs Under the 2020 CARES Act
• Insurance Recovery Blog Post: Coverage for Coronavirus Claims by Alexandra Roje in The Road to Insurance Recovery
• Franchise Update: Franchisor’s Response to the Coronavirus Threat by Michael Gray
• Essential Business Update: Executive Orders Requiring Stay-At-Home/Shelter-In-Place With Exceptions for 'Essential Businesses' by Nicholas Anderson and David Morehouse
• Essential Business Reference: State by State Table for Determining 'Essential Businesses' During Shelter-In-Place by Nicholas Anderson and David Morehouse
• Technology Update: Cybersecurity for a Remote Workforce by Tedrick Housh and Michael Cohen

Lathrop GPM’s COVID-19 Response Team in the News:

• "Franchise System Responses to the Coronavirus," International Franchise Association (IFA) article by Franchise Partner Michael Sturm
• "Revisiting Franchise Agreements In Light Of COVID-19," Law360 article by Franchise Partner Michael Gray
• "10 Suggestions for Franchise Systems on How They Can Respond to the Coronavirus Crisis," Global Franchise article by Franchise Partner Michael Sturm
• "Restaurant Expert Q&A: COVID-19 Bigger than Great Recession," Food on Demand article featuring Franchise Partner Ryan Palmer

For additional updates and resources, visit the Lathrop GPM COVID-19 Client Resource website.