Recently, WPDN Attorneys Zara S. Mason and Alia T. Scott drafted two new compendiums of law for the state of Wyoming, in light of COVID-19. These two compendiums provide updates on workers’ compensation and force majeure in the time of the coronavirus pandemic, and they were submitted to the USLAW Network, of which WPDN is a member.
Both compendiums provide insight into questions and concerns regarding the effects COVID-19 has had on the workforce. The compendium focusing on Workers’ Compensation includes general provisions, as well as information regarding compensability, benefits, and a list of resources designed to help navigate all of the newest rules and regulations in this tumultuous time.
Likewise, the compendium on Force Majeure also includes information on the requirements to obtain relief, the scope of relief, and other considerations as well. For those unaware, per the compendium, “Force Majeure is a term, common in commercial contracts, which means a “superior force” and speaks to an unexpected event that prevents a Party to the contract from doing or completing something that Party has agreed or planned to do. In a commercial and business context, a force majeure clause generally provides that: in the event a certain named event occurs, which is outside of the Party’s control, that Party’s performance of its obligations under the contract may be suspended, delayed, or terminated, and the Party will not be liable for costs or damages due to the lack of performance of its obligations caused by the events.”
While Wyoming does not have a specific statute defining “force majeure,” there is case law, which holds that, in Wyoming, force majeure events (such as the coronavirus pandemic) must be both unforeseeable and beyond the control of the invoking party.
These compendiums provide a litany of information on who qualifies for relief, how to obtain relief, and more. They were composed for Wyoming by Zara S. Mason and Alia T. Scott of Williams, Porter, Day, and Neville. Both Mason and Scott have worked for WPDN as Associate Attorneys since 2018. Mason earned her JD with honors in 2019 from the University of Wyoming College of Law. She also holds a Masters Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, as well as a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Spanish from the University of Michigan. Scott earned her Juris Doctorate in 2016 from the University of Wyoming College of Law. She also has a Masters Degree in Public Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice, both of which she received from the University of Wyoming. Both Mason and Scott have been tremendous additions to WPDN, and their work on the two compendiums are proof of this. It is their work, and the work of their peers, that have made them an integral component of the USLAW Network, Inc.
“USLAW is an international organization composed of more than 60 independent, full practice firms with roots in civil litigation, including more than 6,000 attorneys across the U.S., Canada, Latin America, and Asia, and with affiliations with TELFA in Europe. USLAW is comprised of highly-rated law firms that are part of the NETWORK by invitation only. Member firms undergo a rigorous review process to insure outstanding quality of lawyers throughout the USLAW NETWORK. USLAW firms are experienced in commercial and business law, employment and labor law, litigation, and other business-related areas of law. All firms have substantial trial experience. USLAW member firms provide legal representation to major corporations, insurance companies, and large and small businesses alike.”