In Digital Realty Trust, Inc. v. Somers (Feb. 21, 2018), the Supreme Court held that the Dodd-Frank Act’s anti-retaliation provision provides a private cause of action only for […]
SEC Announces Largest Whistleblower Awards Ever Granted Under the Dodd-Frank Act’s Bounty Provision
On March 19, 2018, the SEC announced its largest-ever whistleblower awards, with two individuals jointly sharing a nearly $50 million award and a third individual receiving more than […]
SEC Proposes Amendments to Whistleblower Rules
On June 28, the Securities and Exchange Commission proposed amendments to the rules that the Commission adopted in 2011 establishing its whistleblower program. According to the Commission, these […]
CFTC Announces Two Significant Whistleblower Awards Under Revamped Program
The CFTC, under its revamped whistleblower program, announced this month its largest award to date and its first award to a foreign resident. Both whistleblowers were insiders of […]
California Supreme Court Upholds Worker-Friendly Evidentiary Standard for Whistleblower Retaliation Claims
Whistleblower retaliation claims brought under California Labor Code section 1102.5 should be evaluated using the evidentiary standard set forth in Labor Code section 1102.6, rather than the more […]
New York Expands Whistleblower Protections
February 14, 2022 Update. The New York State Department of Labor (“NYSDOL”) issued the form Notice of Employee Rights, Protections, and Obligations required under the amendment to Section […]
SEC Brings Additional Enforcement Actions Based on Separation Agreements that Allegedly Violated the SEC’s Whistleblower Protection Rules
September 10, 2024 Update. The SEC continues to announce settlements of charges against companies that it alleges interfere with whistleblower rights under SEC Rule 21F-17(a). On September 9, 2024, […]
U.S. Supreme Court Clarifies the Burden of Proof for Sarbanes-Oxley Whistleblower Claims
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled in Murray v. UBS Securities, LLC that whistleblowers need not prove that an employer acted with “retaliatory intent” to establish a claim under […]
CFPB Issues Guidance on Whistleblower Rights Under the Consumer Financial Protection Act
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recently released guidance warning that overly broad confidentiality agreements with employees may violate Section 1057 of the Consumer Financial Protection Act, because the use […]
Second Circuit Confirms Whistleblower Activity Must Have Causal Relationship With Termination Decision For Sarbanes-Oxley Retaliation Claims
On February 10, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued a decision in Murray v. UBS Securities, LLC finding that, for Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower retaliation […]