April 2, 2020 Fashion companies are faced with new challenges affecting their supply chains unlike any before. With the unprecedented impacts of COVID-19, retailers and suppliers have to choose whether to cooperate under these new circumstances to preserve partnerships, or instead think of their own survival in the short term, no matter the cost. Peter Maerevoet, global chief financial officer and senior executive officer at financial firm Tradewind, places his confidence in trust and collaboration between retailers and suppliers as...

April 2, 2020 In my last blog post, I floated the idea that social distancing is not the right term for what is happening during the COVID-19 pandemic. It would be more accurate to say that we are physically distancing and socially connecting. As a Doctor of Psychology, as well as a communications executive with over 30 years in business, I advise companies through periods of massive change. Earlier this week, I appeared on a panel in front of a group...

April 6, 2020 On 2 April 2020, the Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU”) rendered a judgment (C-567/18) clarifying the potential liability of Amazon and other operators of online platforms for trade mark infringement.  The Court was asked to rule on the question of whether Amazon had infringed Coty's trade mark rights by storing and shipping infringing bottles of ‘Davidoff Hot Water’ perfume, which were offered for sale on the site not by Amazon but by third-party sellers. In this regard,...

Almost as soon as the COVID-19 outbreak began, public officials and media outlets raised concerns over price gouging. While price-gouging statutes and regulations are not new, they are invoked rarely because they apply only in the event of emergency or abnormal market disruption. Now, with the nation facing the COVID-19 crisis and the federal government and all 50 states declaring states of emergency, price-gouging regulation has come to the forefront, and federal authorities have leaned on their power to...

30 March, 2020 The global COVID-19 outbreak has escalated incredibly quickly. Many retail landlords and tenants have already taken actions or agreed terms based on these hugely changed circumstances. Background – trading conditions and closure of non-essential retail Following the Irish Government’s requirement to close ‘non-essential retail’ premises and, prior to that, the pressures of declining footfall and increasing health and safety obligations, many retail landlords and tenants have closed stores. Even for retailers that are deemed to be ‘essential’, trading conditions may...

April 1, 2020 The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (the “CARES” Act) became law on March 27, 2020. The Act contains wide-ranging provisions for government assistance to industries, enterprises and individuals. Reavis Page Jump has summarized below some of the most salient provisions relating to small businesses and individuals. This is meant to be a general guide and not relied upon for legal advice. We expect the agencies tasked with administering these programs to continue issuing regulations and...

Highlights: • The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted the underwriting analysis for suppliers and creditors from customer-specific financial review to global health and macroeconomic analyses that are outside of the comfort zone of most company credit managers. • Credit managers have seen their customers in long-thriving industries (e.g., travel, hospitality, entertainment) face a sharp and sudden loss of revenue. Major economic drivers (e.g., automotive and retail) that depend on what the pre-pandemic world referred to as the global economy are dealing with...

The European Commission’s competition policy agenda stretches to 2024 and contains plans for many new or revised rules and guidelines. Recent publications, such as the New Industrial Strategy for Europe, shed more light on the Commission’s initiatives and their possible impact on parties from both inside and outside the European Union (EU). These new initiatives include temporary state aid rules to address the effects of the Corona crisis, consultations on the Block Exemption Regulations, and new measures in respect of...