Covid-19: What measures to prevent business failures?

Catherine Nommick, Esq.

While French households are beginning to organize themselves, French companies are seeking to protect themselves against the devastating financial effects of Covid-19.

Exceptional circumstances call for exceptional measures. It is indeed absolutely essential to protect and support companies during this highly critical period, until the crisis eases.

This protection and support involve not only a temporary easing of the burdens on companies, but also the possibility of benefiting from external liquidity to balance companies’ operating accounts.

Covid-19: Update on the latest measures relating to partial activity (short-time work)

Fabien Pomart, Esq.

Partial activity (also referred to as short-time work) allows the employer to reduce the working time of his employees or to temporarily close his establishment or part of it in order to maintain employment, and to compensate in part for the loss of remuneration suffered by employees as a result of the unworked hours. Because of the economic consequences associated with the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, a draft Decree encourages and facilitates the use of the partial activity scheme.

Update on the latest measures in the form of a Q/A.

Covid-19: What impact on your business contracts?

Geoffroy Lacroix, Esq., Anaëlle Idjeri, Esq.

The question is on every business operator’s lips: Does the Covid-19 pandemic make it possible to suspend or terminate one’s obligations under a business contract to be performed in France by invoking the existence of a force majeure event?

Covid-19: What implications for civil proceedings?

Pauline Kubat, Esq.

For several days now, the French have been observing a strict confinement following presidential and governmental instructions to stem the spread of the Covid-19 virus. There are many concerns and uncertainties remaining as to the outcome of this international crisis.

What is the impact of this situation on the French judicial life? Here is an update on the measures taken and envisaged with regard to civil proceedings.

Covid-19: Confinement – Measures taken by the Government and applicable penalties

Charlotte Desfontaines, Esq.

On March 16, 2020, French President Emmanuel Macron decided to take exceptional measures to deal with the global Covid-19 pandemic that is spreading across France.

In this exceptional health context, what are the measures taken by the Government? What is the legal framework for such measures? What penalties for those who do not comply with the new rules?

Experts' Contributions

We are pleased to publish this month two contributions entitled Overview of the exceptional tax measures related to COVID-19 - Who is concerned and what are the conditions? and Are flows of goods included in the containment-related measures? Update on Customs measures related to COVID-19 authored respectively by Renaud and Stanislas Roquebert, Partners at LightHouse LHLF - Law Firm, a French law firm specialized in international trade and customs law.

In response to the Covid-19 outbreak, several economic, tax and customs announcements have been made by the French Government since March 3, 2020. The purpose of these measures is to provide exceptional and "immediate" support to all companies facing financial difficulties.

These measures are for the most part welcome, and aim, generally speaking, to relieve companies of taxes due in March 2020, which is an excellent thing!

Having said that, the mere inventory of the proposed measures is not enough, and it deserves a little analysis, structuring and a few thoughts of opportunity.

Read the contribution Overview of the exceptional tax measures related to COVID-19

Read the contribution Are flows of goods included in the containment-related measures?

International Perspective: The World Law Group's Covid-19 Center

The Covid-19 pandemic is a human tragedy and a global health crisis that affect hundreds of millions – and soon billions – of people worldwide. It also has an increasingly devastating impact on the global economy. To try and mitigate the adverse economic and financial effects of Covid-19, governments all around the world are taking steps and measures to support jobs and help businesses.

The World Law Group, a network of 59 leading independent law firms with more than 400 offices in major commercial centers worldwide, to which our Firm belongs, has centralized all the articles and insights of its members on the local impact of Covid-19 and the measures to support businesses adopted by the various countries where World Law Group member firms are present.

Discover the World Law Group's Covid-19 Center