Virginia Whistleblower Protection Lawyers

By Jason Zuckerman | Last updated: September 4th, 2017

Virginia Lawyers Representing Whistleblowers

We represent whistleblowers under whistleblower rewards and whistleblower protection laws, including in claims under:

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.
Both Eric Bachman and Jason 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.
Eric Bachman and Jason Zuckerman served in senior positions at the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, the federal agency charged with protecting whistleblowers in the federal government. At OSC, they oversaw investigations of whistleblower claims and obtained corrective action or relief for whistleblowers.
Firm Principal Jason Zuckerman was recognized by Washingtonian magazine as a “Top Whistleblower Lawyer” in 2015, 2009, and 2007 selected by his peers to be included in The Best Lawyers in America® in the category of employment law (2011-2017), and selected by his peers to be listed in SuperLawyers (2012 and 2015-2017) 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.
Eric Bachman, Chair of the Firm’s Discrimination Practice, has substantial experience litigating precedent-setting individual and class action discrimination cases. His wins include a $100 million settlement in a disparate impact Title VII class action and a $16 million class action settlement against a major grocery chain. Having served as Special Litigation Counsel in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice and as lead or co-counsel in numerous jury trials, Bachman is trial-tested and ready to fight for you to obtain the relief that you deserve.

To find out if you have a claim, contact Dallas Hammer at (571) 288-1309.

Whistleblower Protections for Employees of Federal Government Contractors

We represent employees of federal contractors and grantees that have suffered retaliation for opposing fraud on the government or raising concerns about:

gross mismanagement of a Federal contract or grant;
a gross waste of Federal funds;
an abuse of authority relating to a Federal contract or grant; or
a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety, or a violation of law, rule, or regulation related to a Federal contract.

To learn more about remedies for whistleblowers, see our Practical Law Practice Note: “Whistleblower Protections Under the National Defense Authorization Act” and the following resources:

Corporate Whistleblower Protections for Virginia Employees

The attorneys at Zuckerman Law have extensive experience representing executives and senior professionals at Virginia companies in Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower retaliation claims, including CEOs and CFOs. We have recovered more than fifteen million dollars for SOX whistleblowers.

Drawing on our substantial experience representing corporate whistleblowers, we have published a free guide to SOX titled Sarbanes-Oxley Whistleblower Protection: Robust Protection for Corporate Whistleblowers.

The guide summarizes SOX whistleblower protections and offers concrete tips for corporate whistleblowers based on lessons learned during years of litigating SOX whistleblower cases. The goal of the guide is to arm corporate whistleblowers with the knowledge to effectively combat whistleblower retaliation, avoid the pitfalls that can weaken a SOX whistleblower case, and formulate an effective strategy to obtain the maximum recovery.

Before hiring a lawyer for a high-stakes whistleblower case, assess the lawyer’s reputation, prior experience representing whistleblowers, knowledge of whistleblower laws and prior results. And consider the experience of other whistleblowers working with that attorney. See our client testimonials by clicking here.

Recently some corporate whistleblowers have obtained significant recoveries in SOX whistleblower retaliation claims:

Virginia Wrongful Discharge Lawyers

Though Virginia is an “at-will employment” jurisdiction, Virginia recognizes an exception to the at-will employment doctrine for cases of wrongful termination in violation of public policy.

To establish a claim for wrongful termination in Virginia, a plaintiff must prove by a preponderance of the evidence that:

The plaintiff was an at-will employee terminated by the defendant;
The termination of the plaintiff’s employment violates a specific public policy; and
There is a causal connection between the public policy violation and the employer’s decision to terminate the plaintiff.

Virginia law recognizes only three situations where public policy protects an employee:

The employee is exercising a statutory right;
The employer is violating a statute, and the employee is a clear member of the class of persons the statute intends to protect; or
The employee is fulfilling a statutory obligation.

In a wrongful termination action, it is critical for plaintiffs to identify with specificity the public policy that the employer violated by discharging the plaintiff. In a Virginia wrongful termination action, a plaintiff must identify a Virginia state statute that establishes the relevant public policy.

A prevailing plaintiff in a wrongful termination action can recover back pay (lost wages and benefits), front pay, and punitive damages.

An action for a wrongful termination in violation of public policy can be brought in state court any time within two years of when the termination occurred.

Virginia SEC Whistleblower Attorneys

The whistleblower lawyers at leading whistleblower law firm Zuckerman Law represent whistleblowers before the SEC disclosing fraud and other violations of federal securities laws, including:

The SEC has jurisdiction over a wide range of industries and entities – both public and private. If you have information that may qualify for a SEC whistleblower reward, contact the experienced SEC whistleblower lawyers at Zuckerman Law for a free, confidential consultation. Click here or call us today at 202-262-8959.