Force Majeure During a Pandemic: What You Need to Know June 03, 2020 Manatt Real Estate partners Grace Winters and Timi Anyon Hallem coauthored an article for Development Magazine discussing the force majeure provisions in contracts, and what real estate professionals should know in light of public health crises like the current COVID-19 pandemic. In the article, the authors note that “a timely and appropriate force majeure claim could stop a loan or contract default and prevent the counterparty from terminating the contract. In each context, a careful interpretation of the force majeure provisions will be necessary to evaluate a party’s options and will be a major factor in making a successful argument for (or against) excused nonperformance.”