Here is your recap of important topics The Securities Edge covered last month. Also, read more about today’s big news in this latest post: Effect of government shutdown on SEC.

Because Florida is home to many small- and middle-market businesses, we anticipate that revised Rule 506 will have a disproportionate benefit to Florida-based businesses.

FinCEN’s penalty against Saddle River Valley Bank in New Jersey, as well as its $37.5 million civil money penalty against TD Bank, N.A. on September 23, 2013, demonstrates FinCEN’s hard-line, zero-tolerance approach toward BSA/AML deficiencies.

No other law firm based in Florida handled more bank and thrift merger and acquisition deals during the first half of 2013.

In this issue, read the following articles: (1) Love and marriage after DOMA; (2) Portability; (3) How does the new 3.8% Medicare surtax impact you?; and (4) The other side of the fiscal cliff (revisited). Gunster’s Family Wealth Compass is courtesy of its trust and estate planning attorneys.

Any employer who receives protected health information needs to have an assessment performed to determine if it is a covered entity or a business associate of a covered entity. Such protected health information may be related to the Family and Medical Leave Act, worker’s compensation claims, life and disability insurance, or medical information relating to the ability of an employee to perform duties required for employment.

On May 1, 2013, Governor Rick Scott signed into law HB 569, which enacts sweeping changes to Florida’s campaign finance laws.

USCIS has recently released result summaries of four historical studies that evaluate the E-Verify program, along with discussions about some of the initiatives USCIS has undertaken to improve the system.

Thank you for visiting Gunster’s table at the 27th annual Environmental Permitting Summer School held at Marco Island this year.