SEC Whistleblower Program
The SEC Whistleblower Program offers awards to eligible whistleblowers who provide original information that leads to successful SEC enforcement actions with total monetary sanctions exceeding $1 million. A whistleblower may receive an award of between 10% and 30% of the total monetary sanctions collected in actions brought by the SEC and in related actions brought by other regulatory or law enforcement authorities. Unlike other whistleblower-reward programs, the SEC Whistleblower Program allows whistleblowers to submit tips anonymously if represented by an attorney in connection with their tip.
Since the inception of the SEC Whistleblower Program, the SEC has paid more than $700 million in awards to whistleblowers. The largest SEC whistleblower awards to date are $114 million, $50 million, $50 million, $39 million and $37 million. And according to the SEC Whistleblower Program’s 2020 Annual Report, the SEC is tracking over 1,100 matters in which a whistleblower’s tip has caused a Matter Under Inquiry or investigation to open, or has been forwarded to Enforcement staff for review and consideration in connection with an ongoing investigation.
Contact our experienced SEC whistleblower lawyers to learn how we have achieved successful outcomes for whistleblowers at the SEC.
SEC Whistleblower Program’s Success
In 2010, Congress enacted the whistleblower-reward provisions in the Dodd-Frank Act to “motivate those with inside knowledge to come forward and assist the Government to identify and prosecute persons who have violated securities laws and recover money for victims of financial fraud,” S. Rep. No. 111-176, at 110 (2010). In its short history, the SEC Whistleblower Program has enabled the SEC to uncover significant investment fraud schemes and halt ongoing fraud. Specifically, since 2011, the SEC Whistleblower Office has received over 33,300 tips, some of which led to enforcement actions resulting in more than $2.7 billion in monetary sanctions from wrongdoers. The SEC Office of the Whistleblower has paid more than $700 million in awards to whistleblowers.
See our post at the D&O Diary: How the SEC Whistleblower Program Has Changed Corporate Compliance and SEC Enforcement.
Anonymous Reporting to SEC Office of the Whistleblower
Under the rules of the SEC Whistleblower Program, whistleblowers have the ability to report anonymously if represented by an attorney. A skilled whistleblower attorney will be able to skillfully guide a whistleblower through the process, maximizing the likelihood that their identity is not revealed to unauthorized parties. The program also offers substantial protection against retaliation.
For more information about the SEC Whistleblower Program, download the eBook Tips from SEC Whistleblower Attorneys to Maximize an SEC Whistleblower Award. Also, click below to hear an SEC whistleblower lawyer’s tips for SEC whistleblowers:
Tier 1 Law Firm Representing SEC Whistleblowers
Click here to learn more about anti-retaliation protections for SEC whistleblowers under the Dodd-Frank Act and Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
To learn more about the SEC Whistleblower Program, download Zuckerman Law’s eBook: SEC Whistleblower Program: Tips from SEC Whistleblower Attorneys to Maximize an SEC Whistleblower Award:
How to Report Information to the SEC and Qualify for an SEC Whistleblower Award
- What is the SEC Whistleblower Program?
- What violations qualify for an SEC whistleblower award?
- How can I submit a tip to the SEC?
- Why should I choose the Zuckerman Law to represent me in my SEC whistleblower claim?
- Can I submit an anonymous tip to the SEC Whistleblower Office?
- When is the best time to report the fraud or misconduct to the SEC?
- Can I submit an SEC Whistleblower claim if the SEC already has an open investigation into the matter?
- Who is an “eligible” SEC whistleblower?
- Can compliance personnel, auditors, officers or directors qualify for an SEC whistleblower award?
- What is “original information”?
- How might my information “lead to” a successful SEC enforcement action?
- Can I submit a claim if I had involvement in the fraud or misconduct?
- Do I have to report a securities law violation to my company before reporting the violation to the SEC?
- Can I submit a tip if I agreed to a confidentiality provision in an employment/severance agreement?
- What factors does the SEC consider when determining the amount of the award?
- What employment protections are available for SEC whistleblowers?
- What type of evidence should I provide to the SEC?
- Can I disclose secret recordings to the SEC?
- What happens after I submit a tip to the SEC?
- How long does it take to receive an SEC whistleblower award?
- What happens after I apply for an SEC whistleblower award?
- What are the largest SEC whistleblower awards?
- What is the SEC whistleblower process?
SEC Whistleblower Attorneys
We have substantial experience investigating securities fraud schemes and preparing effective submissions to the SEC concerning a wide range of federal securities violations, including:
- Accounting fraud;
- Investment and securities fraud;
- Insider trading;
- Foreign bribery and other FCPA violations;
- EB-5 investment fraud;
- Manipulation of a security’s price or volume;
- Fraudulent securities offerings and Ponzi schemes;
- Hedge fund fraud;
- Unregistered securities offerings;
- Investment adviser fraud;
- Broker-dealer anti-money laundering program violations;
- False or misleading statements about a company or investment;
- Inadequate internal controls;
- Deceptive non-GAAP financials;
- Improper revenue recognition;
- Violations of auditor independence rules;
- Misleading or incomplete cybersecurity disclosures; and
- Blockchain and cryptocurrency fraud.
Top-Rated SEC Whistleblower Lawyers
We have assembled a team of leading whistleblower lawyers to provide top-notch representation to SEC whistleblowers. Recently Washingtonian magazine named two of our attorneys top whistleblower lawyers. U.S. News and Best Lawyers® have named Zuckerman Law a Tier 1 firm in Litigation – Labor and Employment in the Washington DC metropolitan area.




- Matt Stock is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Fraud Examiner and former KPMG external auditor. As an auditor, Mr. Stock developed an expertise in financial statement analysis, internal controls testing and fraud recognition, and he uses his auditing experience to help whistleblowers investigate and disclose complex financial frauds to the government and obtain damages for retaliation. He is the lead author of SEC Whistleblower Program: Tips from SEC Whistleblower Attorneys to Maximize an SEC Whistleblower Award.
- Both Bachman and Zuckerman served in senior positions at the Office of Special Counsel, where they oversaw investigations of whistleblower retaliation claims and whistleblower disclosures, and enforced the Whistleblower Protection Act.
- Jason Zuckerman was recognized by Washingtonian magazine as a “Top Whistleblower Lawyer” in 2017, 2015, 2009, and 2007 selected by his peers to be included in The Best Lawyers in America® in the category of employment law (2011-2020), and selected by his peers to be listed in SuperLawyers(2012 and 2015-2020) in the category of labor and employment law. is rated 10 out of 10 by Avvo, based largely on client reviews, and rated AV Preeminent® by Martindale-Hubbell based on peer reviews.
- Bachman and Zuckerman served on the Department of Labor’s Whistleblower Protection Advisory Committee, which makes recommendations to the Secretary of Labor to improve OSHA’s administration of federal whistleblower protections.
- The firm has published extensively on whistleblower rights and protections, and regularly speaks nationwide at seminars and continuing legal education conferences. We blog about new developments in whistleblower law at the Whistleblower Protection Blog.
Protection Against Retaliation for SEC Whistleblowers
Several federal and state laws protect corporate whistleblowers. We routinely represent whistleblowers in Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower retaliation cases. For an overview of SOX whistleblower protection, download our titled Sarbanes-Oxley Whistleblower Protection: Robust Protection for Corporate Whistleblowers:
SEC Whistleblower Process
Resources for SEC Whistleblowers
To find out more about the SEC Whistleblower Program from a leading SEC whistleblower law firm, see the following resources:
- Tips for SEC Whistleblowers
- Leading SEC Whistleblower Law Firm Featured in Article About Growing Wave of Whistleblower Lawsuits
- SEC Whistleblower Reward Program FAQ
- Auditors’ and accountants’ guide to SEC whistleblower awards
- Whistleblower Protections and Incentives for Auditors and Accountants
- How to Report EB-5 Fraud and Earn an SEC Whistleblower Award
- CFTC Strengthens Anti-Retaliation Protections for Whistleblowers and Improves CFTC Whistleblower Award Program
- SEC Cracking Down on Ponzi Schemes
- SEC Scrutinizes “Fake News” Stock Promotion Schemes
- SEC Whistleblower Program: Exposing Insider Trading
- SEC Awards for Disclosures of Foreign Bribery or FCPA Violations
- Whistleblower Rewards and Bounties for Disclosures of Market Manipulation Schemes
- SEC Targeting Investment Adviser Fraud
- Compliance Personnel, Auditors, Officers and Directors Can Obtain SEC Whistleblower Awards
- Money Laundering and the SEC Whistleblower Program
- International Whistleblower Representation – SEC Whistleblower Attorney
- Anonymous Whistleblowing: Does the SEC Whistleblower Program Protect a Whistleblower’s Identity?
- SEC Awards for Disclosures of Foreign Bribery or FCPA Violations
- Securities Fraud Enforcement Action Prompts the Question: What Was the Company Smoking?
- Compliance Officer Whistleblower Representation
- SEC Whistleblower Program: What is the SEC Form TCR?
- Tale of Two Whistleblowers: Lessons Learned from Today’s SEC Whistleblower Award
- Whistleblowers Help CFTC Obtain Record Penalties for Commodities Fraud
- Report Underscores Importance of Whistleblower Rewards and Protections for Internal Auditors
- SEC Sanctions: Whistleblower Reference Guide
- Protections and Rewards for Cybersecurity Whistleblowers
- CFTC Announces Second Whistleblower Award in 2016 as the Agency’s Whistleblower Reward Program Picks Up Steam
- EB-5 Visa Scandal Underscores the Critical Role Whistleblowers Play in Exposing EB-5 Fraud
- SEC Enforcement Director Touts Success of SEC Whistleblower Program
- SEC Whistleblower Program Not Limited to Corporate Insiders
- SEC Pays $3M Award to Whistleblower
- SEC Draft Strategic Plan Affirms the Importance of the SEC’s Whistleblower Reward Program
- Whistleblower Lawyer Interviewed About SEC Whistleblower Award
- Wall Street Journal Quotes Jason Zuckerman on Dodd-Frank SEC Regulations
- SEC Whistleblower Lawyer Quoted in National Law Journal About SEC Whistleblower Program
- SEC Whistleblower Lawyer Zuckerman Quoted About SEC Whistleblower Award for Independent Analysis
- SEC Whistleblower Lawyer Jason Zuckerman Quoted About Tips for SEC Whistleblowers
- Whistleblower Lawyer Jason Zuckerman Quoted About SEC Whistleblower Award
- Whistleblower Lawyer Interviewed About the Rise of Cybersecurity Whistleblowing
- Whistleblower Attorney Zuckerman Quoted in Washington Post About SEC Order
- Whistleblower Attorney Dallas Hammer Interviewed by Bloomberg About Dodd-Frank Protected Whistleblowing
- SEC Whistleblower Lawyer Zuckerman Quoted About SEC Whistleblower Award for Independent Analysis
- Audit committees need to dig into personal relationships
- Whistleblower Bounties Pose Challenges
- CFO Magazine Quotes Whistleblower Attorney Jason Zuckerman About Dodd-Frank Whistleblower Rules
- Fiscal Times Quotes Jason Zuckerman About Dodd-Frank Act Whistleblower Reward Provisions
- Whistleblower Attorney Jason Zuckerman Quoted About Battle Over Corporate Whistleblower Rules