The Iowa Legislature just wrapped up its 2020 session. In the end, the COVID-19 pandemic dictated much of this year’s legislative agenda. There is little doubt that this interrupted several legislative initiatives, including one that could have significantly changed the privacy rights of Iowans. Proposed early in March, the legislation could have required Iowa businesses to provide privacy rights to consumers that are similar to the rights provided by the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”).…

Over the past eight weeks, serving your legal needs while working remotely to maintain the health and safety of our clients and employees has been our firm’s main focus during COVID-19. As of June 1st, Dickinson Law will begin a phased approach to reopening our offices, with a portion of our attorneys and administrative staff resuming work at our headquarters in downtown Des Moines. This approach is consistent with current governmental recommendations and allows us…

On May 4, 2020, the Department of the Treasury/IRS and the Department of Labor/Employee Benefits Security Administration jointly published a notification in the Federal Register that temporarily stops the clock on eight deadlines applicable to participants, beneficiaries, and claimants of group health plans, disability and other welfare plans, and pension plans, because of COVID-19. Effective immediately, the clock will be frozen from March 1, 2020, the date President Trump first invoked national emergency powers because…

Cyber insurance has become a common risk mitigation strategy to lessen the financial impact of a cyber incident. However, it’s not until an incident happens that we really think about the type of coverage we carry and how it affects our ability to recover.  Dickinson Cybersecurity Law Attorney John Lande and consulting and audit firm SBS CyberSecurity first aired a webinar on April 30 to discuss common questions and issues that arise during an incident…

Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, an annual legal guide identifying the top attorneys and law firms in the United States, has ranked 5 practice areas and 13 individual attorneys from Dickinson Law in its 2020 edition. Firms were ranked in a limited number of categories and were evaluated by Chambers researchers through peer review and client interviews regarding their experiences with individual attorneys and practice areas. During the Chambers USA interviews, sources described Dickinson’s attorneys as…

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused severe financial losses for agricultural producers and commercial businesses, and lenders are left with uncertainty on how to respond. Our COVID-19 – Dealing with Agricultural and Commercial Loans Webinar that first aired on April 23, 2020 is now available as an on demand resource. It addresses the impact that the novel coronavirus has created for lenders, including recent state and federal regulatory changes and guidance to commercial and ag foreclosures, as well…

The COVID-19 pandemic was a shock to many corporate systems and has changed the reality under which many deals where negotiated and executed. A merger agreement or financing agreement may include a material adverse change (“MAC”) provision defining a substantial change in the target or the occurrence of an intervening event, either triggering a party’s right to terminate the agreement, releasing a party from certain obligations under the agreement or qualifying certain representations and warranties.…