April 30, 2020
Examining the Surge in SEC Whistleblower Awards This Spring
Despite a global pandemic that has brought the American workplace to a virtual standstill, the Securities and Exchange Commission has been hard at work, announcing 10 whistleblower awards since the start of the year. This flurry of activity during the first four months of 2020 eclipses any other year since the whistleblower program was established....
Articles & Perspectives
December 4, 2019
The Incomparable Value of Service in Secret: Lessons from the SEC’s Office of the Whistleblower
NYU Law's Program on Corporate Compliance and Enforcement blog
Jordan Thomas, partner and chair of a prominent SEC whistleblower representation practice, discusses the recent results of the SEC Whistleblower program, its impact on inspiring other nations to examine their measures to combat corporate misconduct, and what lies ahead for corporate whistleblowers in the future.
Articles & Perspectives
December 2, 2019
Understanding the Factors that Determine an SEC Whistleblower Award: Opportunities & Outcomes
Jordan A. Thomas As the SEC Whistleblower Program grows in awareness ($387 million in awards to date is pretty good advertising) more and more individuals explore the investor protection initiative that provides eligible whistleblowers monetary incentives and employment protections with the comfort of anonymous reporting. The program has been such an unmitigated success that between...
Articles & Perspectives
July 29, 2019
2019 Half-Time Report
The SEC Whistleblower Program: Where Wall Street Answers to Main Street
We are pleased to bring our clients and friends a midyear report to highlight key awards, trends and issues of import in the SEC whistleblower arena. It’s an exciting time for whistleblowers, and, by extension, investors at large. Since the program’s roll-out, the Commission has received nearly 30,000 tips from 119 countries. Most remarkable, as...
Articles & Perspectives
July 23, 2019
SEC Whistleblower Program Surpasses $2 Billion in Monetary Sanctions With Latest Whistleblower Award
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) awarded a half-million dollars “to an overseas whistleblower whose expeditious reporting helped the Commission bring a successful enforcement action.” The Commission’s press release further reports that, with this and other recent enforcement actions brought as a result of tips from SEC whistleblowers, the SEC Whistleblower Program has yielded more than $2...
Articles & Perspectives
June 11, 2019
The Largest SEC Whistleblower Award in History: One Year Later
In a Q&A in the New York Law Journal, SEC whistleblower lawyer Jordan Thomas talks about his clients’ landmark bounty in an enforcement action involving Merrill Lynch. At $83 million, his three clients earned the largest SEC whistleblower award in the history of the program. Jordan also talks more generally about this important investor protection...
Articles & Perspectives
May 28, 2019
$4.5 Million Awarded to Tipster & Triggered Investigation
While much attention has been paid to the size of SEC whistleblower awards — with many complaints that sizable bounties encourage whistleblowers to bypass internal compliance protocols — the truth is, the program incentivizes employees to first report internally. Last week, the Commission announced a first-of-its-kind bounty exceeding $4.5 million for a whistleblower tip that led to an...
Articles & Perspectives
July 24, 2018
Spotlight: A Conversation with Dr. Patricia Harned
Corporate Whistleblower Watch
In March, Jordan Thomas spoke with Dr. Patricia J. Harned, CEO of the Ethics & Compliance Initiative (ECI). Dr. Harned oversees ECI’s research agenda and its networking and conference events. She also directs outreach efforts to policymakers and federal enforcement agencies in Washington, D.C and advises CEOs and directors on effective ways to build an...
Articles & Perspectives
July 24, 2018
Sage Counsel: Tips for SEC Whistleblowers
Corporate Whistleblower Watch
Q What violations qualify for the SEC Whistleblower Program? A An SEC whistleblower may report any violation of the federal securities laws that has occurred, is ongoing, or is about to occur. The reported misconduct may occur anywhere in the world. In most cases, SEC enforcement actions involve manipulative and deceptive practices associated with the...
Articles & Perspectives
March 15, 2018
An ‘Impossible Position’ for Corporate Fraud Gatekeepers
CFO
In a recent article on cfo.com, Jordan Thomas examines a significant and deeply concerning issue arising from the Supreme Court’s ruling in Digital Realty Trust v. Somers. Corporate gatekeepers—those senior insiders such as auditors, attorneys and accountants with responsibility for identifying and curing misconduct—have special reporting requirements under the SEC whistleblower program. Given their unique positions, unlike conventional...
Articles & Perspectives
February 23, 2018
SEC Insider 2017 in Review: Looking Back, Looking Ahead
Corporate Whistleblower Watch
Back in November, the SEC released its annual report of the whistleblower office, revealing another record year for the agency’s program. At the close of FY2017, SEC whistleblower awards surpassed $162 million and fueled enforcement actions resulting in approximately $1 billion in sanctions. Read Full Review
Articles & Perspectives
February 23, 2018
Sage Counsel: Tips for Corporate Whistleblower Counsel
Corporate Whistleblower Watch
We answer questions on rule 21F-17 of the Securities Exchange Act and how it relates to the retaliation against whistleblowers, as well as what happens after whistleblowers file a submission with the SEC. Read Full Q&A
Articles & Perspectives