May 26, 2020 | By Matthew Kellogg
McCathern Partners Ty Sheaks and Joey Sampson were asked to lead three recent live webcasts in a series hosted by the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM) to address potential liability concerns, back-to-work practices, and contractual and insurance considerations facing commercial facilities and venues arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Representing public assembly venues from around the globe, IAVM’s 6,800+ active members include managers and senior executives from auditoriums, arenas, convention centers, exhibit halls, stadiums, performing arts centers, university complexes, amphitheaters and fairgrounds. IAVM’s mission is to educate, advocate for, and inspire public assembly venue professionals worldwide. The 3-part series lead by Ty and Joey was the latest in the ongoing collaborative efforts by the IAVM with other commercial facilities organizations across the country to keep everyone informed of latest developments related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As faculty legal advisors for the IAVM’s Academy for Venue Safety & Security (AVSS), Ty Sheaks and Joey Sampson are both experts in these matters and have extensive experience representing a wide array of venues and other hospitality/service industry businesses, from restaurants and bars, to hotels, large concert spaces and 100,000 seat stadiums.
The webcasts were presented for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. But, with the COVID-19 pandemic being a dynamic situation impacting everyone across the globe, demand for information from subject-matter experts is highly sought after and the three webcasts were well-attended by venue managers of all types from across the country.
The three episodes of this ongoing IAVM series that Ty and Joey presented were:
- Episode 6: Liability Considerations of Returning to Work
- Presented on May 7, 2020, this episode reviewed the common types of lawsuits related to Covid-19 and the many questions that venues must try to address as they consider re-opening in order to help mitigate any potential liability.
- Episode 7: Contractual Considerations & Potential Liability
- Presented on May 14, 2020, this episode focused on contractual considerations, including force majeure clauses and common law principles, how venues can handle cancellation or postponement of events, as well as latest updates on current governmental guidance and ongoing potential legislative measures for business immunity.
- Episode 8: Insurance Considerations and Follow Up
- Presented on May 21, 2020, this episode explained the various types insurance lines implicated in the midst of COVID-19, including business interruption coverage, the defenses that insurers may utilize to challenge coverage, the types of lawsuits that involve these lines of coverage, and what venues should consider before facing a number of insurance challenges.
If you would like to view a recording of any of these webcasts or learn more about these topics, please contact us at any time. The McCathern Coronavirus Legal Task Force is ready to quickly assist our current or prospective business partners with any and all legal matters, whether related to the ongoing pandemic or any of the other broad range of legal services McCathern provides.