News & Events

At the Connecticut Bar Association’s Annual Meeting on September 14th, Attorney Donald W. Doeg will serve as the moderator for the Construction Law Section’s presentation.  The topics will include a discussion of critical judicial decisions in the construction law industry over the past year and their potential impact on the construction field, as well as a presentation regarding the impact of COVID-19 on the construction industry in Connecticut.  To learn more about the annual meeting and the C ...

On August 8, 2020, President Trump signed an executive memorandum directing “the Secretary of the Treasury to use his authority to defer certain payroll tax obligations with respect to the American workers most in need.”  In response to the executive memorandum, the IRS issued guidance on the evening of August 28, 2020 in the form of IRS Notice 2020-65.    Generally, employees are required to pay a 6.2% Social Security tax on wages up to a certain limit ($137,700 for year 2020).  These amounts ...

            The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (the “CDC”) issued a new Agency Order to be published on September 4, 2020 concerning the Temporary Halt in Residential Evictions to Prevent the Further Spread of COVID-19. Based on the rationale that evictions exacerbate the spread of infectious disease by causing homelessness and forcing individuals and families to move into congregate settings, the CDC issued a temporary moratorium on all residential evictions through De ...

The Connecticut Supreme Court will hear cases from September 8 – 18 of 2020, which will kick off the Supreme Court’s First Term for the 2020-2021 year. The attorneys at Updike, Kelly & Spellacy, P.C. continuously monitor the Supreme Court docket and have identified four cases of particular interest in the First Term.   CITY OF MERIDEN et al. v. FREEDOM OF INFORMATION COMMISSION et al., SC 20378  This case involved a gathering between four political leaders of the Meriden City Council in w ...

On August 27, 2020, The U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) published an updated list of frequently asked questions concerning employees’ eligibility for paid leave under the Families First Coronavirus Reponses Act (“FFCRA”) in conjunction with the reopening of schools and the various formats for learning in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.   The FAQs contain clarification regarding an employee’s eligibility to take paid leave under the FFCRA in instances when an employee’s child attends school ...

On August 21, 2020, Governor Ned Lamont issued his Executive Order No. 7OOO, which provides a potpourri of extensions and modifications of several previous Executive Orders. Specifically, EO 7OOO pertains to outdoor dining, credit for liquor permittees, evictions, and defaults and nonsuits in civil and family matters. Extension of Expansion of Outdoor DiningExecutive Order No. 7MM, which provided for expedited review and an easing of restrictions in order to allow for outdoor dining, has been ...

Final Title IX Regulations Take Effect On August 14, 2020, new federal regulations under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 went into effect, which further establish how education programs or activities that receive Federal financial assistance, including colleges and independent schools, shall respond to complaints on sexual misconduct. Colleges The new regulations indicate that colleges are required to address sexual misconduct that occurs on campus and in college programs, but do ...

On August 24, 2020, the U.S. Small Business Administration issued an interim final rule providing guidance on the Paycheck Protection Program under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”). The interim final rule addresses topics such as the owner-employee compensation rule, shared spaces with tenants or sub-tenants, and loan forgiveness eligibility for rent payments to related parties. The interim final rule can be accessed here. Owner-Employee Compensation Rule ...

August 20, 2020  On August 8, 2020, the President issued an Executive Order and three Executive Memorandums aimed at providing relief following the expiration of the federal unemployment boost and other provisions of the CARES Act that expired.  Executive Order on Fighting the Spread of COVID-19 by Providing Assistance to Renters and Homeowners  This Executive Order, in response to the increased risk of residential evictions and foreclosures during the COVID-19 pandemic, directs the Secretary ...

On July 24, 2020, Governor Lamont enacted Executive Order 7JJJ.  The Order, in part, creates a rebuttable presumption of eligibility for workers’ compensation that an employee contracted COVID-19 as an occupational disease arising out of and in the course of such employee’s employment if (1) the employee initiates a claim for payment of workers’ compensation benefits and (2) the employee missed a day or more of work between March 10, 2020 and May 20, 2020 due to a diagnosis of COVID-19, or due t ...