COVID-19 Advisory Service

Healthcare and Patient Safety Issues
We are working with clients on formulating policies and making it easier to balance treatment with finite resources. We are helping with social care policies and day to day activities such as contact and isolation, human rights issues and life/death decisions. 

We are working on notifications of harm and death, RIDDOR, CQC compliance, judicial review, infection control law and grappling with the new regulations and guidance.

Construction and Engineering Contracts
Advice on amendments to standard forms for planned projects and for current projects advice on delay, disruption, increased costs, variations and termination.

Commercial Contracts
Advice on the impact and implications of COVID–19 on commercial contracting issues such as contractor performance, delays, notice issues, KPIs, outputs and deliverables, as well as force majeure, variations and contract negotiation.

Commercial Litigation
Advice on considering or responding to claims for contractual non-performance, the exercise of force majeure clauses or subsequent insolvency risk. Support with understanding your rights, including the duty to mitigate, and available remedies,.

Data Protection
Advice on the lawful processing of data which may be necessary in order to monitor and safeguard the health of employees, clients and visitors.  We can provide support in ensuring that any processing of data in relation to COVID-19 is compliant with GDPR, particularly in relation to the need for transparency and the principle of data minimisation.

Employment
Support and advice on managing many workforce issues including sick pay, leave options, supporting staff well-being, presenteeism, remote and home working, lay-offs/short term working through FAQs, helpline or policy guidance. 

Landlord / Tenant / Real Estate
We have been advising many of our Landlord and Tenant clients on the potential impact on their businesses and their rights under existing lease arrangements.

Many business may need to temporarily close or encounter significant trading difficulties – issues that arise therefore could include the ability for the tenant to pay the rent, keep open clauses, insurance, force majeure and health and safety. We are can review your current occupational agreements and provide you with clarity on these issues to enable constructive discussions to take place between the Landlord and Tenant.

Insurance
We are working with clients to advise them on the extent to which their existing insurance coverage might assist them in recovering or mitigating Covid-19-related business losses
 
M&A Transactions
We are working with clients on how they should be approaching exclusivity agreements, use of virtual data rooms, negotiating material adverse change clauses, purchase price protection mechanisms and possible delay of exchange and/or completion to respond to the challenges posed by COVID-19 to M&A transactions.

Public Law
We are advising clients on decision making in view of the restrictions on holding meetings in person, and changes in the law being introduced to enable public bodies to be more flexible in their approach to decision making. We are also advising clients on the implications of social distancing and social isolation for engagement and consultation processes necessary in the context of public bodies seeking to reconfigure services.