The PPP Journey: From Application, to Loan Closing, through Forgiveness, and Beyond!

Many small businesses have applied for loans under the CARES Act’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and are beginning to receive funding. The PPP is intended to be a federal forgivable loan program, but businesses that receive funds must apply for loan forgiveness if they have followed certain rules regarding use of the funds and satisfied certain tests related to employment and wage levels. This covers:

A brief review of the basics of the PPP
An overview of PPP loan forgiveness guidelines
Proper Documentation: Keeping track of how PPP loan proceeds are spent
How to apply for loan forgiveness
Tips to maximizing PPP loan forgiveness
What to do if part or all of your loan doesn’t qualify for loan forgiveness
Traps for the Unwary: Conditions, Compliance, and Potential Whistleblower complaints

Speakers

B. Troy Villa

Troy Villa is a partner at Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, L.L.P. in Louisiana. He has extensive experience in numerous areas of business transactions, financing and advisory services.Troy represents clients in various capacities in tax credit financing and investment transactions involving New Markets Tax Credits and historic rehabilitation tax credits and with projects involving state and local economic incentives and Public-Private Partnerships (“P3”). Troy has represented clients for many years in traditional and non-traditional financing transactions. He also represents business clients and entrepreneurs in a wide variety of business transactions involving the purchase and sale of businesses. He has extensive experience in the structuring and negotiation of terms related to these types of transactions, and the drafting of related contracts and agreements. He has advised clients with respect to both domestic and international transactions.

Eric B. Landry

Eric is a partner in the Baton Rouge office of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, L.L.P. His practice focuses on assisting clients with business transactions and corporate advisory services. His principal areas of practice include health care, real estate, banking and finance, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance. Eric’s experience includes negotiating, planning, and implementing various business transactions. Eric also advises clients on the sale and purchase of property, the drafting and negotiation of leases, and related real estate matters. Eric is a licensed title insurance agent. In addition to his experience on traditional real estate matters, Eric has experience with respect to the applicability of health care fraud and abuse laws to real estate transactions. Eric has extensive experience representing both borrowers and lenders in connection with financing transactions including, real estate loans, construction loans, healthcare financing, traditional financing, and high-yield credit facilities. Eric advises businesses of all sizes and types on various matters relating to their formation, corporate structure, and governance.

Catherine M. Maraist

Catherine M. Maraist is a partner in the Baton Rouge office of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, L.L.P. She focuses her practice on white collar civil and criminal defense and healthcare. Catherine has extensive experience in matters involving federal criminal law, federal civil law and procedure, civil and criminal health care fraud, appellate advocacy, trial advocacy, and professional responsibility. Catherine is a writer and lecturer in various areas of federal civil and criminal law, including health care fraud and compliance. Catherine has also served as an instructor in criminal and civil trial advocacy and appellate advocacy programs at LSU Law School and at the United States Department of Justice’s National Advocacy Center.

Before joining Breazeale, Catherine served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana for over 15 years, serving in both civil and criminal capacities. As a federal prosecutor, Catherine investigated and prosecuted a wide range of federal criminal crimes, including firearm violations, narcotics, embezzlement, money laundering, tax fraud, mail fraud, bank fraud, health care fraud, asset forfeiture, and money laundering. Catherine spent several years as a member of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, a federal government task force focused on prosecuting health care providers for fraud on the Medicare and Medicaid programs. After becoming Civil Chief for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2011, Catherine prosecuted businesses and individuals under the False Claims Act, the federal government’s tool for recovering damages and penalties based on civil fraud. As Civil Chief, she also supervised the litigation of all civil matters involving the United States.