Whistleblower lawyer Jason Zuckerman, Principal of Washington, DC firm whistleblower firm Zuckerman Law, will speak at a Rossdale webinar on October 26th about whistleblower investigations. To register, click here.
Fluency in whistleblower & related investigations has become increasingly important in recent years due to a significant expansion of whistleblower rewards and protection laws. The large sums paid by whistleblower programs in recent years and the expanding protections for corporate whistleblowers underscore the importance of conducting effective investigations of whistleblower disclosures and allegations of retaliation. With a focus on recent developments, this seminar will provide practical tips for addressing the challenging issues that arise in internal investigations. The Rossdale faculty for this seminar features tw0 national authorities in these evolving practices, who will describe the latest developments and cutting edge issues in whistleblower protection, preserving privileges, self-help discovery, scope of protection, as well as disclosures, among other topics. Registration includes online access to course and reference materials that serve as a helpful guide to the numerous topics and techniques discussed in the program.
Agenda:
Whistleblower Retaliation:
a. Recent Developments in Laws Protecting Whistleblowers
b. What is the Scope of Protected Whistleblowing Under Dodd-Frank & Sarbanes-Oxley?
c. Key Procedural Distinctions Between Sarbanes-Oxley and Dodd-Frank Retaliation Claims
d. Use of “Purloined” Documents to Prove Retaliation Claims
e. SEC’s Increased Focus on “Gag Provisions” in Settlement Agreements
Cutting-edge Developments involving Whistleblower Investigations:
a. Winning Techniques for Preserving Privilege
b. Unearthing Self-help Discovery
c. Effectively Avoiding Retaliation
d. Drafting Confidentiality Provisions in Agreements and Policies
e. Trends in Awards
f. The Impact of the Yates Memorandum on Internal Investigations
Interactive Question & Answer Session
Biography of Seminar Faculty:
1. Jason Zuckerman is the Founding Partner of Zuckerman Law, where he litigates whistleblower retaliation, qui tam, wrongful discharge, discrimination, non-compete, and other employment-related claims, and authors the Whistleblower Protection Law Blog. His broad experience includes practicing employment law at a national law firm, serving as a Principal at The Employment Law Group, and serving 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. In 2012, the Secretary of Labor appointed Mr. Zuckerman to serve on the Whistleblower Protection Advisory Committee, which makes recommendations to the Secretary of Labor to improve OSHA’s administration of federal whistleblower protections. Mr. Zuckerman has received numerous awards for excellence in practice, including being listed in The Best Lawyers in America, SuperLawyers, and 10 out of 10 by Avvo. He is a highly sought-after speaker and author on whistleblower law and employment law, having trained administrative law judges, agency EEO directors, senior OIG officials and delegations from more than 30 countries on federal whistleblower protections. With his extensive experience, Mr. Zuckerman has been called up to draft and lobby for passage of whistleblower protection laws and advocate for more effective enforcement of whistleblower protection laws. He has been quoted by leading business and legal periodicals, including the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Forbes, The National Law Journal, among many others. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law.
2. Renee Phillips is a Partner at Orrick, and Co-Head of the firm’s Whistleblower Task Force. Ms. Phillips focuses her practice on employment litigation and counseling, with particular emphasis on Sarbanes-Oxley/Dodd-Frank whistleblower issues and internal investigations She is also the co-author of the leading treatise published on the subject of Sarbanes-Oxley/Dodd-Frank whistleblower law, Corporate Whistleblowing in the Sarbanes-Oxley/Dodd-Frank Era. Ms. Phillips has successfully defended employers in federal and state court litigations as well as administrative proceedings and arbitrations involving claims of discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblowing, trade secret misappropriation and other employment-related claims. She regularly counsels employers on a variety of employment-related issues and assists clients in creating and implementing human resources policies, whistleblower policies, negotiating and drafting executive contracts and other employment agreements, and conducting internal investigations. She is a graduate of Harvard Law School and a former federal law clerk in the Southern District of New York.
