SEC Whistleblower Awards to 40 individuals in 2021 surpass total awards in fiscal year 2020.
On March 29, 2021, the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") announced an award of more than $500,000 to a whistleblower who...more
A new Florida law provides civil immunity from COVID-related lawsuits to defendants that complied in good faith with government health standards, and it imposes heightened pleading and proof requirements on plaintiffs.
On...more
The Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Rewards Act ("KARRA") authorizes a U.S. Treasury Department ("Treasury") pilot program aimed at rewarding whistleblowers who provide information leading to the restraint, seizure, forfeiture, or...more
The highest award in the history of the SEC whistleblower program is issued to an employee who repeatedly reported misconduct internally before alerting the SEC.
On October 22, 2020, the U.S. Securities and Exchange...more
Companies should consider review of their compliance programs and procedures for addressing internal complaints or tips of potential misconduct.
On September 23, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") adopted...more
9/29/2020
/ Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Internal Reporting ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Proposed Amendments ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Violations ,
Whistleblower Awards ,
Whistleblower Protection Policies ,
Whistleblowers
New efforts by states to incentivize whistleblowers financially underscore the importance of comprehensive corporate compliance programs that effectively address all internal reports of potential misconduct that may...more
8/18/2020
/ Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
CFTC ,
Dodd-Frank ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Hedge Funds ,
NASAA ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Violations ,
Whistleblower Protection Policies ,
Whistleblowers
The Situation: The Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") has announced a string of substantial whistleblower awards totaling $54 million since April 1, 2020.
The Result: The financial incentives for employees or third...more
The Situation: The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously held that filing a charge of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC") is not a jurisdictional prerequisite to bringing a Title VII lawsuit. The...more
6/27/2019
/ Affirmative Defenses ,
Amended Complaints ,
Appeals ,
Charge-Filing Preconditions ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Forfeiture ,
Fort Bend County Texas v Davis ,
Jurisdictional Requirements ,
Mandatory Claim-Processing Rules ,
Reaffirmation ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Religious Discrimination ,
Retaliation ,
Reversal ,
SCOTUS ,
Time-Barred Claims ,
Title VII ,
Waiver Rule ,
Wrongful Termination
California courts are known for the skepticism with which they approach post-employment restrictive covenants. Until recently, however, they have generally enforced covenants restricting individuals from soliciting their...more
The Situation: The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit considered whether an employer's consumer report disclosure form, which contained a combination of disclosures mandated by the Fair Credit Reporting Act...more
On May 9, 2018, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio signed legislation designed to combat workplace sexual harassment. Similar legislation was passed as a part of the New York State Budget enacted on April 12, 2018. To ensure...more
5/23/2018
/ #MeToo ,
Commission on Human Rights ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Federal Arbitration Act ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
Mandatory Arbitration Clauses ,
Mayor de Blasio ,
Non-Disclosure Agreement ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State Labor Laws
The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously held in Digital Realty Trust, Inc. v. Somers that whistleblowers must report alleged misconduct to the Securities and Exchange Commission in order to benefit from Dodd-Frank's...more
2/26/2018
/ Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Digital Realty Trust Inc v Somers ,
Dodd-Frank ,
Internal Reporting ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Retaliation ,
Sarbanes-Oxley ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Violations ,
Whistleblower Protection Policies ,
Whistleblowers
New York City's Freelance Isn't Free Act ("Act") took effect on May 15, 2017, and applies to any freelance contracts or agreements entered into on or after that date. The Act requires all agreements for freelance work of a...more
May 2017 On May 4, 2017, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio signed a law that will prohibit New York City employers from inquiring about the salary and benefits histories of job applicants. The law, which the New York City...more