In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, law firms across the U.S. have written thousands of legal updates and memoranda addressing the contract, employment, governance, tax and health law issues that have arisen as a result of the virus. Due to the high volume of legal content generated about the pandemic, Stanford Law School, in collaboration with Cornerstone Research, launched on April 15^th  a COVID-19 Memo Database that includes over 4,000 COVID-19-related memoranda and a section for news updates, white papers, blog posts, etc. that are available to law firms, business owners and the public.

The database, which is maintained by the Rock Center for Corporate Governance at Stanford University and Cornerstone Research, includes two main sections: hub webpages of Coronavirus resources developed by law firms and professional services organizations and news alerts and memos from law firms including many Amlaw firms as well as the “Big Four” audit firms and other affiliates of the Rock Center.

Items in the database are searchable by topic to help users quickly identify relevant information, with items related to the CARES Act and tax issues being the most commonly addressed topics. At last count, employment matters generate more than 200 memos, while SEC issues and securities regulation concerns generate 159. Antitrust concerns generate 78 memos, insurance coverage 63, litigation concerns 55, and FDA regulation 49. International trade accounts for 38 memos, while telehealth issues generate 36. Questions related to force majeure, a doctrine that allows parties to walk away from contracts without being liable for breach, is addressed in 69 memos. Dozens more deal with location specific issues arising in New York, China, Italy, France, Germany, the UK and the European Union.

Joseph Grundfest, W. A. Franke Professor of Law and Business and senior faculty at the Rock Center, and chair of the audit committee at KKR & Co., Inc. said “We are drowning in COVID-19 information. I see literally dozens of terrific memoranda every day from high-quality law firms, but have no way of quickly finding the most recent information specific to a problem I am researching.” The database is a practical and reliable solution to organize all of the information out there and to answer questions to real world problems stemming from the virus.

“As we collectively strive to address the evolving coronavirus crisis, it is becoming clear that COVID-19 will have profound, far-reaching implications,” said Alexander “Sasha” Aganin, Cornerstone Research senior vice president. “In joining our firm’s capabilities with the reach and impact of Stanford Law School, we hope to provide a dynamic source of information that will be useful to legal and business enterprises as well as the broader community at large.”

Stanford Law School sought to build the site quickly and efficiently, so that it might be of most practical use to the legal and audit communities, as well as to judges, legislators, regulators, scholars, and journalists. They are currently accepting comments and suggestions on how to improve the database moving forward. Please forward suggestions and comments to covidmemo@law.stanford.edu.

Rachel Popa contributed to this article.