Whistleblower Law Blog
A Win for Whistleblowers: The Ninth Circuit Expansively Interprets California’s Whistleblower Protection Act
March 22, 2023
The federal Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently handed workers a major victory. In Killgore v. SpecPro Professional Services, LLC, 51 F.4th 973 (9th Cir. 2022) the Ninth Circuit interpreted the California Whistleblower Protection Act (“CWPA” or “the Act”) to include broad protections for employees who blow the...
What Motivates a Whistleblower?
March 15, 2023
Whistleblower rewards programs are often touted by government officials as an important tool in encouraging employees to bring unlawful activity that they observe at work to light. Studies have shown that company employees have more often brought fraud to light than shareholders, regulators, auditors, or the media, proving that...
The Anti-Money Laundering Whistleblower Improvement Act Adds Critical Teeth to the Anti-Money Laundering Program, But There Is Still More To Do
March 14, 2023
On December 23, 2022, Congress included the Anti-Money Laundering Whistleblower Improvement Act in the omnibus budget presented to President Biden. The Improvement Act contained several key amendments to the Anti-Money Laundering Act that bring the program more closely into alignment with other highly successful federal...
OSHA orders Wells Fargo to Pay $22 Million to Wrongfully Discharged Whistleblower
November 21, 2022
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (“OSHA”) levied a hefty penalty on Wells Fargo on September 1, 2022, for its violation of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (“SOX”). OSHA found that the company unlawfully retaliated against an internal whistleblower who raised concerns that the bank was engaged in illegal practices. The...
2022 Amendments to SEC Whistleblower Program Take Effect
October 7, 2022
On August 26, 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC” or “Commission”) adopted two changes to its whistleblower program. First, the SEC expanded the circumstances under which whistleblowers may be rewarded for their contributions to non-SEC actions. Second, the SEC placed limitations on its own ability to...
The Supreme Court Is Poised to Weigh in on a False Claims Act Circuit Split
August 29, 2022
UPDATE: On October 17, 2022, the Supreme Court rejected the petitions for writs of certiorari in Owsley, Molina Healthcare, and Johnson without explanation, as is standard. For now, the tension in the courts of appeals’ approach to FCA pleading standards will remain unresolved.
Three pending petitions for writ of...
Updates: New York Whistleblower Law Expansions During COVID-19
June 21, 2022
On January 26, 2022, New York’s new legislation expanding protection for whistleblowers went into effect. As we discussed in January, these expansions, as well as those enacted in 2020 affecting health care whistleblowers, have significant implications for both employees and employers. The combined 2020 and 2021...
Legal Protections for Food Safety Whistleblowers
May 27, 2022
In February of this year, the FDA issued a warning to consumers that it was investigating complaints of cronobacter and salmonella infections in four infants who had consumed powdered baby formula from Abbott Nutrition’s Sturgis, Michigan processing plant. Abbott then recalled the products in question, and has yet to...
California Supreme Court Ruling Affords Whistleblowers Greater Protection from Retaliation
April 25, 2022
With a recent decision from the California Supreme Court, Lawson v. PPG Architectural Finishes, 503 P.3d 659 (Cal. 2022), whistleblowers in California will face fewer legal obstacles when claiming that their employer retaliated against them for their whistleblowing activities.
California’s whistleblower protection law,...
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Issues $24 Million Whistleblower Award
January 31, 2022
On November 9, 2021, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA” or “the Agency”) awarded $24 million to whistleblower Kim Gwang-ho, a Hyundai engineer who provided information about safety violations involving engines seizing and catching fire in vehicles manufactured by Hyundai and its subsidiary Kia Motors....
