The COVID-19 Report is a compilation of coronavirus news, analysis, and insights from around the world to help life sciences and health care companies stay current in this challenging time.

In Tuesday's Report: changes in Italian trademark law; new insolvency trends in China; tips for corporate boards to prepare for crisis; potential conflicts of interest in U.S. COVID-19 contracts, and other Congressional moves.

Tuesday, 18 August 2020

• The Hogan Lovells Government Relations and Public Affairs group is tracking all of the latest developments in the U.S. Congress and relevant news stories. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is calling Democrats back from the August recess to vote on legislation that would prohibit operational changes at the U.S. Postal Service that could curtail mail-in voting. The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis has launched an investigation into potential conflicts of interest concerning contracts issued by the U.S. government’s Operation Warp Speed. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is manufacturing a strain of the coronavirus to prepare a "challenge" trial of a COVID-19 vaccine, Reuters reported on Friday. Adm. Brett Giroir, a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, told reporters Tuesday that he was concerned that COVID-19 data has been misrepresented. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Robert Redfield warned that Americans must follow basic COVID-19 guidelines now to avoid "the worst fall" we've ever seen. Read about these and other updates online here. (Authored by Ivan Zapien)

• Whether it's a cybersecurity breach, #MeToo or discrimination allegations, or an international pandemic, a corporate crisis can come in many forms. In today's environment, the need for an organization to be prepared to manage a crisis is greater than ever. The board has an important role during a crisis, and our latest analysis outlines 10 tips intended to help the board prepare for a crisis. (Authored by John B. Beckman)

• The "Decreto Rilancio" (Law Decree 34/2020) – which was recently converted into law – has changed the regulation of Italian historical trademarks. With the repeal of Article 185-ter IPC, companies that now succeed in registering a historical trademark may have access to a number of benefits, while several of the perceived disadvantages of the previous system have been amended. Read more here. (Authored by Giovanni Ghirardi)

• The impact of COVID-19 has brought into focus the rapidly evolving nature of insolvency practice in China. In the first of three extracts from a recent conversation, Hogan Lovells partners Andrew McGinty and Jonathan Leitch sat down with Wang Ping to discuss his thoughts on current bankruptcy and insolvency trends in China and the opportunities they provide. The interview is online here.

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