Whistleblowers
The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government and I’m here to help.”
–Ronald Reagan
Whistleblowers stand up to corporate fraud and abuse that costs consumers and taxpayers in the end. They also can be entitled to a substantial amount of money recovered through their reporting, usually between 10-30%. Whistleblower laws also prohibit employers from taking adverse employment actions against whistleblowers.
Many different government agencies and departments enforce whistleblower provisions, including the SEC, IRS, OSHA, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and state government. In addition, both federal and state laws provide a private individual the right to bring an action on behalf of the government to recover for false claims that have been asserted against the government. In such cases, the government then has the opportunity to intervene in the case and prosecute the action. It is important for whistleblowers to have legal representation, both in evaluating and presenting their whistleblower claim and ensuring their employment is protected.
Below we discuss some of the laws that apply to whistleblowers. If you think that you have a potential whistleblower claim or have been retaliated against because you have reported or opposed unlawful conduct, please contact us and we will discuss your potential claims with you.