The Library

LYNCHBURG, Va. (April 23, 2020) – The Virginia law firm of Gentry Locke is pleased to announce that Andrew O. Gay has rejoined the firm in its Lynchburg, Virginia office. Gay will work in the firm’s commercial litigation practice group, where he will focus on assisting clients with complex construction contracts and construction litigation. “Andrew grew up working in the construction industry, so he understands firsthand the processes and challenges that contractors and developers face. He’ll be a terrific asset to our construction, road-building, and I-81 practice,” said Managing Partner, Monica T. Monday. Gay has significant experience in construction claim […]

One month after issuing “15 Days to Slow the Spread,” the first national coronavirus guidelines, President Donald J. Trump and the Federal coronavirus task force on Thursday issued “Guidelines for Opening America Again.” The Federal guidance is intended as direction to state Governors who must now make decisions on if and win to lift various lockdown and stay-at-home orders that have closed schools, shuttered businesses, and left many wondering what’s next? In Virginia, Governor Ralph Northam recently extended his Executive Order closing entertainment businesses and severely limiting other non-essential retail establishments until May 8, 2020.  His “stay-at-home” order is in […]

ROANOKE, Va. (April 13, 2020) – The Virginia law firm of Gentry Locke is pleased to announce that 20 of the firm’s attorneys were selected for inclusion in the 2020 Virginia Super Lawyers® lists. Attorneys were nominated by their peers and recognized for their outstanding professional achievement in several legal practice areas including appellate law, business/corporate law, business litigation, construction litigation, criminal defense, employment law and litigation, health care, intellectual property, land use and zoning, personal injury, and professional liability. Seven of the 20 were elected Virginia Super Lawyers Rising Stars—attorneys who are 40 years old or younger, or in […]

On April 6th and April 7th, the Department of Treasury and Small Business Administration issued additional guidance for the Paycheck Protection Program in the form of “Frequently Asked Questions.” Importantly, these FAQs provide additional clarity on some key terms, and in some respects depart from prior guidance issued by the Department of Treasury and SBA, returning more closely to the original text of the Paycheck Protection Program outlined in the CARES Act. Among the FAQs: The exclusion for employee compensation in excess of $100,000 applies only to cash compensation The exclusion in compensation in excess of $100,000 (annualized) applies only […]

Paycheck Protection Program: The following summary of Sections 1102 and 1106 of the CARES Act related to the Paycheck Protection Program should be read in connection with the following: 4/7/2020 Update: Paycheck Protection Program – Additional Guidance and $250 Billion in Additional Funds Requested 4/3/2020 Update: Interim Final Rule Paycheck Protection Program 4/1/2020 Update: Paycheck Protection Program Update Small Business Paycheck Protection Program and Loan Forgiveness Within the nearly 900 pages that outline the “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act” (the “CARES Act”) is the “Keeping American Workers Paid and Employed Act,” which contains the Paycheck Protection Program and […]

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam added the Commonwealth to the growing ranks of states with so-called “stay-at-home” orders, issuing Executive Order 55 in the latest effort to battle the spread of the coronavirus. Executive Order 55 is the furthest use of the governor’s executive power, but relative to his previous actions is only an incremental step that moves from encouraging people to stay home to ordering such action. The governor strongly encouraged Virginians to stay home as he announced the latest action, but in reality there is little difference from his previous actions. You should stay home unless your activity is […]

In addition to the excellent summary of the CARES Act prepared by our colleague, Christen Church, the AGC of America has prepared its own summary of the CARES Act, which specifically addresses the impact of the act on the construction industry. A link to the AGC of America’s summary can be found here.  

In the challenging times of COVID-19 related lockdowns and stay at home orders, the occasional good news story is a welcome departure from the daily gloom bombarding your email inbox and the newspaper pages. The Roanoke Times ran an article concerning the status of outdoor construction projects in the region. The article quotes Gordon Dixon, CEO of the AGCVA, and a friend of ours, who reports that as of this week, the AGCVA has not received reports of significant shutdowns. Mr. Dixon also noted that the situation is changing daily, and that contractors remain concerned about the potential unavailability of […]

Last updated: March 18, 2020 Just a little over a month ago, on February 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced a name for the new coronavirus illness: COVID-19.  A month later, on March 11, 2020, the WHO characterized COVID-19 as a pandemic. In the week since the WHO’s announcement that COVID-19 is a pandemic, we have seen restrictions on travel, limitations on gatherings, as well as schools, businesses, and non-essential governmental operations shut down physical offices, moving toward remote work when and where possible.  At the local, state, and federal levels, we are seeing an unprecedented response from […]