Whistleblowers from any country – Britain, Canada, India, China and elsewhere – can participate in any of the four US whistleblower reward programs.
In most cases, international whistleblower cases involve the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) whistleblower program or the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) whistleblower program – both created by the Dodd-Frank Act.
US whistleblower reward programs are open to all nationalities and residents of all countries. You do not need to be a US resident or citizen to participate in the SEC or CFTC programs and receive rewards for information about matters where the US has jurisdiction. The SEC has made a strong effort to encourage international whistleblowers to come forward, and many have responded. UK whistleblowers and those in China, Canada, India and Australia have been the top sources of information provided to the SEC Whistleblower Office.
US Whistleblower Programs Provide Rewards and Confidentiality
Under US whistleblower programs. the SEC and CFTC will reward whistleblowers 10 percent to 30 percent of the amount that all government enforcement agencies recover, if the amount recovered based on a whistleblower’s information exceeds $1 million.
Both the SEC and CFTC promise confidentiality to whistleblowers. We understand that being an international whistleblower can pose particularly challenging issues. We are adept at dealing with whistleblowers’ concerns and strictly guard our clients’ identities and information.
We are available to answer any questions you have about US whistleblower programs or to discuss your case. To get started, contact us using our form for a free, confidential review of your matter. We have offices in London; Washington, DC; New York; Miami and San Francisco, and represent whistleblowers all over the world.
Most successful whistleblower lawyers with US reward programs
Phillips & Cohen has had the best success of any lawyers representing international whistleblowers. One of our international clients received the largest SEC whistleblower reward – more than $32 million – for his assistance to the SEC and our work with enforcement officials to stop a massive securities fraud.
We also represented two other SEC whistleblowers who received SEC rewards, including one who received more than $3 million. Over half of the total amount of SEC awards have been won by Phillips & Cohen for its US and international clients.
Phillips & Cohen’s whistleblower lawyers have strong working relationships with SEC and CFTC enforcement officials. One of our partners was the head of the SEC Office of the Whistleblower for five years and knows the SEC whistleblower program better than anyone.
We also have experience working with officials in other countries on cross-jurisdictional matters. In the UK, our whistleblower attorneys have worked on whistleblower matters where both UK regulators and US regulators are involved, and we have established close working relationships with them.
Whistleblower advocacy in Britain and elsewhere
Other countries have weak or no laws to protect or reward whistleblowers. Phillips & Cohen actively seeks ways to help those who want to report wrongdoing and blow the whistle in the UK and other countries in addition to the US.
In recognition of Phillips & Cohen’s success and experience, the UK Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards quoted the written testimony of Phillips & Cohen partner Erika A. Kelton about the need for a UK law that rewards whistleblowers in a major report on ways Britain could improve corporate governance and the culture of the banking sector following the Libor scandal and other major problems with banks (Section 801). The Parliamentary Commission requested Ms. Kelton’s testimony.
Many international media outlets have published writings by Phillips & Cohen’s lawyers in support of whistleblowers or articles about their whistleblower work. Some examples include:
- “Opinion: Quebec’s AMF should offer rewards to whistleblowers,” by Stephen S. Hasegawa, Montreal Gazette.
- “My legal life: Erika Kelton,” Law Society Gazette.
- “Rewarding Whistleblowers,” The Economist.
- “UK clients can benefit from US whistleblower law,” by Erika Kelton, ela Briefing (UK Employment Lawyers Association).
- “CEOs would pay attention to bonus clawbacks,” The Financial Times.
- “Most whistleblowers have ‘clean hands,” The Financial Times.
In addition, journalists from around the world call Phillips & Cohen attorneys for insight into US whistleblower reward programs, including the SEC whistleblower program, and other whistleblower issues:
- “How do you make millions by doing good? Become a whistleblower,” The Guardian (UK).
- “Whistle-blowers Should Be Rewarded, Says US Lawyer” (“Delatores devem ser premiados, afirma norte-americana”), Folha De S. Paulo (Brazil).
- “These whistleblowers earn millions” (“Ces lanceurs d’alerte qui gagnet des millions”), Le Journal du Dimanche (France).
- “Who Would Be a Whistleblower?” The Independent (UK).
- “LuxLeaks highlights need for whistleblower protection and incentives,” Euractiv (Europe).
For additional information about how US whistleblower reward programs work, see our frequently asked questions page for international whistleblowers and our “SEC and CFTC whistleblower reward programs page.