MSRB will host three educational and outreach events intended to provide opportunities for municipal market professionals to learn about new MSRB initiatives. The first of the events will be in Livonia, Michigan, on December 5, 2013. Other events will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 28, 2014, and Chicago, Illinois, on July 29, 2014. See: MSRB Press Release; Michigan Seminar Agenda.

The SEC filed fraud charges against a husband and wife in Texas for stealing funds from foreign investors under the guise of offering an investment opportunity to create U.S. jobs and a path to U.S. residency. The complaint alleges that Marco and Bebe Ramirez and three companies they own have fraudulently raised at least $5 million from investors by falsely promising that the money would be invested as part of the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Pilot Program. The EB-5 program enables foreign investors to make their investments either directly in a business or through EB-5 "regional centers" that are

The SEC published the proposed amendments requiring public companies to disclose the ratio of the compensation of its CEO to the median compensation of all of its employees around the world in the Federal Register. Comments on the proposed rule should be submitted by December 2, 2013. See: 78 FR 60559. Related News: SEC Proposes Rule for Pay Ratio Disclosure (with Lofchie Comment) (September 18, 2013).

The Swiss Government announced that it has entered into an agreement with the United States to amend the Intergovernmental Agreement ("IGA") between Switzerland and the United States to reflect the extension of FATCA deadlines announced by the United States in July 12, 2013. The Swiss IGA that was signed on February 14, 2013, reflected the original January 1, 2014, effective date for FATCA withholding and registration. In July 2013, the United States postponed the effective date for most obligations under FATCA to July 1, 2014. This amendment changes the effective dates of the IGA and its

In response to the U.S. government shutdown and the subsequent shutdown of many government agencies, the CFTC Division of Swap Dealer and Intermediary Oversight requested that the NFA distribute information to its Mmembers regarding the "excepted" CFTC personnel who are still available to be contacted in emergency situations. In the event of an emergency, firm members can contact the following personnel: Gary Barnett, CFTC Director of Division of Swap Dealer and Intermediary Oversight ([email protected]); Kevin Piccoli, CFTC Deputy Director of Examinations ([email protected]); Erik Remmler