October 22, 2019
Need for PCAOB whistleblower program underscored by recent SEC enforcement actions
Recent scandals involving two of the “Big Four” accounting firms have added weight to the need for a robust program to encourage whistleblowers to provide the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board...
January 31, 2019
“SEC’s Misguided ‘Solution’ In Search Of A Problem: Proposed Rule Would Hurt Whistleblower Program”
In a post for New York University Law School’s Compliance and Enforcement blog, Phillips & Cohen partner Sean McKessy lays out his thoughts on the SEC’s proposed changes to its whistleblower...
November 28, 2018
SEC whistleblower program has record year, with more submissions and more whistleblower awards
The number of whistleblower submissions to the US Securities and Exchange Commission whistleblower increased 18 percent the past year compared to the previous year, according to a recent SEC report, most...
November 07, 2018
CFTC whistleblower program sets new records in FY 2018
The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s whistleblower program marked a banner year in FY 2018, reversing several years of flagging performance and setting several records for the program. In its...
August 02, 2018
Fraudulent Initial Coin Offerings – SEC tries a new tactic to educate investors
Fraud in the cryptocurrency market is an increasing concern of the US Securities and Exchange Commission, and the SEC is taking steps to both educate investors and go after those committing the fraud....
February 23, 2018
Supreme Court decision in Digital Realty v Somers, limiting SEC whistleblower protections, hurts both whistleblowers and employers
The Supreme Court’s decision this week in Digital Realty Trust Inc. v. Somers to limit Dodd-Frank whistleblower protections not only hurts whistleblowers, but their employers as well, according to two...
October 20, 2017
Digital Realty Trust v. Somers amicus brief: Dodd-Frank protections should apply to internal whistleblowers
An amicus brief filed this week in the Supreme Court case, Digital Realty Trust Inc. v. Paul Somers, argues that the whistleblower protections outlined in the Dodd-Frank Act should apply to all whistleblowers,...
August 04, 2017
Halliburton charged with violating FCPA, agrees to pay $29.2 million
Halliburton’s $29.2 million settlement with the US Securities and Exchange Commission last week stemmed from a decision by an anonymous whistleblower to report to the company a scheme to secure lucrative...
June 22, 2017
Court rules against Dodd-Frank whistleblower protections for internal whistleblowers
A recent ruling from a federal judge in Illinois has added to the minority view in a significant split in court opinions over whether employees who report suspicions of securities violations by their employers...
May 24, 2017
New CFTC rules are a boon for whistleblowers
This week the Commodity Futures Trading Commission finalized several changes to its whistleblower rules that will strengthen the CFTC’s whistleblower program. Chief among them are rules that better protect...
Posted In SEC and CFTC Whistleblower Update