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Paycheck Protection Program – NEW INFO AND APPLICATION!

Posted on March 31, 2020 by and

The SBA and Treasury moments ago released updated information on the new Paycheck Protection Program created by the CARES Act.  The program is specifically designed to help small businesses (less than 500 employees) keep their workforce employed by providing an SBA guaranteed loan.  The program also provides for forgiveness of the loan proceeds that are […]

How Do You Create a Valid Will in Wisconsin?

Posted on March 31, 2020 by

In our blog post on estate planning in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic, Melissa Kampmann and I noted that it isn’t possible to create a valid will in Wisconsin without two witnesses, and it isn’t the best practice to create a will without two witnesses and a notary public.  But there’s more to creating […]

Business Interruption Insurance

Posted on March 30, 2020 by

Businesses often carry insurance to cover losses caused by a variety of events or perils.  Restrictions, closures, whether voluntary or not, and policies related to COVID-19 are negatively impacting businesses and affecting bottom lines.  As a result, business owners are asking whether they are insured for their losses due to COVID-19 like they might be […]

Wisconsin Emergency Orders Increase Restrictions on Landlords

Posted on March 30, 2020 by

Over the past two weeks, Governor Evers has continued, through the Department of Health Services, to issue Emergency Orders related to the COVID-19 health crisis.  One area of his focus has been to restrict real estate landlords’ activities. In his now seemingly old Emergency Order #12  (from last week Tuesday, March 20!), that imposed the […]

President Trump Signs CARES Act

Posted on March 27, 2020 by , and

After much negotiation over the past few days, President Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”) into law, a $2 trillion stimulus package aimed at providing critical economic relief to Americans affected in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. Big Picture With a combination of direct payments, grants, loans […]

Financial Institutions Should Be Proactive in Accommodating Borrowers Impacted by COVID-19

Posted on March 27, 2020 by

The extent to which COVID-19 will cause financial distress, or even financial ruin, to businesses throughout the State of Wisconsin is yet to be determined.  We do know, however, that there will be many businesses that struggle to maintain sufficient cash to survive the mandatory shutdowns and the loss of revenue resulting from the pandemic. […]

DOL Issues New FAQ for FFCRA

Posted on March 27, 2020 by , and

Earlier this week we sent you a link to the DOL website with 14 FAQs regarding the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). Those FAQs were not earth-shattering but NOW we have 22 more FAQs with very good insight on several topics, documentation (you CAN require it), and whether the leave is available for employees […]

As COVID-19 Cases Rise . . . Are Employers Supposed To Record Them As Work-Related Illnesses?

Posted on March 27, 2020 by

As the number of COVID-19 cases keeps increasing, it is time to revisit the question of whether employers are supposed to record COVID-19 cases as work-related illnesses under OSHA regulations. OSHA requires that covered employers record COVID-19 cases on their logs if the following criteria are met: The illness has been confirmed by a laboratory […]

Remote Online Notarization Now Permitted in Wisconsin

Posted on March 26, 2020 by

These are unprecedented times for all of us.  We continue to receive directives, orders, and suggestions from our local, state and federal governments and their agencies, most of which continue to place additional restrictions on our activities.  In an effort to allow real estate transactions to continue, an effort has been made by the Wisconsin […]

DOL Issues FFCRA Poster and Notice FAQ!

Posted on March 25, 2020 by , and

Today the DOL issued a notice employers subject to the FFCRA must post prior to April 1, 2020.  A copy of the poster can be found here. The FAQ regarding the poster can be found here. Ruder Ware’s COVID-19 Focus Team doing all we can to keep you up to date as this situation evolves, please […]