SEC Whistleblower Lawyer Zuckerman Quoted About SEC Whistleblower Award for Independent Analysis

A National Law Journal article entitled “Expert’s $700K Award Signals Return to SEC Whistleblower Program Roots” quotes whistleblower lawyer Jason Zuckerman about the significance … Continued

Whistleblower Lawyer Jason Zuckerman Will Speak on ABA Panel About Whistleblower Litigation

Whistleblower lawyer Jason Zuckerman will speak on a panel about whistleblower litigation at the March 16, 2016 ABA Employment Rights and Responsibilities Committee Midwinter Meeting. … Continued

Whistleblower Lawyer Jason Zuckerman Will Speak on Panel About Effectively Combatting Retaliatory Counterclaims & Countersuits

Jason Zuckerman, Principal of whistleblower law firm Zuckerman Law, will speak at a NELA conference titled Reining In Retaliation & Winning Whistleblower Cases on April … Continued

SOX Whistleblower Lawyer Co-Authors ABA Paper About Sarbanes-Oxley Whistleblower Protection

Sarbanes-Oxley Whistleblower Lawyer SOX whistleblower lawyer Jason Zuckerman co-authored the 2016 Annual Update on the Whistleblower Provisions of SOX for the Midwinter Meeting of … Continued

Federal and state whistleblower retaliation laws provide a wide range of remedies to combat retaliation, including damages for lost pay, emotional distress, and harm to reputation and career prospects, and reinstatement or front pay. In addition, some whistleblower retaliation laws authorize punitive damages.

Call our experienced whistleblower retaliation lawyers today for a confidential consultation at 202-262-8959. See our tips to maximize your recovery in a whistleblower retaliation case. The whistleblower protection lawyers at Zuckerman Law bring substantial experience and sound judgment to complex whistleblower cases. We are ready to go the distance to maximize a client’s recovery and fight for you to obtain the relief that you deserve.

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Whistleblower Retaliation Verdicts and Settlements

This table identifies some of the larger verdicts and settlements in whistleblower retaliation cases in recent years. These cases were handled by a variety of law firms.

Verdict or Settlement	Case Name, Court, and Year	Claim/Statute	Summary
$75M	Jacobs v. Las Vegas Sands Corp., A-10-627691-B (Nev.Dist.Ct. 2012)	Wrongful termination	Former CEO of Las Vegas Sands Corp, Steve Jacobs, was terminated for brining to light “improprieties” in the way the Macau business conducted its affairs.
$25M	Babyak v. Cardiovascular Systems, Inc., Case No. BC601259 (Super. Ct. Cal. 2017)	Whistleblower retaliation	Cardiovascular Systems (NSDQ:CSII) was found liable for approximately $25.1 million in damages in a whistleblower retaliation suit involving a former regional sales manager, Steven Babyak. According to the court filings, Babyak alleged the company terminated him after he raised concerns about issues relating to patient safety and violations of state and federal laws. Babyak worked for the company for 3 years, and was fired on June 1, 2015. On April 24, 2017, the jury awarded Babyak $2.7 in compensatory damages and an additional $22.4 million in punitive damages. Cardiovascular Systems' SEC filing disclosing the verdict be found here.
$20M	Williams v. Wyndham Vacation Ownership., No. CGC-12-526187 (Cal.Super. Ct. 2016)	Wrongful termination	Sales representative, Trish Williams, was terminated after reporting that Wyndham salespeople were preying on older time-share owners to get them to increase their holdings and were falsely telling customers that Wyndham would buy back their ownership stakes if they no longer wanted them.
$13M	Dennis Bruke v. MGH	Wrongful termination	Retaliation for internal whistleblowing about double-booking of surgeons, which increased the amount of time patients spent under anesthesia and increased a patient's risk of complications.
$13M	Brovont v. Overland Park Regional Medical Center	Kansas whistleblower claim litigated in Missouri	A jury found that Dr. Brovont was fired for raising concerns about inadequate ER staffing that he believed endangered patient safety.
$11.1M	Kingston v. IBM	Washington wrongful discharge and retaliation claims	Federal jury found that IBM unlawfully fired sales manager who complained that race discrimination accounted for the significant difference between a Black salesman's commission and a White salesman's commission after both closed similar deals.
$10M	Dr. David Fintan Garavan v. Miami Dade County	Florida Whistleblower's Act (Fla. Stat. Ann. § 112.3187)	Assistant medical examiner alleged that he was fired for raising concern about co-worker running private business through a county lab.
$10M	Pedowitz, M.D., v. The Regents of the University of California, et al., 2014 WL 1661270 (Cal.Super. 2014)	California Whistleblower Protection Act	Dr. Robert Pedowitz, former chairman of UCLA’s orthopedic surgery department, was terminated after raising concerns about colleagues who had financial ties to medical-device makers or other companies that could unduly influence their care of patients or taint important medical research.
$9.4M	Don Sanders v. BNSF Railway Company	FRSA whistleblower retaliation claim	A jury found that Sanders was retaliated against in violation of the FRSA after he reported hazardous safety conditions on the railroad and reported harassment and retaliation to BNSF’s HR Department.
$8.6M	Elliot Zibli and David Doors v. LAPD	California retaliation claim	Retaliation for reporting sexual harassment and abuse of authority. According to a Los Angeles Times article, they "suffered backlash so severe that they feared for their safety. They said they were denied tactical bloodhound training, and weren’t given adequate equipment and support during searches for violent suspects."
$8.4M	Denise Bertone v. Los Angeles County	California whistleblower retaliation claim	Bertone was forced into early retirement in retaliation for raising suspicions about the death of an 8-year-old disabled boy.
$8M	Brian Gruzalski, Stanley Langevin and Mark Collins v FedEx	California retaliation claim	A jury found that FedEx wrongfully disciplined three employees after coming forward to report that FedEx put profits ahead of safety by not maintaining its aircraft consistent with FAA safety requirements. Read more about it here.
$8M	Wadler v. Bio-Rad Labs., Inc., , No. 15-CV-02356-JCS (N.D. Cal. 2017)	Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower retaliation	Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc. terminated Sanford Walder, the company’s GC of nearly 25 years, after he reported potential violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”). Bio-Rad claimed it terminated Walder’s employment due to poor work performance and behavior. However, it took a jury only three hours of deliberation to conclude that Bio-Rad retaliated against Walder for his disclosures.
$7.7M	Easley v. N.J. Dept. of Corrections, et al., No. L-000094-13, complaint (N.J. Super. Ct., Burlington Co., Jan. 10, 2013)	New Jersey Whistleblower Protection Law	Lisa Easley, a prison official at the Alfred C. Wagner Youth Correctional Facility, was terminated after assisting the FBI with an investigation of a higher-ranking prison official who was soliciting bribes from employees. Easley's termination came just before she would have qualified for full retirement benefits. A jury awarded Easley $6.5 million in punitive damages, $1 million for emotional distress, and more than $265,000 in back pay as a result of the retaliation.
$7.4M	Juarez v. RadioShack Corporation, JVR No. 1504140030, 2013 WL 10477609 (Cal.Super. 2013)	California Whistleblower Protection Act	RadioShack terminated former Store Manager, Jose Juarez, after he reported fraudulent, illegal and unethical practices taking place in the store.
$7.1M	Zirpel v. Alki David Prods., Inc., 93 Cal. App. 5th 563 (2023)	California Labor Code §§ 232.5 and 1102.5	Court Affirms $7.1 Million Whistleblower Verdict
$7M	Peiter Zatko v. Twitter	whistleblower claims	Twitter Agreed to Pay Whistleblower Roughly $7 Million in June Settlement
$6M	Laurie Simpson v. Bayer	False Claims Act retaliation claim	Simpson alleged that she suffered retaliation for raising concerns about a series of unlawful acts, including paying kickbacks to doctors and hospitals, marketing them off-label, and downplaying their safety risks. Click here to view the settlement
$6M	Zulfer v. Playboy Enterprises Inc.,JVR No. 1405010041, 2014 WL 1891246 (C.D.Cal. 2014)	Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower retaliation	Playboy terminated Zulfer shortly after she opposed paying bonuses to senior executives that were not authorized by the Board.
$5M	McQueary v. Pa. St. Univ., No. 2012-1804, (Ct. C.P. Centre County 2016)	Wrongful termination	McQueary was terminated by Penn State University as a result of his testimony against officials who failed to act on his February 2001 report of a sex abuse incident involving Jerry Sandusky.
$4.6M	Brent Bullis vs Consulting Radiologists, Ltd.	Minnesota Whistleblower Act	Radiologist to collect $4.6M jury verdict in whistleblower case against former practice
$4.3M	Crowley v. Watson, 2016 IL App (1st) 142847, 51 N.E.3d 69, 72, appeal denied, 50 N.E.3d 1139 (Ill. 2016)	Illinois State Officials and Employees Ethics Act	A former school official at Chicago State University, James Crowley, was terminated after accusing the school’s former president of misconduct. A jury awarded Crowley more than $3 million in 2014 for the retaliation. The school avoided payment, which grew at 6% interest, while it appealed the verdict. In early 2017, the Illinois Appellate Court affirmed the trial court’s decision and ordered the university to pay Crowley $4.3 million.
$4.3M	Carpenter v. Sandia Corp., 2007 WL 1108465 (N.M. Dist. 2007)	New Mexico wrongful termination	Sandia National Laboratories terminated Shawn Carpenter after he refused to comply with Sandia directives that he not disclose information “relating to serious breaches of national security to anyone inside or outside Sandia,” such as the FBI or the Army research lab.
$4M	Dunn v. Enterprise Rent-A-Car Company, 170 S.W.3d 1 (Mo. App. E.D. 2005)	Missouri wrongful discharge	A jury found that Enterprise terminated Dunn's employment because he refused fused to comply with Enterprise's instructions to use improper accounting methods to prepare its financial statements for an IPO. The court founds that Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 "establish a clearly mandated public policy" requiring companies who seek to offer securities on a public stock exchange to provide full financial disclosures to inform and protect future investors.
$4M	Cerbone v. Roman Catholic Bishop of Sacramento, JVR No. 1505180066, 2015 WL 2394119 (Cal.Super. 2015)	California Whistleblower Protection Act	Christopher Cerbone, a former Physical Education Teacher and Head Varsity Football Coach, was terminated by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Sacramento after he discovered and reported sexual hazing scandal, which had been occurring among student athletes at the school.
$3.5M	Payne v. District of Columbia, 773 F.Supp.2d 89 (D.D.C 2011)	D.C. Whistleblower Protection Act	Former city contracting officer, Eric W. Payne, claimed that he was terminated for refusing to cancel a contract and subsequently reporting the pressure to cancel the contract to two investigative agencies in the city government. The District of Columbia agreed to settle the whistleblower lawsuit for $3.53 million.
$3.5M	Blakeslee v. Shaw Infrastructure Inc., JVR No. 1307080043, 2013 WL 3457020 (D.Alaska 2013)	False Claims Act whistleblower retaliation	Shaw Infrastructure, Inc. terminated Paul Blakeslee after he wrote a letter to the company expressing concerns about another employee who was allegedly overcharging the government for work at military installations.
$3.3M	Roundtree v. Los Angeles Unified School District, et al., JVR No. 1510130054, 2014 WL 10537455 (Cal.Super. 2015)	California Whistleblower Protection Act	Archie Roundtree, a certified Senior Aerospace Science Instructor, was terminated by Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) after he raised concerns about the school’s practice of involuntarily enrolling students into ROTC classes violating federal law and the LAUSD contract. The court subsequently awarded $5.3M in attorney fees.
$3.2M	Bailets v. Pa. Turnpike Comm'n, No. 265 M.D. 2009, (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2016)	Pennsylvania Whistleblower Law	Ralph Bailets, a manager for the Turnpike Commission, was terminated after exposing a substantial misuse and waste of Commonwealth funds and resources.
$3M	Crawley v. Chicago State University, No. 10 L 12657 (Cook County, Ill., Law Div. 2014)	Illinois wrongful termination	James Crowley, a former Chicago State University employee, was fired in retaliation for reporting alleged misconduct by the university president and other top officials.
$2.85M	Chaudhry v. Florida Hospital Heart and Lung Transplant Institute	Florida Whistleblower Act	Dr. Ahmed Chaudhry alleged that the Institute put its business considerations
$2.5M	Danita Erickson v. Biogen	False Claims Act whistleblower retaliation	In November 2019, Danita Erickson, a former sales representative at Biogen, prevailed at trial on her claims under the whistleblower protection provision of the False Claims Act and Title VII gender discrimination. Erickson alleged that Biogen terminated her employment in retaliation for her internal whistleblowing about the off-label promotion of Zinbryta for aplastic anemia (a use outside the FDA-approved labeling).
$2.5M	Bahra v. San Bernardino County	California retaliation and wrongful discharge claims	Social worker was fired in retaliation for disclosing systemic failures of management resulting in San Bernardino County placing foster children in the home of known abusers.
$2.5M	Roganti v. Metro. Life Ins. Co., 786 F.3d 201 (2d Cir. 2015)	False Claims Act whistleblower retaliation	Ronald A. Roganti, former MetLife Financial Services Vice President, was terminated after protesting the company’s alleged failure to monitor the employment of registered representatives with tainted personnel histories and insisting on following regulations governing compensation to account executives.
$2.3M	Tommy Strelka v. Appalachian Power Co.	Whistleblower retaliation and tortious interference	Roanoke jury finds for ex-Appalachian Power employee who made safety complaints
$2.1M	U.S. v. ManTech Int'l Corp., No. 1:16-cv-132 (E.D. Va. Sep. 14, 2016)	False Claims Act whistleblower retaliation	Two employees were fired after raising concerns that ManTech had manipulated a contract to defraud the government.
$2.1M	Doculan v. Bayonne Medical Center, No. HUD-L-6670-10 (Law Div. May 7, 2013)	New Jersey wrongful termination	Ceferino Doculan, Jr. was terminated by Bayonne Medical Center (BMC) after he made several complaints to hospital management, the HR department and the director of the laboratory department regarding unlawful staffing practices at BMC.
$2M	Hoeper v. City and County of San Francisco, No. CGC-15-543553 (N.D. Cal. Mar. 17, 2017)	California Whistleblower Protection Act and False Claims Act whistleblower retaliation	Former deputy city attorney, Joanne Hoeper, was fired for exposing a long-running illegal payment scheme between municipal officials and plumbing companies.
$1.8M	Becker v. Cmty. Health Sys., No. 2014-SOX-00044 (Nov. 9, 2016)	Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower retaliation	Rockwood Clinic violated SOX by constructively discharging Gregg Becker, Rockwood’s CFO, for his refusal to lower his projection of the company’s losses by $8 million.
$1.7M	Wright v. Ada County, 160 Idaho 491, 376 P.3d 58 (2016).	Whistleblower Act	Richard Wright, former Public Information Officer of Ada County, was terminated by the Board of Commissioners for launching an investigation into one of his employees for harassment.
$1.7M	Payne v. District of Columbia, et al., No. 2012-ca-6163 (DC Superior Court 2016)	D.C. Anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) Act	Eric Payne was terminated after complaining that then-Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) and then-Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray (D) sought to steer a $228 million lottery contract.
$1.7M	Parexel Int’l Corp. v. Feliciano, No. CIV.A. 04-CV-3798, 2008 WL 2704569 (E.D. Pa. July 3, 2008)	Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower retaliation	Oswaldo Feliciano was terminated by Barnett International after reporting to superiors that the company’s marketing lists had been obtained by fraudulent means.
$1.7M	U.S. v. Miami-Dade County & Miami-Dade Transit Authority, 25 Fla. J.V.R.A. 5:10, 2015 WL 3823100 (S.D.Fla. 2015)	False Claims Act whistleblower retaliation	Marjan M., a former executive-level employee of Miami Dade Transit (MDT), was terminated after reporting MDT’s fraudulent misapplication of grant funds received from the Federal Transit Administration.
$1.7M	Pietrowski v. The Kintock Group, JVR No. 1304230012, 2013 WL 1737877 (Pa.Com.Pl. 2013)	New Jersey wrongful termination	Marla Pietrowski was terminated after she raised concerns about her manager’s drug activity and the fact that he apparently violated public policy when he brought his child to a facility where convicted child predators were assigned to report.
$1.6M	Van Asdale v. Int’l Game Tech., 549 F. App’x 611, 614 (9th Cir. 2013)	Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower retaliation	Progenics Pharmaceuticals terminated Julio Perez after he raised concerns about the company issuing a significantly misleading press release about the progress of a new drug.
$1.5M	Erhart v. BofI Federal Bank	Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and California Labor Code § 1102.5	Mr. Erhart alleged that he was retaliated against and terminated after he reported wrongdoing at the bank to management and to federal regulators.
$1.5M	Eller v. State , No. 2017-6163 (Idaho 2017)	Idaho Protection of Public Employees Act	Idaho State Police retaliated against Brandon Eller, a detective in the police force, after he refused to go along with the police's explanation for a 2011 crash, in which a sheriff's deputy struck and killed a civilian. The jury awarded Eller $1.5 million in damages and $30,500 in lost wages.
$1.5M	Lillie v. Mantech Int l Corp., et al	Defense Contractor Whistleblower Protection Act and False Claims Act whistleblower retaliation	Jury found that Mantech terminated Mr. Lilllie for raising a concern that ManTech might not have permission to access certain files belonging to co-contractor Lockheed Martin. See
$1.5M	Brig v. Port Auth. Trans Hudson, No. 12 CIV. 5371 RPP, 2014 WL 1318345 (S.D.N.Y. Mar. 28, 2014)	Federal Railroad Safety Act whistleblower retaliation	Jason Brig and John Buchala were retaliated against after reporting unsafe equipment and procedures, which almost resulted in both men being hit by a train. Instead of addressing the safety issues, the company charged both men with “unsafe work practices” and they lost a single day’s pay between them.
$1.4M	Cook v. Harrison Medical Center, No. 3:2013cv05986 – Document 88 (W.D. Wash. 2015)	False Claims Act whistleblower retaliation	Harrison Home Care terminated the former billing manager, Lori Cook, after reporting irregularities in Harrison’s billing, which could have Medicare fraud implications.
$1.2M	Baldwin v. City of Atl. City, No. A-2858-12T2, 2015 WL 5009746 (N.J. Super. Ct. App. Div. Aug. 19, 2015)	New Jersey wrongful termination	The City of Atlantic City terminated its solicitor, Kimberly Baldwin, after she raised concerns about whether a tax attorney’s no-bid contract conflicted with pay-to-play restrictions.
$1.2M	Townsend v. Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc., JVR No. 1302080012, 2012 WL 7069840 (E.D.Ark. 2012)	False Claims Act whistleblower retaliation	Mike Townsend, a former pharmaceutical sales representative, was terminated by Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc. reporting a doctor to the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office, for fraudulent Medicaid billing, and for participating in the investigation of the doctor.
$1.2M	Young v. Los Angeles City College,et al., 2011 WL 793028 (Cal.Superior 2011)	California Whistleblower Protection Act	Selwyn Young was terminated by Los Angeles City College after reporting the misuse of funds to the Board of Trustees of the Los Angeles Community College District.
$1M	Bruce Casias v. Raytheon	Defense Contractor Whistleblower Protection Act	A Colorado jury awarded former Raytheon engineer Bruce Casias $43,000 in back pay and $1M in compensatory damages in a Defense Contractor Whistleblower Protection Act (DCWPA) case.
$1M	Brandon Fresquez v BNSF Railway Company	Federal Railroad Safety Act whistleblower retaliation	On February 19th, 2019, a Colorado jury awarded Brandon Fresquez $1,050,000 in damages in his FRSA whistleblower retaliation claim against BNSF Railway Company.
$1M	Kelley vs. Merle Norman Cosmetics, 18 Trials Digest 16th 15, 2013 WL 1898806 (Cal.Super. 2013)	California Whistleblower Protection Act	Merle Norman Cosmetics retaliated against Stephanie Kelley, Director of Marketing, after she reported sexual harassment against herself and other women to the company and to the Department of Fair Employment and Housing.
$1M	Farrell v. City of Los Angeles, JVR No. 1503020027, 2014 WL 7934105 (Cal.Super. 2015)	California Whistleblower Protection Act	Police Officers and Supervisors, Loren Farell and Juan Baello were retaliated against by the City of Los Angeles after they reported what they reasonably believed to be criminal conduct or violations of state and/or federal statutes and regulations by detectives under their supervision.
$1M	Humann v. City of Edmonds, No. C13-101 MJP, 2014 WL 7505838 (W.D.Wash. 2014)	Washington wrongful termination	The City of Edmonds and its Mayor Michael Cooper terminated former Human Resources Director, Debi Humann, after she disclosed to Cooper that she was cooperating with an investigation into his executive assistant, Kimberly Cole, and her substantially high salary, questionable time-sheet and her unaccounted payroll expenses.
$1M	Barati v. Metro-N. R. Co., 939 F. Supp. 2d 153 (D. Conn. 2013)	Federal Railroad Safety Act whistleblower retaliation	Metro-North Railroad retaliated against Andrew Barati after he reported that he broke his big toe when a jack failed and a rail tie fell on his foot. After reporting the injury, the railroad presented him with a notice of firing. He then reportedly received a three-month suspension before he was hired back at Metro-North.
$1M	Samuelson v. California Department of Mental Health, et. al., No. 26-57631 (N.D.Cal. Feb. 20, 2014).	California Whistleblower Protection Act	California Department of Mental Health terminated psychologist Melody Jo Samuelson after she raised concerns that the trial competency evaluation procedures did not comply with the applicable standard of care and violated statute.
$960,000	Feliciano v. New Mexico Public Regulation Commission, et al., No. D-101-cv-2010-02008 (D.N.M. Jan. 18, 2013)	New Mexico wrongful termination	New Mexico Public Relation Commission terminated Aaron Feliciano, a former compliance director, after voicing concerns over his supervisors’ hiring of political contributors to investigate insurance cases resulting in slow, costly and ineffective investigations.
$903,000	Trevor Murray v. UBS	Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower retaliation	Murray alleged in his SOX complaint that UBS terminated his employment in 2012 for blowing the whistle on Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities (CMBS) colleagues directing him to “preclear” drafts of his reports to ensure that the reports were favorable to UBS’ CMBS products and trading positions. Murray alleged that he complained about pressure to produce misleading reports and that UBS terminated his employment one month after his most recent complaint.
$900,000	Perez v. City of Los Angeles, JVR No. 1506290047, 2014 WL 9966608 (Cal.Super. 2015)	California Whistleblower Protection Act	Armando Perez, a Police Lieutenant, was retaliated against by the City of Los Angeles after he reporting the findings of an audit concerning his division’s inventory of firearms, which discovered possible violations of federal, state or local laws regarding the sale of firearms to officers and civilians for profit.
$850,000	United States ex rel. Jainniney v. Anmed Health, et al., 1:12-cv-2941 (N.D. Ga.)	False Claims Act whistleblower retaliation	Linda Jainniney, oncology manager at AnMed Health, was retaliated against after raising concerns that the hospital did not require that a radiation oncologist be present when supervising treatment of cancer patients. In addition to her retaliation claims, Ms. Jainniney received a $1.2 million award for exposing that the hospital defrauded the government by upcoding charges to Medicare and submitting fake service claims to Medicare.
$820,000	Weihua Huang v. Rector & Visitors of Univ. of Virginia, 896 F. Supp. 2d 524, 529 (W.D. Va. 2012)	False Claims Act whistleblower retaliation	Two University of Virginia administrators retaliated against Dr. Weihua Huang after he blew the whistle on purported misuse of a federal research grant.
$800,000	Curren v. Denver Health & Hospital Authority, JVR No. 1402240026, 2012 WL 10424143 (D.Colo. 2012)	False Claims Act whistleblower retaliation	JoAnne Curren, an internal auditor, was terminated by Denver Health & Hospitality Authority (DHHA) after she reported DHHA’s fraudulent billing reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid.
$760,000	Zimmerman v. University of Utah	Utah Whistleblower Act	Researcher was terminated in retaliation for reporting research misconduct. Judith Zimmerman, an assistant professor the psychiatry department at the University of Utah from 2005 to 2013, was granted $135,000 for emotional distress damages and $625,000 for the university’s breach of contract before June 30, 2013, according to the verdict form filed
$730,000	Keyzer v. Regents of Univ. of California, et al., No. 34-2010-0079869 (Cal.Superior 2014)	California Whistleblower Protection Act	UC Davis Center for Healthcare Policy and Research terminated Janet Keyzer, a former UC Davis administrative nurse, after she blew the whistle on an unethical pain management research project on prison inmates.
$725,000	O’Haire v. City and County of San Francisco, JVR No. 1505200018, 2015 WL 2394121 (Cal.Super. 2015)	California Whistleblower Protection Act	Kelly O’Haire, an Internal Affairs Attorney for the city and county’s police department, was terminated after pursuing a discipline case against the Police Chief Greg Suhr. The Police Chief had failed to immediately report a domestic violence incident involving his friend who was later charged with attempted murder.
$700,000	Scott v. Lee Cnty. Sch. Bd., 2004 WL 6022536 (M.D.Fla.)	Florida wrongful termination	Elbert Ernest Scott was constructively discharged after raising issues to the Lee County School Board about problems with fire alarms, sprinkler systems, asbestos remediation and toxic mold in a number of local schools.
$700,000	Jones v. SouthPeak Interactive Corp. of De., 986 F. Supp. 2d 680, 683-85 (E.D. Va. 2013)	Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower retaliation	SouthPeak terminated its CFO, Read Jones, after she disclosed accounting irregularities to the SEC.
$700,000	Casto v. Berkeley Medical Center, No. 12-C-638 (N.D.W. Va. 2012)	West Virginia wrongful termination	Wendy Casto was fired in retaliation for raising patient safety complaints with hospital management.
$613,000	Preston v. City of Oakland, JVR No. 1510220030, 2015 WL 6375782 (N.D.Cal. 2015)	California Whistleblower Protection Act	Daryelle Lawanna Preston was terminated by the City of Oakland after refusing to falsify a report or falsely testify about hiring practices, which if true, would have violated the city charter.
$600,000	In the Matter of Paradigm Capital Management, Inc. and Candace King Weir, File No. 3-15930 (June 16, 2014)	Dodd-Frank	Whistleblower was retaliated against after notifying the SEC about Paradigm Capital Management Inc. and its principal engaging in trades without effective client disclosure and consent. This tip led the SEC to initiate an action against Paradigm, resulting in total penalties over $2M.
$560,000	Flecker, III v.Statue Cruises L.L.C., JVR No. 1411110030, 2014 WL 5862082 (N.J.Super.L. 2014)	New Jersey wrongful termination	New Jersey wrongful termination Howard Flecker III acted as a class representative against Statute Cruises, L.L.C. regarding overtime pay. In retaliation, his schedule was changed and his hours were reduced from 40-50 hours per week to 35 hours.
$515,000	Mantilla v. Apgar Brothers Trucking Company, JVR No. 1505220042, 2014 WL 8879646 (N.J.Super.L. 2014)	New Jersey wrongful termination	Fernando Mantilla, a full-time truck driver, was terminated by Apgar Brothers Trucking Company after raising concerns about having to drive in excess of the maximum number of hours allowed by the United States Department of Transportation, and under the federal motor carrier safety regulations.
$455,000	Sergeant Duym v. Township of Millburn, JVR No. 1407220038, 2014 WL 3704210 (N.J.Super.L. 2014)	New Jersey wrongful termination	Sergeant Kenneth Duym, a firearms range master, was retaliated against after refusing to make an acceptation for a Police Captain who could no longer pass the duty weapon re-qualification test.
$250,000	Rhinehimer v. Bancorp Investment, Inc., 2013 WL 9235343 (E.D.Ky. Dec. 27, 2013)	Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower retaliation	A former financial planner at Bancorp Investments, Inc. was wrongfully terminated for disclosing trade unsuitability.

Damages in Whistleblower Retaliation Cases

Jurors often quickly grasp the serious consequences of the retaliation that whistleblowers endure, and recognize the important public interest in ensuring that whistleblowers can disclose wrongdoing. The courageous whistleblowers that we represent put a lot on the line to disclose financial fraud, threats to public health or safety, and other wrongdoing. They deserve compensation when they are retaliated against for doing the right thing.

SOX Whistleblower Retaliation Lawyer’s Guide for Corporate Whistleblowers

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The goal of the guide is to arm corporate whistleblowers with the knowledge to effectively combat whistleblower retaliation, avoid the pitfalls that can weaken a SOX whistleblower case, and formulate an effective strategy to obtain the maximum recovery.

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Experienced and Effective SEC Whistleblower Lawyers

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SEC Whistleblower Program Tips from SEC Whistleblower Attorneys to Maximize an SEC Whistleblower Award — **SEC Whistleblower Guide**

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Experienced and effective SEC whistleblower lawyers can provide critical guidance to whistleblowers throughout this process to protect their identities and increase the likelihood that they maximize their awards. Since 2011, the SEC has issued more than $2 billion in awards to whistleblowers, which includes awards to our clients totaling millions of dollars.

In matters in which we obtained SEC whistleblower awards for our clients, the public orders announcing the awards note the “significant assistance” provided to SEC staff that enabled the SEC to complete investigations more quickly.

If you have original information that you would like to report to the SEC Office of the Whistleblower, contact the Director of our SEC Whistleblower Practice at [email protected] or call our leading SEC whistleblower lawyers at (202) 930-5901 or (202) 262-8959. All inquiries are confidential.

In conjunction with our courageous clients, our SEC whistleblower attorneys have helped the SEC halt multi-million dollar investment schemes, expose violations at large publicly traded companies, and return funds to defrauded investors.

In contrast to many other SEC whistleblower law firms, our multi-disciplinary team of SEC whistleblower lawyers includes a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Fraud Examiner with substantial experience auditing public companies and investigating complex fraud schemes. We understand the many challenges that the SEC faces in investigating our clients’ disclosures and take measures to increase the likelihood that the SEC will be able to effectively pursue the disclosures that our SEC whistleblower lawyers provide on behalf of our clients.

Under the SEC Whistleblower Reward Program, whistleblowers can submit tips anonymously to the SEC through an attorney and be eligible for an award for exposing any material violation of the federal securities laws, including:

The SEC has jurisdiction over a wide range of industries and entities – both public and private.

Recently the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners published a profile of SEC whistleblower attorney Matthew Stock’s success working with whistleblowers to fight fraud:

Click here to hear SEC whistleblower attorney Matthew Stock’s tips for SEC whistleblowers.

SEC Whistleblower Lawyers’ Guide to SEC Whistleblower Awards

Under the SEC Whistleblower Program, the SEC will issue awards to whistleblowers who provide original information that leads to enforcement actions with total monetary sanctions (penalties, disgorgement, and interest) in excess of $1 million. In exchange for the valuable information, a whistleblower may receive an award of between 10% and 30% of the total monetary sanctions collected.

In determining an award percentage, the SEC considers the particular facts and circumstances of each case. For example, positive factors that may increase an award percentage include the significance of the information, the level of assistance provided by the whistleblower and the whistleblower’s attorney, and the law enforcement interests at stake. On the other hand, negative factors that may decrease an award percentage include unreasonable delay in reporting the violation to the SEC and the culpability or involvement of the whistleblower in the violation. For more information, see the SEC Office of the Whistleblower’s Guidance for Whistleblower Award Determinations and Approach to Processing Whistleblower Award Claims.

Since 2011, the SEC Whistleblower Office has issued more than $2 billion in awards to whistleblowers. The largest SEC whistleblower awards to date are $279 million, $114 million, $110 million, $82 million, and $50 million. See some of the SEC whistleblower cases that have resulted in multi-million dollar awards.

What Are the Benefits of Retaining an Effective SEC Whistleblower Attorney?

The path to receiving an SEC whistleblower award is lengthy and complex. Throughout this process, an SEC whistleblower attorney can provide critical guidance to whistleblowers on a wide range of issues, such as submitting tips anonymously, eligibility for an award, and increasing the likelihood that the SEC Acts on a whistleblower’s tip.

Submit Tips Anonymously

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. An experienced SEC whistleblower lawyer will be able to skillfully guide a whistleblower through the process, maximizing the likelihood that the whistleblower’s identity is not revealed to unauthorized parties. In addition, an SEC whistleblower attorney can help protect whistleblowers who experience retaliation after disclosing fraud or other violations to their employers or the SEC.

Eligibility for an Award

Most individuals, regardless of citizenship, can become eligible to receive awards under the SEC Whistleblower Program. This includes high-level corporate insiders and compliance personnel. The eligibility analysis, however, differs depending on the whistleblower’s relation to the company and how they obtained the information. An SEC whistleblower attorney can help a whistleblower determine whether they need to take any actions prior to submitting a tip to be eligible for an award.

Moreover, even if a whistleblower has already submitted a tip to the SEC, an SEC whistleblower attorney can ensure that the whistleblower followed the required procedures to be eligible for an award. A failure to comply with these rules could render a whistleblower ineligible for an award, even if they provided original information to the SEC that led to a successful enforcement action. The SEC recently amended the rules of the program to allow whistleblowers who originally failed to comply with certain procedures to fix, or “perfect,” their SEC whistleblower tips to become eligible for awards. For example, if a whistleblower first learns of the required filing procedures after retaining an attorney in connection with their submission, the rules allow the whistleblower to submit a properly executed tip within 30 days to become eligible for an award.

A skillful eligibility analysis may be the difference between a multimillion-dollar whistleblower award and no award at all.

Increase the Likelihood That the SEC Acts on a Whistleblower’s Tip

In fiscal year (FY) 2024, the SEC Office of the Whistleblower has received 24,980 whistleblower tips. The SEC has limited resources and can only investigate and pursue enforcement actions for a fraction of the tips received. An experienced SEC whistleblower attorney can take certain steps to increase the likelihood that the SEC acts on a whistleblower’s tip. For example, an SEC whistleblower attorney can assist a whistleblower by investigating their case, identifying the key violations, and preparing a persuasive submission that will be more likely to cause the SEC to open an investigation.

An SEC whistleblower lawyer can also identify and address potential evidentiary issues, which frequently arise in SEC whistleblower cases. Finally, as a practical matter, the SEC is more likely to act on a whistleblower’s tip if they receive a compelling submission from an SEC whistleblower law firm that has a track record of successfully representing whistleblowers.

As noted in an annual report of the SEC OWB, “Whistleblower tips that are specific, credible, and timely, and that are accompanied by corroborating documentary evidence, are more likely to be forwarded to investigative staff for further analysis or investigation. For instance, if the tip identifies individuals involved in the misconduct, provides examples of particular fraudulent transactions, or points to non-public materials evidencing a fraud, the tip is more likely to be assigned to Enforcement staff for investigation.”

Maximize an SEC Whistleblower Award

When determining the amount of an award, the SEC considers various factors that may increase or decrease an award percentage of between 10% and 30% of the total monetary sanctions collected. An SEC whistleblower attorney can help a whistleblower leverage these factors to maximize their award. In addition, an SEC whistleblower attorney can determine whether a whistleblower is eligible for a “related action” award, which could significantly increase the amount of an award.

If the SEC acts on a whistleblower’s information and brings a successful enforcement action in excess of $1 million, an SEC whistleblower lawyer can help prepare a detailed application for an award, known as a Form WB-APP, that makes a compelling case for a high award percentage of the total monetary sanctions collected.

Importantly, these benefits represent only a handful of the countless ways in which an SEC whistleblower attorney can assist whistleblowers before the SEC. For more information, contact the SEC whistleblower attorneys at Zuckerman Law today to schedule a free, confidential consultation.

SEC Whistleblower Lawyers’ Tips to Qualify for an SEC Whistleblower Award

For more information about the SEC whistleblower process, see the SEC’s investor bulletin on SEC investigations.

SEC Whistleblower Protection Against Retaliation

Whistleblowers are also afforded substantial protection against retaliation. Learn more about anti-retaliation protections for SEC whistleblowers under the Dodd-Frank Act and Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the tools that our experienced whistleblower attorneys employ to combat retaliation.

SEC Whistleblower Office: FY 2024 Establishes New Records

The SEC Whistleblower Program continued its remarkable run of success in FY 2024. According to the SEC Whistleblower Office’s 2024 Annual Report to Congress, the office received 24,980 tips in the fiscal year. The SEC also issued $255 million in awards to whistleblowers, which was the third highest annual amount for the program. In FY 2023, the SEC issued a single award for nearly $279 million—the largest whistleblower award in the history of the program.

In FY 2024, The most common SEC whistleblower tips related to manipulation (37%), offering fraud (21%), initial coin offerings and crypto asset securities (8%), and corporate disclosures and financials (8%). Other notable areas of SEC whistleblower tips included insider trading, foreign bribery and other FCPA violations, and unregistered securities offerings. Since 2011, the SEC Whistleblower Office has received thousands of tips that have enabled the SEC to obtain orders for nearly $5 billion in total monetary sanctions, including more than $3.1 billion in disgorgement of ill-gotten gains and interest, of which more than $1.3 billion has been, or is scheduled to be, returned to harmed investors.

Consistent with prior years, the states that yielded the highest number of tips in FY 2024 were Florida, South Carolina, California, Texas, and New York. The SEC Whistleblower Office also received whistleblower tips from many countries outside of the United States. The highest number of tips were from whistleblowers in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, and India.

Notably, whistleblowers need not be U.S. citizens to be eligible for SEC whistleblower awards and the SEC whistleblower attorneys at Zuckerman Law can represent SEC whistleblowers from any state or country. According to the 2017 Corruption Perceptions Index, a majority of countries are making little or no progress in ending corruption. This finding is consistent with PwC’s 2018 fraud survey, which reported the highest fraud levels in organizations in the past 20 years, and the ACFE’s 2021 fraud survey, which reported that 51% of organizations have uncovered more fraud since the pandemic and 71% of anti-fraud professionals expect the level of fraud to increase over the next year. As the SEC continues to promote worldwide public awareness of the SEC Whistleblower Program, we expect to see an increase in whistleblower tips and awards in the coming years.

The annual report also indicates that the SEC Whistleblower Program is gaining momentum. In particular, the SEC Office of the Whistleblower, which first opened its doors in August 2011, has issued a majority of the whistleblower awards in the past five years:

In FY 2015, the SEC issued $37 million in awards 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.
In FY 2020, the SEC issued $175 million in awards to whistleblowers.
In FY 2021, the SEC issued $564 million in awards to whistleblowers.
In FY 2022, the SEC issued $229 million in awards to whistleblowers.
In FY 2023, the SEC issued $279 million in awards to whistleblowers.
In FY 2024, the SEC issued $255 million in awards to whistleblowers.

The trend underscores how the SEC Whistleblower Program is now firing on all cylinders. For more information about the SEC Whistleblower Program, see our Whistleblower Page.

Largest SEC Whistleblower Awards

Since the inception of the SEC Whistleblower Program, whistleblower tips have enabled the SEC to order more than $5 billion in monetary sanctions against wrongdoers. The table below identifies some of the largest SEC whistleblower awards that the SEC has issued:

Whistleblower Award	Date	Basis for Whistleblower Award
$279 million	May 5, 2023	On May 5, 2023, the SEC announced its largest-ever award, nearly $279 million, to a whistleblower whose information and assistance led to the successful enforcement of SEC and related actions.
$114 million	October 22, 2020	On October 22, 2020, the SEC announced an award of $114 million to a whistleblower whose information and "substantial, ongoing assistance" led to the successful enforcement of SEC and related actions. The award consisted of an approximately $52 million award in connection with the SEC case and an approximately $62 million award arising out of the related actions by another agency.
$110 million	September 15, 2021	On September 15, 2021, the SEC announced its second-largest whistleblower award of $110 million. According to the press release announcing the award, the award consists of an approximately $40 million award in connection with an SEC case and an approximately $70 million award arising out of related actions by another agency. With the award, the SEC Whistleblower Program has now paid more than $1 billion in awards to whistleblowers.
$104 million	August 4, 2023	On August 4, 2023, the SEC announced an award of $104 million to seven individuals whose information and assistance led to a successful SEC enforcement action and related actions brought by another agency.
$50 million	April 15, 2021	On April 15, 2021, the SEC announced a $50 million award to joint whistleblowers. The press release announcing the award stated, "The joint whistleblowers provided exemplary assistance to the SEC staff during the investigation, including meeting with staff numerous times and providing voluminous detailed documents. The information provided by these individuals resulted in the return of tens of millions of dollars to harmed investors."
$50 million	June 4, 2020	On June 4, 2020, the SEC announced its then largest-ever whistleblower award of $50 million to a whistleblower. In the press release announcing the award, the Chief of the SEC’s Office of the Whistleblower, Jane Norberg, stated: "This award is the largest individual whistleblower award announced by the SEC since the inception of the program, and brings the total awarded to whistleblowers by the SEC to over $500 million, including over $100 million in this fiscal year alone. Whistleblowers have proven to be a critical tool in the enforcement arsenal to combat fraud and protect investors."
$50 and $33 million	March 19, 2018	On March 19, 2018, the SEC announced an award of $50 million to two whistleblowers and an award of $33 million to another whistleblower. See the SEC's order determining the whistleblowers' award claims here.
$39 and $15 million	September 6, 2018	On September 6, 2018, the SEC announced its second-largest SEC whistleblower award to date of $39 million. According to the SEC's Press Release, the whistleblowers provided critical information and continued assistance that helped the SEC bring an important enforcement action.
$37 and $13 million	March 26, 2019	On March 26, 2019, the SEC announced its third-highest SEC whistleblower award to date of $37 million. Another whistleblower received a $13 million award in the same action, totaling $50 million in awards to the two whistleblowers.
$36 million	September 24, 2021	The Securities and Exchange Commission announced an award of approximately $36 million to a whistleblower "whose information and assistance significantly contributed to the success of an SEC enforcement action as well as actions by another federal agency." According to the SEC's press release announcing the award, "the whistleblower provided crucial information on an illegal scheme to the SEC's and the other agency's staffs, which included multiple meetings and the identification of key documents and witnesses. Under the SEC's whistleblower program, individuals who provide critical information to other agencies may be eligible for a related action award if they are also eligible for an award in the underlying SEC action."
$30 million	September 22, 2014	A foreign whistleblower came to the SEC with “information about an ongoing fraud that would have been very difficult to detect.” This award underscores that non-US citizens are eligible whistleblowers in the SEC Whistleblower Program.
$28 million	May 19, 2021	On May 19, 2021, the SEC announced an award to a whistleblower totaling more than $28 million in connection with an SEC enforcement action and a related action by another federal agency. The whistleblower’s information caused both the SEC and the other agency to open investigations that resulted in significant enforcement actions.
$28 million	November 3, 2020	The SEC issued a $28 million award to a whistleblower who "provided significant information that aided the SEC in bringing a successful enforcement action." According to the press release announcing the award, the whistleblower "internally reported information that prompted the company to initiate an internal investigation, and saved the staff time and resources by providing testimony and identifying a key witness."
$27 million	May 17, 2021	The SEC awarded almost $27 million to two whistleblowers who provided SEC staff with "new information and assistance during an existing investigation, including meeting with the staff in person on multiple days." According to the SEC's press release, the whistleblowers' "information and cooperation helped the Commission bring the enforcement action, which resulted in the return of millions of dollars to harmed investors."
$27 million	April 16, 2020	The SEC issued a $27 million award to a whistleblower who alerted the agency to misconduct occurring, in part, overseas. After providing the tip to the SEC, the whistleblower provided critical investigative leads that advanced the investigation and saved significant SEC resources. For more information, click here.
$23 million	June 2, 2021	The SEC issued two awards of approximately $13 million and $10 million to two whistleblowers whose information and assistance led to successful SEC and related actions. According to the SEC's press release: "The whistleblowers’ information and assistance led to multiple successful enforcement actions related to a complex and fraudulent scheme involving multiple individuals and tens of millions of dollars in ill-gotten gains.”
$22 million	May 10, 2021	On May 20, 2021, the SEC issued awards totaling $22 million to two whistleblowers whose information and assistance were of "crucial importance to successful SEC enforcement actions brought against a financial services firm." According to the SEC's press release: "The first whistleblower received an award of $18 million, while the second whistleblower received a $4 million award [because] the first whistleblower was the initial source of the investigation while the second whistleblower submitted information much later after the investigation was already underway."
$22 million	September 30, 2021	The SEC issued an award of almost $30 million to two insider whistleblowers whose tips led SEC staff to open an investigation. The first whistleblower, who was the first to alert SEC staff of potential wrongdoing and provided substantial, ongoing assistance, received an award of approximately $22 million. The second whistleblower provided additional valuable information, which significantly contributed to the success of the SEC's enforcement action, and received an award of approximately $7 million.
$22 million	August 30, 2016	A former financial executive at Monsanto exposed weaknesses in the company’s internal controls that failed to account for millions of dollars in rebates. Monsanto agreed to settle the allegations of accounting fraud for $80 million. Importantly, external auditors, internal auditors, accountants and other compliance personnel may be eligible for awards under the SEC Whistleblower Program. Indeed, they are often best positioned to discover wrongdoing.
$20 million	November 14, 2016	According to the SEC's order determining the whistleblower awards, three whistleblowers applied for awards related to the enforcement action. The SEC denied two of the whistleblowers' applications because they did not provide "original information," and issued the full $20 million award to one whistleblower.
$18 million	April 28, 2020	The SEC announced an award of more than $18 million to a whistleblower whose tip prompted an enforcement action that returned millions of dollars to retail investors.
$17 million	June 9, 2016	A company insider “substantially advanced the agency’s investigation and ultimate enforcement action.” This award highlights that whistleblowers may receive an award if they provide original information regarding an open SEC investigation if it significantly contributes to the success of the action.
$16 million	November 30, 2017	Two whistleblowers received awards of more than $8 million each for providing the SEC with critical information that led to a successful enforcement action. This award demonstrates how whistleblowers can receive an increased award percentage for providing ongoing, extensive, and timely assistance to the SEC. As detailed in the SEC's order, the second whistleblower received the same $8 million award as the first whistleblower by providing additional significant information and ongoing assistance to the SEC that "enabled the Enforcement staff to more fully and quickly understand the misconduct and to assess the legal consequences... [which] saved a substantial amount of time and resources in the Investigation."
$14 million	September 30, 2013	The whistleblower exposed a fraudulent offering that targeted foreign investors who sought to gain a legal pathway to citizenship through the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program.
$9.2 million	February 23, 2021	The whistleblower provided significant information about an ongoing fraud to the SEC that enabled a large amount of money to be returned to investors harmed by the fraud. In addition, the whistleblower information led to successful related actions by the DOJ, one of which was a non-prosecution agreement (NPA) or deferred prosecution agreement (DPA). The award marks the first SEC whistleblower "related action" award based on a NPA or DPA with the DOJ since amendments to the SEC’s whistleblower program rules became effective on Dec. 7, 2020.
$7 million	January 23, 2017	Three whistleblowers split an award of more than $7 million after helping the SEC prosecute an investment scheme. One whistleblower provided information that was the primary reason that the SEC opened an investigation. That whistleblower received a more than $4 million award. Two other whistleblowers jointly provided new information during the SEC’s investigation that significantly contributed to the success of the SEC’s enforcement action. Those two whistleblowers will split more than $3 million.
$5.5 million	January 6, 2017	An anonymous whistleblower orally provided the SEC with critical information about ongoing securities fraud. Generally, the SEC requires that whistleblower provide information “in writing.” However, the SEC waived that requirement in this case due to “highly unusual circumstances” and awarded the whistleblower more than $5.5 million for the information. This award marks the third time that the SEC has deemed it appropriate to waive a procedural requirement. The most recent exception occurred on July 27, 2017, when the SEC issued a $1.7 million whistleblower award to an insider who failed to comply with all of the whistleblower program's rules and had some culpability in the fraud. The former chief of the SEC whistleblower office said that these awards underscore the SEC’s discretionary authority to do what justice requires.
$5 million	April 20, 2020	The SEC issued a $5 million award to a whistleblower who provided significant information that led to a successful enforcement action. According to the SEC, the whistleblower provided critical evidence of wrongdoing, which helped save time and resources in the SEC’s investigation, and the whistleblower suffered a unique hardship as a result of raising concerns internally.
$5 million	May 17, 2016	A former company insider’s detailed tip led the agency to uncover securities violations that would have been nearly impossible for it to detect but for the whistleblower’s information. The SEC's press release noted that employees are often best positioned to witness wrongdoing.
$4 million	April 25, 2017	The SEC issued the $4 million award to an anonymous whistleblower who provided information that led another governmental authority to a successful enforcement action resulting in significant monetary sanctions. This award highlights that SEC whistleblowers may be eligible for awards for "related actions."
$4 million	September 30, 2016	The SEC issued the award to an anonymous whistleblower for “alter[ing] the agency to a fraud.” The lack of publicly available information about the anonymous whistleblower and the enforcement action underscores how serious the SEC is about protecting whistleblower's. Under the program, whistleblower may report anonymously through an SEC whistleblower attorney.
$3.8 million	July 14, 2020	The SEC issued a $3.8 million award to a whistleblower that provided new information during the course of an ongoing investigation into a fraudulent scheme. According to the order announcing the award, the information that the whistleblower provided “helped the Commission halt an ongoing fraud and return millions of dollars to harmed investors.”
$3.5 million	May 13, 2016	The whistleblower “bolstered an ongoing investigation with additional evidence of wrongdoing” which helped the SEC during settlement discussions with the company. This award underscores how whistleblowers may still receive an award even if the SEC already has an open investigation into a matter.

SEC Whistleblower Law Firm: Top FAQs

The SEC whistleblower process is lengthy and complex. See below for articles by our firm’s SEC whistleblower lawyers responding to frequently asked questions by SEC whistleblowers.

SEC Whistleblower Attorneys’ Tips to Navigate SEC Whistleblower Program’s Process

As discussed in our articles, the SEC Whistleblower Program has become a very effective enforcement tool for the SEC. But very few whistleblowers have received awards, which underscores the importance of having experienced counsel represent a whistleblower effectively at the SEC.

Top-Rated SEC Whistleblower Lawyers

We have assembled a team of leading SEC whistleblower lawyers to provide top-notch representation to SEC whistleblowers. Washingtonian magazine named two of our attorneys top whistleblower lawyers. U.S. News and Best Lawyers® have named Zuckerman Law a Tier 1 Law Firm in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area.

Matt Stock is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Fraud Examiner and former KPMG external auditor. As an auditor, Stock developed an expertise in financial statement analysis and internal controls testing and fraud recognition. He uses his auditing experience to help SEC whistleblowers investigate and disclose complex financial frauds to the government and develop a roadmap for the SEC to take an enforcement action. Matt has been interviewed on CNBC, quoted extensively about whistleblower rewards in the media, and is the lead author of SEC Whistleblower Program: Tips from SEC Whistleblower Attorneys to Maximize an SEC Whistleblower Award.
Dallas Hammer has extensive experience representing whistleblowers in retaliation and rewards claims and has written extensively about cybersecurity whistleblowing. He was selected by his peers to be included in The Best Lawyers in America® in the category of employment law in 2021 and 2022.
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. He served on the Department of Labor’s Whistleblower Protection Advisory Committee, which makes recommendations to the Secretary of Labor to improve OSHA’s administration of federal whistleblower protection laws. Zuckerman also served as Senior Legal Advisor to the Special Counsel at the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, the federal agency charged with protecting whistleblowers in the federal government. At OSC, he oversaw investigations of whistleblower claims and obtained corrective action or relief for whistleblowers.
Zuckerman was recognized by Washingtonian magazine as a “Top Whistleblower Lawyer” (2020, 2018, 2017, 2015, 2009, and 2007), selected by his peers to be included in The Best Lawyers in America® in the category of employment law (2011-2021) and in SuperLawyers in the category of labor and employment law (2012 and 2015-2021), is rated 10 out of 10 by Avvo, based largely on client reviews, and is rated AV Preeminent® by Martindale-Hubbell based on peer reviews
We have published extensively on whistleblower rights and protections, and speak nationwide at seminars and continuing legal education conferences. We blog about new developments under whistleblower retaliation and rewards laws at the Whistleblower Protection Law and SEC Awards Blog, and in 2019, the National Law Review awarded Zuckerman its “Go-To Thought Leadership Award” for his analysis of developments in whistleblower law.
Our attorneys have been quoted by and published articles in leading business, accounting, and legal periodicals about the SEC whistleblower program, including articles in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, CNBC, MarketWatch, Vox, Accounting Today, Going Concern, Law360 – Expert Analysis, Investopedia, The National Law Review, inSecurities, Government Accountability Project, S&P Global Market Intelligence, Risk & Compliance Magazine, The D&O Diary, The Compliance and Ethics Blog, Compliance Week and other printed and electronic media.

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:

SEC Areas of Enforcement

According to the SEC Office of the Whistleblower’s recent Annual Reports , the most common allegation types reported by SEC whistleblowers were:

Manipulation;
Corporate disclosures and financials;
Offering fraud;
Trading and pricing;
Initial coin offerings and cryptocurrencies;
Insider trading;
Foreign bribery and other FCPA violations; and
Unregistered securities offerings.

The SEC has broad jurisdiction to combat securities fraud. In FY 2023, the SEC brought a diverse mix of 784 enforcement actions, addressing a broad range of violations. The enforcement actions enabled the SEC to obtain judgments and orders for nearly $3.4 billion in disgorgement and more than $1.6 billion in penalties in FY 2023.