Hackers and Insider Trading Continue to Mix in 2017
Hackers and Insider Trading Remain a Threat to SEC It was more than a year ago that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) cracked
Update on Whistleblower Immunity in DTSA of 2016
DTSA and Whistleblower Immunity Last year, we applauded the carve-out for whistleblowers in the Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 (DTSA). However, a recent opinion
Congress Considers Co-Conspirator Eligibility for SEC Whistleblower Rewards in 2017
Eligibility for SEC Whistleblower Rewards A memo circulated in early February regarding the Financial Choice Act produced by House Financial Services Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas)
Court Rules Definitively on Confidentiality for SEC Whistleblowers in 2017
Decision on Confidentiality for SEC Whistleblowers A U.S. District Court in the Southern District of California has recently ruled on the validity of a SEC whistleblower’s
A Review of Recent Damaging Clean Energy Fraud
Clean Energy Fraud All Around Us We have discussed the potential for whistleblower actions grounded in the protection of the environment and compliance with environmental
Massive Medicare Advantage Fraud Lawsuit Unveiled Against UnitedHealth
Medicare Advantage Fraud Lawsuit The United States has joined a lawsuit brought by whistleblowers under the False Claims Act accusing UnitedHealth Group of bilking Medicare
International Whistleblower Rewards See Boost
We are seeing more movement on the payment of whistleblower rewards internationally. Nigeria and Korea have been paying rewards recently and Australia continues to consider
DOE Delays Whistleblower Protection Rule
The Department of Energy recently announced in the Federal Register a 60 day stay of its new regulation permitting civil penalties against contractors and subcontractors
IRS Dirty Dozen Tax Scams for 2017
The Internal Revenue Service is just over halfway done releasing its list of tax scams for 2017. The Dirty Dozen list has been an annual
Rising Costs of Retaliation Against Whistleblowers
Firing whistleblowers for informing the government about corporate activities has been standard practice at many businesses for a long time. That practice may be changing
FCPA Enforcement in 2017
The end of the Obama Administration was one of the busiest in the resolution of government investigations ever. The SEC and DOJ wrapped up nine
IRS Whistleblower Awards Up Big in FY 2016
In the 10th year since the creation of Internal Revenue Code section 7623(b), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Whistleblower Program issued 418 awards totaling more than
Deeper Insights into Government Enforcement Under Trump Administration
It was an interesting week on government enforcement as the Obama Administration is closing out its term with fines against auto industry manufacturers VW ($4.3
Study: Whistleblowers Deter Wrongdoing
A study of whistleblower retaliation cases at 317 public companies in the United States out of the University of Iowa has concluded that businesses that have had a
OSHA Guidelines: Protecting Whistleblowers from Retaliation
Last week, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration offered a set of recommendations for employers to create retaliation-free workplaces. The guidance is directed at employers
A $4 Billion Fine for Volkswagen
A $4 Billion Fine for Volkswagen Reuters is reporting that Volkswagen AG and the Justice Department are near an agreement to resolve criminal and civil
Whistleblower Retaliation: A Turning Point in 2016?
The Prevalence of Whistleblower Retaliation The prevalence of retaliation by corporations against whistleblowers has been well documented. Not only does it serve to punish those
False Claims Act Yields $519 Million for Whistleblowers in FY2016
False Claims Act Helps Recover $4.7 Billion The Justice Department announced the third highest annual recovery in the history of the False Claims Act yesterday