On 30 January 2020, the Court of Justice of the European Union (the CJEU or the Court) published its judgment in relation to pay-for-delay settlement agreements¹. While other judgments in similar cases are expected soon (for example, in the Servier and Lundbeck appeals²), the Court's decision shows that the CJEU reflects a global trend of legislative and judicial pressure on IP exclusivities in the pharma sector.

The law firm Taylor Wessing regularly responds to clients’ frequently asked questions. With regard to the coronavirus outbreak, David Marek of Taylor Wessing Czech Republic addresses questions regarding labour law. Inquiries have primarly related to how employers should react. The most common questions are:

The situation with Covid-19 (Coronavirus) is still developing and is being followed worldwide with great interest and obvious concern. In this briefing, we consider some of the key issues that employers should be considering. We address the practical steps you can take to reduce any disruption to your business and the key issues around your duties as an employer. At this early stage, the value of having clear policies in place, from the perspective of both business protection and employee relations, should not be underestimated.

The outbreak of COVID-19 began in December 2019 and has spread to many European countries. The most exposed countries to supply chain disruption are Germany, France, Italy and Spain. There are some downside risks in the near term and policy responses are looking to mitigate these. Travel restrictions and fear of exposure to COVID-19 will primarily affect face-to-face meetings and conferences.Real estate may see some impact in the short-term, the overall outlook, however, remains positive.