Publications

• CARES Act Provides Mortgage Relief Options

  April 24, 2020

  Under the recently enacted CARES Act, homeowners, rental property owners, and renters may be eligible for mortgage relief options. To be protected against foreclosures, the mortgage must be federally owned or otherwise backed by one of the federal agencies. To understand who owns or backs your mortgage, you can call your servicer. The servicer has […]

• Business, Interrupted: Does Insurance Cover Your Business Losses Due to COVID-19?

  April 20, 2020

  If your business has business interruption insurance and has shut down due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, there are at least three steps you should take now in order to understand what coverage your policy may provide and to protect any possible rights you may have. Three Critical Factors to Understand Your Business Interruption Insurance […]

• Environmental Enforcement Discretion Amid the COVID-19 Crisis

  April 17, 2020

  Environmental regulators have issued discretionary environmental enforcement guidance in recognition that the COVID-19 pandemic will compromise or even prevent environmental compliance in certain circumstances. In response to the debilitating combination of worker shortages, closure of non-essential businesses, and stay-at-home orders, EPA has issued a new enforcement policy, and Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes and […]

• The Impact of COVID-19 on Evictions

  April 16, 2020

  The most likely impact of the economic shutdown due to COVID-19 will be a rise in evictions, loan defaults and bankruptcy filings.  While financial institutions, lessors and suppliers can be expected to work with many of their clients during this crisis, it is anticipated that not all businesses will survive. Last week, Crain’s Detroit reported […]

• Healthcare Workers and First Responders Eligible for Workers’ Compensation for COVID-19 Exposure

  April 15, 2020

  Michigan has taken steps to mitigate the financial risks that healthcare workers and first responders face by continuing to serve the rest of us.  Under this revised Emergency Rule, issued on March 30 by the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, “first response employees” diagnosed with COVID-19 by test or by a physician are presumptively eligible […]

• Environmental Due Diligence During the COVID-19 Pandemic

  April 10, 2020

  There are a number of challenges with conducting environmental due diligence for commercial real estate transactions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Government restrictions including shelter-in-place orders and social distancing guidelines present obstacles for completing key requirements of a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (“Phase I ESA”), Phase II sampling, a baseline environmental assessment (“BEA”) and due […]

• Executive Order Provides Immunity to Health Care Providers During COVID-19

  April 10, 2020

  A measure of relief has been afforded to health care providers on the frontlines of the battle in the COVID-19 pandemic.  On March 29, 2020 the Governor issued Executive Order 2020-30 (“EO-30”) containing a number of provisions designed to support and enhance the ability of health care providers to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.  One […]

• Executive Order Permits Remote Notarization for Real Estate Transactions

  April 9, 2020

  Under Executive Order NO. 2020-41, Governor Whitmer permits a remote notarization to minimize interaction and facilitate working remotely during Stay Home, Stay Safe.  Real Estate transactions are required by law to comply with rules and procedures that includes requiring a notary to be physically present.  Under this Executive Order, the requirement that a notary must […]

• Court of Appeals Holds That Radiology Technician is Not Capable of Committing Malpractice

  April 8, 2020

  Whether a claim sounds in ordinary negligence or medical malpractice can have a significant impact on the viability of a plaintiff’s claim and the scope of damages available in the action. For a claim to sound in malpractice, the defendant must be an individual or entity capable of committing professional negligence as defined in MCL […]

• IRS People First Initiative Temporarily Adjusts Tax Compliance Programs

  April 6, 2020

  The Internal Revenue Service announced The People First Initiative (IRS Notice 2020-59) which seeks to provide relief on a variety of issues ranging from easing payment guidelines to postponing compliance actions as a response to financial hardships caused by COVID-19. The temporary changes include postponing certain payments related to Installment Agreements and Offers in Compromise, […]