SEC Whistleblower Rules Archives

Report Improper Revenue Recognition and Qualify for an SEC Whistleblower Award

On September 7, 2017, the SEC announced that financial services firm State Street agreed to pay more than $35 million to settle charges that it fraudulently charged secret mark-ups for transition management services. According to the SEC’s order, the scheme generated approximately $20 million in improper revenue for the firm. After a client discovered the … Continued

Appealing an SEC Whistleblower Award Determination

SEC Whistleblowers Denied Multimillion-Dollar Award On August 31, 2017, two whistleblowers appealed to the Second Circuit the SEC’s denial of a whistleblower award related to a 2012 enforcement action against Syntax-Brillian Corporation. According to the court filings, the whistleblowers provided information to the SEC that led to $60 million in civil fraud judgments against the … Continued

SEC Whistleblower Attorney Interviewed About Record SEC Whistleblower Award

Leading SEC whistleblower attorney Jason Zuckerman was interviewed by Advisor Hub, a publication covering the wealth management industry, about a forthcoming announcement by the SEC of what will likely be the largest SEC whistleblower award, stemming from a $267 million enforcement action against JPMorgan for failing to disclose conflicts of interest to clients. According to an SEC press … Continued

SEC to Announce Largest SEC Whistleblower Award to Date

J.P. Morgan Whistleblowers to Split $61 Million Award The SEC Whistleblower Office is set to announce its largest SEC whistleblower award to date – more than $61 million to two J.P. Morgan whistleblowers. Under the SEC’s whistleblower program, whistleblowers are eligible for awards when they provide original information to the SEC that leads to successful SEC … Continued

SEC Whistleblower Attorneys Publish Column in Forbes About Success of SEC Whistleblower Reward Program

One Billion Reasons Why The SEC Whistleblower-Reward Program Is Effective SEC whistleblower attorneys Jason Zuckerman and Matthew Stock of Zuckerman Law, a leading whistleblower law firm that represents U.S. and international whistleblowers before the SEC, published a column in Forbes about the SEC’s Whistleblower-Reward Program. In the column, One Billion Reasons Why The SEC Whistleblower-Reward … Continued

Shkreli Trial Reveals the Challenges Faced by Compliance Whistleblowers

In September 2015, Martin Shkreli became infamous after his company purchased the rights to an AIDS drug (Daraprim) and increased its price from $13.50 per pill to $750 per pill. This price gouging quickly earned Shkreli the title as “the most hated man in America.” Only a few months later, however, Shkreli got a … Continued

Money Laundering and the SEC Whistleblower Program

SEC Takes Aim at Broker-Dealers for Anti-Money Laundering Violations On June 5, 2017, the SEC charged brokerage firm Alpine Securities Corporation (Alpine) with securities law violations related to its ineffective anti-money laundering program. According to the SEC’s complaint, Alpine failed to adequately file suspicious activity reports (SARs) for at least 1,950 stock transactions that the … Continued

SEC Whistleblower Attorney Speaks At Seminar About Developments in Whistleblower Law

On June 28, 2017, Jason Zuckerman of Zuckerman Law spoke on a panel at the Practicing Law Institute’s Corporate Whistleblowing seminar alongside Renee Phillips, Co-Chair of Orrick’s Whistleblower Task Force, Jane Norberg, the head of the SEC’s Whistleblower Office, Christopher Ehrman, the head of the CFTC’s Whistleblower Office, and Teri Wigger, the assistant regional … Continued

Anonymous Whistleblowing: Does the SEC Whistleblower Program Protect a Whistleblower’s Identity?

Anonymous Whistleblowing to the SEC 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 in excess of $1 million. Unlike other whistleblower-reward programs, the SEC’s program allows whistleblowers to submit tips anonymously (if represented by an attorney). While this … Continued

SEC Scrutinizes “Fake News” Stock Promotion Schemes

SEC Enforcement Action Targeting Stock Promotion Schemes On April 10, 2017, the SEC announced enforcement actions against 27 individuals and entities for improper stock promotion schemes. According to the press release, the SEC uncovered scenarios in which public companies hired communication firms to generate publicity for their stocks, and the firms subsequently hired writers to … Continued

Accounting Fraud SEC Whistleblower Attorneys

Accounting Fraud SEC Enforcement Action On March 3, 2017, the SEC announced that homebuilding company Desarrolladora Homex S.A.B. de C.V. (Homex) has agreed to settle charges that it used accounting fraud to overstate its revenues by approximately $3.3 billion during a three-year period. According to the SEC’s complaint, the company reported fake sales of more … Continued

SEC Awards for Disclosures of Foreign Bribery or FCPA Violations

SEC Awards for Disclosures of Foreign Bribery or FCPA Violations Under the SEC Whistleblower Program, the SEC Whistleblower Office will issue awards to whistleblowers who provide original information that leads to enforcement actions with sanctions in excess of $1 million. A whistleblower is eligible to receive an award of between 10-30 percent of the total sanctions … Continued