Category Archives: Whistleblowers

Covid-19’s Latest Side Effect: A Stampede of Whistleblowers at the SEC

It seems every day we find new ways the pandemic has upended the way we live and work. Just ask anyone in HR, data security and compliance. It’s no secret that housebound and hybrid workers have been keeping them awake … Continue reading

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Unexpected Consequences from the Pandemic Shutdown – A Spike in Whistleblower Complaints

There’s a curious byproduct from the COVID-19 economic crisis and business shutdown – a sharp increase in SEC whistleblower complaints and lawsuits filed by workers against employers. From mid-March to mid-May, the SEC reported approximately 4,000 whistleblower complaints, a 35 … Continue reading

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Treatment of Trump-Ukraine Informer Could Have Chilling Effect on Corporate Whistleblowers 

Whistleblowers have a variety of understandable reasons for bravely coming forward – but winning a popularity contest is rarely one of them. After all, they are typically corporate or government insiders alleging fraud and wrongdoing, which tends to render them vulnerable … Continue reading

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For Execs Confronting Extortion Shakedowns, Few Reasons to Participate

A juicy corporate scandal has a unique ability to wipe away billions from a corporation’s market cap with frightening speed, so it’s no wonder that executives are prone to quake when faced with the prospect of responding to the threat … Continue reading

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Whistleblowers Receive Whopper Payouts as SEC Proposes New Rules to Limit Future Awards

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced two large whistleblower payouts last week, bringing the total paid-out bounty for the program to more than $320 million since it was created as part of the 2011 Dodd-Frank Act. The $39 million … Continue reading

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When a Secret Shouldn’t Remain a Secret

Companies are right to secure their confidential information and take steps to ensure that it remains confidential. But there’s one significant asterisk to that notion: an employer can’t do anything to discourage or retaliate against an employee who provides information (including confidential information) to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as part of an investigation into possible securities law violations. Continue reading

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