COVID-19 Business Resources
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- Business Litigation
- Employment Law
- Estate Planning
- Real Estate
- Restaurant Finance
- Restaurant Industry
No Shirt, No Shoes…No Mask? What Your Restaurant Needs to Know About Mask Policies and Vaccination Statuses
Matt Duffy
As the country’s hospitality industry continues to open up, we at MMB have been inundated with questions about mask policies and vaccination statuses. Specifically, in the face of a rising delta variant — but no state or federal mask ...
Minnesota Courts Begin to Reopen for In-Person Proceedings
Annaliisa Gifford, 
Mark Carpenter
Over the past 14 months, most court hearings in Minnesota have been conducted via remote Zoom conference. As more people have become vaccinated and state restrictions eased, however, the Minnesota judiciary is following a path of gradual reopening. In ...
Monitoring your legal options
Dennis Monroe
In this time of total uncertainty and still no answer as to when Covid will end and when restaurants will go back to full strength, restaurant owners need to know what their legal options are. Many of the ideas ...
The best seven out of 30 best restaurant business practices
Dennis Monroe
The list of what we’ve learned over the last six months in terms of best practices for restaurant operators could be 20 to 30 items, but here are a few key ones: 1. Landlord Relationships: The landlord relationship may ...
OSHA Compliance in the Age of COVID-19
Annaliisa Gifford, 
Ansis Viksnins
Recently there has been a noticeable increase in complaints filed by employees with the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (“OSHA”) concerning COVID-19 infection control procedures. Employees have complained about a lack of enforcement or implementation of COVID-19 safety measures ...
Illinois Court Decision Offers Hope to Commercial Tenants Seeking Rent Relief
Ansis Viksnins, Annaliisa Gifford
A bankruptcy court in Illinois has held that a governor’s shut-down order, combined with a force majeure provision in a restaurant’s lease, partially excused the restaurant’s obligation to pay rent.* The case is significant because it provides commercial tenants ...
Four groups to address when the end is near
Dennis Monroe
Up to this point, many restaurants have been able to survive due to PPP funds, concessions from landlords, interest-only payments from banks and generous terms from suppliers. However, for many time has run out. It is always hard to ...
Dennis Monroe discusses uneven restaurant industry recovery in Restaurant Business podcast
admin
In the current challenging business environment, some restaurants are struggling to survive while others are flourishing. How do we account for this dichotomy? MMB’s Dennis Monroe joins Jonathan Maze of Restaurant Business in “A Deeper Dive” podcast to discuss ...
Because of COVID-19, college-aged children need a basic estate plan
Scott Husaby
It’s August, and that means it’s time to get ready to go back to school for many students. If your child recently graduated from high school and is heading to college in the next few weeks, besides assembling the ...
What have restaurants learned: Part 2
Dennis Monroe
The jury is still out as to what we’ve collectively learned from both the pandemic and the urban disruption as a response to George Floyd’s death while in police custody, but there are some things we can deduce from ...
WAIVERS FOR COVID-19 LIABILITY: ARE THEY A GOOD IDEA?
admin
As businesses reopen and seek to restore operations to pre-COVID levels, we have received a number of questions concerning the use of liability waivers to reduce legal risk related to COVID-19. The main concern is whether you should ask ...
What we have learned so far from COVID-19
Dennis Monroe
“He who doesn’t understand history is deemed to repeat it.” And no one wants to repeat what we’ve all been through—and are still going through. So it’s not too early to reflect on what we have learned thus far ...
John Remakel to Speak in a Webinar on the Future of the Restaurant Industry
admin
John Remakel will join a panel of experts in a webinar “What Is Going to Happen to My Favorite Restaurant?” presented by the Minnesota chapter of the Turnaround Management Association on June 18 at 12:00pm (CST). The panel will ...
Matt Duffy and Pat Weller to Participate in a Webinar on Emerging Trends in Restaurant Real Estate
admin
Matt Duffy and Pat Weller will be panelists in the upcoming Minnesota Real Estate Journal webinar “Current Issues and Trends Affecting the Restaurant Community.” They will be joined by restaurateur Brian Ingram (New Bohemia, Truck Park USA, Hope Breakfast ...
Dennis Monroe Comments on Main Street Loan Program in Star Tribune Article
admin
Dennis Monroe is quoted in a recent Star Tribune article discussing the Federal Reserve’s new Main Street Lending Program. Although intended for small to medium-sized businesses, the program is unlikely to attract many borrowers from those segments, unlike the ...
COVID-19 Insurance and Liability Questions
admin
1. Are there any new insurance policies or endorsements available that would protect business owners against claims made by patrons, guests, or employees alleging exposure to and/or infection of the virus at their properties? There are no new insurance ...
Traps and Provisions of PPP Loan Forgiveness Program — webinar recording
admin
On May 19, Tim Ring joined Rick Ormsby and Derek Ball of Unbridled Capital as a guest on a webinar discussing the traps and provisions of the PPP loan forgiveness program. To watch the recording of the webinar, visit ...
COVID-19 and Business Interruption Insurance Coverage
admin
Many property insurance policies contain coverage for certain types of business interruption. Business interruption insurance usually operates as a safety net to compensate business owners for losses when their place of business must temporarily close due to a “covered ...
How Do I Come Up With the Money to Reopen My Restaurant?
Dennis Monroe
This seems to be one of those constant questions out there, even though many multi-unit operators and independents have received funding from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). These programs were just a way to get employees back to work, ...
Litigation in a Time of Pandemic
admin
In recent weeks, we have received questions from clients regarding the effect of the novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”) on cases that are currently pending in the courts or disputes that might be headed toward litigation. The following is a brief ...
Finding opportunities in the midst of chaos
Dennis Monroe
I know this may make me sound like the eternal optimist, but I do believe that there are some good opportunities for the restaurant industry during these difficult times. I’ll outline a few things that I think you should ...
Can I use my insurance coverage for COVID-19?
Matt Duffy
Question: Can I use my insurance coverage for COVID-19? During these uncertain times, the restaurant and foodservice landscape is evolving quickly, sometimes daily. So what does this mean for the losses incurred by these businesses and the prospect of ...
Rent obligations in commercial leases in the wake of COVID-19
Daniel Jensen
Forced to close their businesses or severely restrict operations as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, financially distressed tenants of commercial properties are taking a closer look at their leases to find any potential protection for nonpayment of rent. ...
Are employers liable for COVID-19 illness in reopened workplaces?
Ansis Viksnins
As some businesses slowly begin to restart operations with skeleton crews, they must observe the CDC safe conduct rules, with employees wearing masks and gloves, and common areas, such as lunchrooms, shut off. Yet what if, despite these precautions, ...
Your legacy: Charitable giving is vital during the COVID-19 crisis
Scott Husaby
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the resulting economic fallout is dealing a crushing blow to charitable organizations. Indeed, during a time when food banks, disaster relief and other nonprofit services are needed most by the public, their funding ...
Capital Options for a post-Covid-19 World?
Dennis Monroe
We will emerge from this crisis. Restaurants will reopen. The public is hungry for a return to normalcy and restaurant dining. Let’s discuss some options for reopening your restaurant. With the help of my partners, Chris Mumm and Matt ...
COVID-19 and Restaurants: How to Leverage Your Lawyers
Dennis Monroe
Excerpted from the article in Restaurant Finance Monitor. See full article here. Obviously, these are tough times for the restaurant industry. It behooves restaurant owners to effectively use their advisors, particularly their accountants and lawyers. Your goal is twofold: ...
Latest legal developments in employment in response to COVID-19
admin
Below we summarize several legal developments that affect many of our clients. Please review them and contact any of the MMB attorneys with whom you have worked if you have questions and wish to discuss issues in greater detail. ...
COVID-19: Make sure critical planning documents are accessible
Scott Husaby
Monroe Moxness Berg’s highest priority is to serve our clients. That calling has always been at the forefront of what we do, and it has never been more so than during this challenging environment resulting from the Coronavirus (COVID – ...
No Shirt, No Shoes…No Mask? What Your Restaurant Needs to Know About Mask Policies and Vaccination Statuses
Matt Duffy
As the country’s hospitality industry continues to open up, we at MMB have been inundated with questions about mask policies and vaccination statuses. Specifically, in the face of a rising delta variant — but no state or federal mask ...
Minnesota Courts Begin to Reopen for In-Person Proceedings
Annaliisa Gifford
Over the past 14 months, most court hearings in Minnesota have been conducted via remote Zoom conference. As more people have become vaccinated and state restrictions eased, however, the Minnesota judiciary is following a path of gradual reopening. In ...
Illinois Court Decision Offers Hope to Commercial Tenants Seeking Rent Relief
Ansis Viksnins
A bankruptcy court in Illinois has held that a governor’s shut-down order, combined with a force majeure provision in a restaurant’s lease, partially excused the restaurant’s obligation to pay rent.* The case is significant because it provides commercial tenants ...
WAIVERS FOR COVID-19 LIABILITY: ARE THEY A GOOD IDEA?
admin
As businesses reopen and seek to restore operations to pre-COVID levels, we have received a number of questions concerning the use of liability waivers to reduce legal risk related to COVID-19. The main concern is whether you should ask ...
Litigation in a Time of Pandemic
admin
In recent weeks, we have received questions from clients regarding the effect of the novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”) on cases that are currently pending in the courts or disputes that might be headed toward litigation. The following is a brief ...
OSHA Compliance in the Age of COVID-19
Annaliisa Gifford
Recently there has been a noticeable increase in complaints filed by employees with the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (“OSHA”) concerning COVID-19 infection control procedures. Employees have complained about a lack of enforcement or implementation of COVID-19 safety measures ...
Are employers liable for COVID-19 illness in reopened workplaces?
Ansis Viksnins
As some businesses slowly begin to restart operations with skeleton crews, they must observe the CDC safe conduct rules, with employees wearing masks and gloves, and common areas, such as lunchrooms, shut off. Yet what if, despite these precautions, ...
Latest legal developments in employment in response to COVID-19
admin
Below we summarize several legal developments that affect many of our clients. Please review them and contact any of the MMB attorneys with whom you have worked if you have questions and wish to discuss issues in greater detail. ...
Because of COVID-19, college-aged children need a basic estate plan
Scott Husaby
It’s August, and that means it’s time to get ready to go back to school for many students. If your child recently graduated from high school and is heading to college in the next few weeks, besides assembling the ...
Your legacy: Charitable giving is vital during the COVID-19 crisis
Scott Husaby
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the resulting economic fallout is dealing a crushing blow to charitable organizations. Indeed, during a time when food banks, disaster relief and other nonprofit services are needed most by the public, their funding ...
COVID-19: Make sure critical planning documents are accessible
Scott Husaby
Monroe Moxness Berg’s highest priority is to serve our clients. That calling has always been at the forefront of what we do, and it has never been more so than during this challenging environment resulting from the Coronavirus (COVID – ...
Matt Duffy and Pat Weller to Participate in a Webinar on Emerging Trends in Restaurant Real Estate
admin
Matt Duffy and Pat Weller will be panelists in the upcoming Minnesota Real Estate Journal webinar “Current Issues and Trends Affecting the Restaurant Community.” They will be joined by restaurateur Brian Ingram (New Bohemia, Truck Park USA, Hope Breakfast ...
Rent obligations in commercial leases in the wake of COVID-19
Daniel Jensen
Forced to close their businesses or severely restrict operations as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, financially distressed tenants of commercial properties are taking a closer look at their leases to find any potential protection for nonpayment of rent. ...
Monitoring your legal options
Dennis Monroe
In this time of total uncertainty and still no answer as to when Covid will end and when restaurants will go back to full strength, restaurant owners need to know what their legal options are. Many of the ideas ...
Four groups to address when the end is near
Dennis Monroe
Up to this point, many restaurants have been able to survive due to PPP funds, concessions from landlords, interest-only payments from banks and generous terms from suppliers. However, for many time has run out. It is always hard to ...
Dennis Monroe discusses uneven restaurant industry recovery in Restaurant Business podcast
admin
In the current challenging business environment, some restaurants are struggling to survive while others are flourishing. How do we account for this dichotomy? MMB’s Dennis Monroe joins Jonathan Maze of Restaurant Business in “A Deeper Dive” podcast to discuss ...
What have restaurants learned: Part 2
Dennis Monroe
The jury is still out as to what we’ve collectively learned from both the pandemic and the urban disruption as a response to George Floyd’s death while in police custody, but there are some things we can deduce from ...
What we have learned so far from COVID-19
Dennis Monroe
“He who doesn’t understand history is deemed to repeat it.” And no one wants to repeat what we’ve all been through—and are still going through. So it’s not too early to reflect on what we have learned thus far ...
How Do I Come Up With the Money to Reopen My Restaurant?
Dennis Monroe
This seems to be one of those constant questions out there, even though many multi-unit operators and independents have received funding from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). These programs were just a way to get employees back to work, ...
Finding opportunities in the midst of chaos
Dennis Monroe
I know this may make me sound like the eternal optimist, but I do believe that there are some good opportunities for the restaurant industry during these difficult times. I’ll outline a few things that I think you should ...
Can I use my insurance coverage for COVID-19?
Matt Duffy
Question: Can I use my insurance coverage for COVID-19? During these uncertain times, the restaurant and foodservice landscape is evolving quickly, sometimes daily. So what does this mean for the losses incurred by these businesses and the prospect of ...
Capital Options for a post-Covid-19 World?
Dennis Monroe
We will emerge from this crisis. Restaurants will reopen. The public is hungry for a return to normalcy and restaurant dining. Let’s discuss some options for reopening your restaurant. With the help of my partners, Chris Mumm and Matt ...
COVID-19 and Restaurants: How to Leverage Your Lawyers
Dennis Monroe
Excerpted from the article in Restaurant Finance Monitor. See full article here. Obviously, these are tough times for the restaurant industry. It behooves restaurant owners to effectively use their advisors, particularly their accountants and lawyers. Your goal is twofold: ...
Monitoring your legal options
Dennis Monroe
In this time of total uncertainty and still no answer as to when Covid will end and when restaurants will go back to full strength, restaurant owners need to know what their legal options are. Many of the ideas ...
The best seven out of 30 best restaurant business practices
Dennis Monroe
The list of what we’ve learned over the last six months in terms of best practices for restaurant operators could be 20 to 30 items, but here are a few key ones: 1. Landlord Relationships: The landlord relationship may ...
Dennis Monroe discusses uneven restaurant industry recovery in Restaurant Business podcast
admin
In the current challenging business environment, some restaurants are struggling to survive while others are flourishing. How do we account for this dichotomy? MMB’s Dennis Monroe joins Jonathan Maze of Restaurant Business in “A Deeper Dive” podcast to discuss ...
What we have learned so far from COVID-19
Dennis Monroe
“He who doesn’t understand history is deemed to repeat it.” And no one wants to repeat what we’ve all been through—and are still going through. So it’s not too early to reflect on what we have learned thus far ...
John Remakel to Speak in a Webinar on the Future of the Restaurant Industry
admin
John Remakel will join a panel of experts in a webinar “What Is Going to Happen to My Favorite Restaurant?” presented by the Minnesota chapter of the Turnaround Management Association on June 18 at 12:00pm (CST). The panel will ...
Matt Duffy and Pat Weller to Participate in a Webinar on Emerging Trends in Restaurant Real Estate
admin
Matt Duffy and Pat Weller will be panelists in the upcoming Minnesota Real Estate Journal webinar “Current Issues and Trends Affecting the Restaurant Community.” They will be joined by restaurateur Brian Ingram (New Bohemia, Truck Park USA, Hope Breakfast ...
How Do I Come Up With the Money to Reopen My Restaurant?
Dennis Monroe
This seems to be one of those constant questions out there, even though many multi-unit operators and independents have received funding from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). These programs were just a way to get employees back to work, ...