who is the whistleblower's attorney

by Rudy Cormier 7 min read

How to choose the best whistleblower lawyer?

Although it is not a law firm and does not provide legal services, NWC supports high-impact whistleblower cases with communications and policy work. The National Whistleblower Legal Defense and Education Fund serves as the NWC’s attorney in these cases.

What will a whistleblower attorney do?

Since 1988, Kohn, Kohn, and Colapinto’s has been exclusively dedicated to whistleblower protection, whistleblower rewards, and public interest advocacy. Our whistleblower lawyers are fierce allies and public servants who clearly understand the intricacies of US, international and state whistleblower laws. The firm has set national precedents for protection, and has helped …

Do I need a whistleblower attorney?

Jan 04, 2016 · Described by the National Law Journal as a “leading whistleblower attorney,” founding Principal Jason Zuckerman has established precedent under a wide range of whistleblower protection laws and obtained substantial compensation for his clients and recoveries for the government in whistleblower rewards and whistleblower retaliation cases. …

What is the role of the whistleblower lawyer?

Morgan & Morgan's Whistleblower Attorneys have the resources, experience, and compassion necessary to help you set right a wrong where you work. We are committed to ensuring that your bravery results in justice.

image

Who investigates whistleblower?

The Office of Special Counsel (OSC) is an independent federal agency charged with investigating and prosecuting violations of the Whistleblower Protection Act.

Who does the whistleblower work for?

The U.S. Department of Labor is an organization of diverse functions that carries out its mission through a number of offices and agencies. Five agencies enforce whistleblower and anti-retaliation laws.

What is the average whistleblower settlement?

The mathematical average of the total recoveries (settlements and judgments) for this time period is approximately $3.3 million, with an average whistleblower award of $562,000.

Is qui tam a whistleblower?

What is a qui tam lawsuit? Qui tam lawsuits are a type of whistleblower lawsuit that is brought under the False Claims Act, a law that rewards whistleblowers in successful cases where the government recovers funds lost to fraud.

Who is protected by whistleblowing law?

Who is protected by law? The whistleblowing provisions protect any 'worker' who makes a 'protected disclosure' of information, from being dismissed or penalised by their employer because of the disclosure.

Is whistleblower retaliation a crime?

The Prohibited Personnel Practices Act amended United States Code, Title 5: Government Organization and Employees to provide federal employees with whistleblower protection. The law forbids retaliation for whistleblowing.

How long does it take to settle a whistleblower case?

One recent study found that the SEC takes more than two years to decide whether a whistleblower deserves an award. Some unhappy whistleblowers have even filed lawsuits to get the SEC to work faster, so far to no avail.Dec 6, 2019

How long do whistleblower cases take?

How long do SEC whistleblowers have to wait before they receive their whistleblower awards? It depends on the case. Typically, after the SEC posts the Notice of Eligibility, it takes 12-18 months for SEC whistleblowers to receive their monetary award.

Is whistleblower money taxable?

All awards will be subject to current federal tax reporting and withholding requirements. Whistleblower will receive a Form 1099 or other form as may be prescribed by law, regulation, or publication.Mar 11, 2022

What is the False Claims Act in healthcare?

The False Claim Act is a federal law that makes it a crime for any person or organization to knowingly make a false record or file a false claim regarding any federal health care program, which includes any plan or program that provides health benefits, whether directly, through insurance or otherwise, which is funded ...

Can you get sued for being a whistleblower?

As a whistleblower, you can file a lawsuit on behalf of the government, claiming damages for the government, even though you are not involved in the activity. You are also entitled to monetary compensation for reporting the illegal conduct, if the case is successful in court.

Who can sue under the False Claims Act?

It allows whistleblowers to sue persons or entities that are defrauding the government and recover damages and penalties on the government's behalf. The statute provides whistleblowers financial rewards as well as job protection against retaliation. The federal False Claims Act (FCA), 31 U.S.C.

SEC Whistleblower Reward Program

The SEC Whistleblower Reward Program provides whistleblowers a strong monetary incentive to report wrongdoing to the SEC. Since 2011, the SEC has i...

Anonymous Tips With SEC Whistleblower Lawyers

If represented by counsel, a whistleblower may submit a tip anonymously to the SEC. In certain circumstances, a whistleblower may remain anonymous,...

Protection Against Whistleblower Retaliation

Whistleblowers are also afforded substantial protection against retaliation. Specifically, an employer may not “discharge, demote, suspend, threate...

SEC Whistleblower Office: FY 2017 The Best to Date

According to the SEC Whistleblower Office’s 2017 Annual Report to Congress, the office received more than 4,400 tips in FY 2017. This is the most t...

SEC Whistleblower Lawyers: Top FAQs

1. What is the SEC Whistleblower Program? 2. What are the largest SEC whistleblower awards? 3. What violations qualify for an SEC whistleblower awa...

Top-Rated SEC Whistleblower Lawyers

We have assembled a team of leading whistleblower lawyers to provide top-notch representation to SEC whistleblowers. Recently Washingtonian magazin...

SEC Whistleblower Office Annual Reports

The SEC Whistleblower Office provides an Annual Report to Congress on the SEC Whistleblower Program. See below for the annual reports: 1. 2017 Annu...

Cybersecurity Whistleblowing

We have represented cybersecurity whistleblowers before the SEC and in retaliation matters. And we have written extensively about protections for c...

Resources For SEC Whistleblowers

For more information about the SEC Whistleblower Program, see the following resources: 1. Tips for SEC Whistleblowers 2. Leading SEC Whistleblower...

1. Mark Zaid Has Previously Represented Clients In a Civil Lawsuit Against Donald Trump

Getty Attorney Mark Zaid speaks about husband and wife restaurateur’s Khalid Pitts and Diane Gross’s unfair competition lawsuit, against President Donald Trump on March 9, 2017 in Washington, DC.

3. Zaid Represented the Father of Dodi Al Fayed, Who Had Been Dating Princess Diana, In a Case Against the CIA

Mark Zaid is currently defending a CIA whistleblower but he also has prior experience going against the CIA. In 2000, Zaid represented Mohamed Al Fayed, who owned the Harrods Department Store in London, England at the time. His son, Dodi Al Fayed, had been dating Princess Diana in 1997.

4. Zaid Represented Families of Victims Killed In the Bombing of Pan Am Flight 103

1/Please remember #PanAm103 / #Lockerbie for 30th anniversary (Dec 21) by helping raise $30,000 for scholarships at @UofR. I was part of legal team that filed 1st lawsuit agnst #Libya in 1993 for murder of 270 innocent lives. We settled case in 2003. I created scholarship in 2005.

5. Mark Zaid Is a Founding Partner of an Agency Dedicated to Defending Whistleblowers

National Security Whistleblowers: To Be or Not To Be MEL Talks at Meliora Weekend 2014 — Saturday, October 18 in the Louis Alexander Palestra Featuring Mark Zaid '89, Managing Partner, Mark S. Zaid, P.C.

Who are whistleblower lawyers?

The whistleblower protection lawyers at Kohn, Kohn and Colapinto have won many of the most prestigious peer reviewed recognitions available to any law firm. The National Law Journal selected our whistleblower law firm as one of the top 50-elite plaintiff’s law firms in the entire United States. Kohn, Kohn and Colapinto was the only whistleblower law firm to be selected. Prior to this achievement, the National Law Journal designated our firm as one of a handful of “hot” plaintiff’s law firms in the country, and stated that we were the “go to” firm for whistleblowers. No other law firm that specializes in whistleblower protection or qui tam has obtained these two designations.

What is retaliation against an employee?

An adverse action is an action which would dissuade a reasonable employee from raising a concern about a possible violation or engaging in other related protected activity. Retaliation can have a negative impact on overall employee morale.

Who is William Sanjour?

Our firm is dedicated to federal whistleblower protection. William Sanjour worked for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for more than 25 years. Represented by Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto in Sanjour v. EPA, he challenged rules restricting EPA workers right to speak to environmental community groups.

Is client intake form covered by attorney client?

All information submitted in the client intake form or in email from anyone seeking legal help is considered covered under the attorney client and work product privileges to the fullest extent of the law.

Can whistleblowers be retaliated against?

However, this is often not the case. Many whistleblowers experience retaliation from their employer for engaging in a protected activity , which is prohibited by federal and state laws .

How many whistleblower tips have been received in 2020?

According to the SEC Whistleblower Office’s 2020 Annual Report to Congress, the office received more than 6,900 tips in the fiscal year. This is the highest number of tips the office has received in one year. Most whistleblower tips related to corporate disclosures and financials (25%), offering fraud (16%) and market manipulation (14%). Other notable areas of tips included insider trading, trading and pricing schemes, foreign bribery and other FCPA violations, unregistered securities offerings and fraud in connection with initial coin offerings (ICOs) and cryptocurrencies. Since 2011, the SEC Whistleblower Office has received more than 40,200 tips that have enabled the SEC to recover more than $3.5 billion in monetary sanctions from wrongdoers.

How much did the SEC give to whistleblowers?

In FY 2016, the SEC issued $57 million in awards to whistleblowers. In FY 2017, the SEC issued $50 million in awards to whistleblowers. In FY 2018, the SEC issued $168 million in awards to whistleblowers. In FY 2019, the SEC issued $60 million in awards to whistleblowers.

Can a whistleblower be anonymous?

If represented by an attorney, a whistleblower may submit a tip anonymously to the SEC. In certain circumstances, a whistleblower may remain anonymous, even to the SEC, until an award determination. However, even at the time of a reward, a whistleblower’s identity is not made available to the public.

What is whistleblower lawyer?

The Whistleblower Attorneys are part of the Complex Litigation Group within Morgan & Morgan, one of the nation’s leading plaintiffs’ law firms. We have serviced more than 100,000 clients across the country, recovering groundbreaking multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements on behalf of its clients. The firm is continuing its efforts to protect the people, not the powerful, by helping whistleblowers recover taxpayer money that was stolen due to fraudulent activity.

Why is whistleblowing important?

Whistleblowers protect taxpayer dollars and promote accountability in our nation's largest industries. If you are a healthcare worker, it is your duty to report Medicare and Medicaid fraud. As an American citizen, your right to report federal fraud in your workplace is protected by law.

Is filing a whistleblower claim a heroic act?

Filing a whistleblower claim is a heroic act. You are protecting taxpayer dollars and promoting accountability in our nation's largest industries —but to do so takes courage and a fair amount of risk on your part.

What is a whistleblower attorney?

An experienced attorney can assist you in determining if you have a viable False Claims Act case. Your attorney can then help you collect the information and evidence you need to pursue a claim successfully.

What is whistleblower?

A whistleblower is a courageous person who has come forward with information that exposes wrongdoing. Reporting fraud can be a stressful, complicated process. Those who blow the whistle are often risking their careers to do the right thing.

What happens if you file a qui tam whistleblower case?

If you have a qui tam whistleblower case, your chances of success are greater if your attorney works with the government to pursue your case. Further, the government's participation is necessary for claims filed with the IRS, SEC and CFTC. Determine what the potential law firm did in past cases to encourage the government to investigate allegations, including the eventual result.

Can a whistleblower lawyer represent you?

Attorneys can represent whistleblowers across the country. If a whistleblower attorney is considering taking on your case, he or she should offer to cover your travel costs for meeting with him or her. At Goldberg Kohn, we handle cases for clients throughout the nation , and we can help you with your case no matter where you are located.

What does a whistleblower attorney do?

A whistleblower attorney usually performs an initial review of a case for free. Once the attorney decides to take the case, you can retain the attorney on a contingency basis. This arrangement means that you will pay the attorney only if the case is successful and you receive a reward from the government. An attorney who works on a contingency basis pays all expenses needed to represent you. These expenses include the costs of hiring expert witnesses, traveling, and completing documentation. They are also entitled to seek reimbursement of these expenses from the defendant if the case is successful.

What is the FCA in qui tam?

The FCA provides that whistleblowers may be eligible to recover legal costs from the defendant in addition to the reward itself. These expenses can include attorney fees and other costs associated with trying the case.

image