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David R. Jimenez is a principal in the Hartford, Connecticut, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. He is the co-leader of the firm’s Corporate Governance and Internal Investigations practice group.

A federal appeals court ruling on the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“DFA”) may prompt U.S. Supreme Court review as to when an employee whistleblower is entitled to the benefits of the anti-retaliation provisions of the DFA.

In a two-to-one decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, in New

Written by Maurice Jenkins

Attorney-client privilege protects against disclosure of internal investigation documents if a significant purpose of the communication is obtaining or providing legal advice, according to the influential D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals,. In Re Kellogg Brown & Root, Inc., et al., No. 14-5055 (D.C. Cir. June 27, 2014).

In this case,

On October 1, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that an unidentified whistleblower, “who voluntarily provided original information” to the SEC “that led to the successful enforcement” action against an undisclosed company, has been awarded a record $14 million.  According to the SEC, the award “recognizes the significance of the information that the Claimant provided to the Commission, the assistance the Claimant provided in the Commission action, and the law enforcement interest in deterring violations by granting awards.”

This is the third such award the SEC has made under the whistleblower provisions of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (DFA) since the statute’s passage in 2010.  The others were in the amounts of $50,000 and a little more than $25,000.

The latest record award is no surprise to employers and their lawyers who have been monitoring the SEC’s actions under the DFA’s “bounty” provisions.
Continue Reading SEC Whistleblower Awarded Record $14 Million