Whistleblower Law Firm: Protecting Justice and Securing Whistleblower Awards

For over 35 years, we have had the honor and privilege of representing brave whistleblowers who report fraud, misconduct, or abuse, and seek rewards under various U.S. whistleblower award programs and international laws, and take great pride in being pioneers of today’s modern whistleblower reward law.

Whistleblower Cases

We are the firm whistleblowers go to when they’re going up against the world’s most powerful organizations and people.

Dr. Toni Savage

Contract Fraud Exposed

Dr. Tommie “Toni” Savage

Army Corps of Engineers

Foreign Corrupt Practices Act - Novartis Greece Bribery

$300 Million in Sanctions and Fines

Novartis Greece Bribery

Novartis

Whistleblower Attorney Case - Howard Wilkinson

$2 Billion Recovered

Howard Wilkinson

Danske Bank

Tax Whistleblower Award Case No 2015-11793

$11.9 Million Award

Tax Award Case No. 2015-11793

Confidential

Bunny Greenhouse - Government Procurement Fraud

$7 Billion Contract Exposed

Bunnatine “Bunny” Greenhouse

Halliburton

Daniel Richardson - False Claims/Qui Tam Whistleblower - Healthcare Fraud

Qui Tam Award to Whistleblowers: $50 Million

Daniel Richardson

Bristol-Myers Squibb

Bradley Birkenfeld - IRS Fraud Whistleblower

$104 Million Reward

Bradley Birkenfeld

UBS Switzerland

Bradley Birkenfeld - Largest Whistleblower Reward in History

“The only lawyer on my side was Stephen M. Kohn. He was as smart as they come and feisty as a pit bull. Steve was convinced the government owed me a fat reward, and he was going to get it, or die trying.”

Bradley Birkenfeld, Former UBS Employee, Recipient of the Largest Tax Whistleblower Reward ($104M) in History
Linda Tripp - Retaliation Whistleblower

“Most law firms it really is all about billable hours. For these guys it’s all about the justice.”

“They fought tooth and nail for me.”

Linda Tripp, Clinton-Lewinsky Scandal, Retaliation Victim

“We would like to express our appreciation for all your efforts. Whatever the outcome, your perseverance and conviction on our behalf means so much to us. You both have been supportive, honest and dedicated when no one cared to listen. You are both exceptional. We thank you sincerely…”

Anonymous Whistleblower Client

World-Renowned Whistleblower Attorneys

Our attorneys are globally recognized as among the best in the world, winning numerous peer-reviewed awards.

Practice Areas

We serve whistleblowers in both the private and public sector who seek protection and awards under various U.S. programs.

IRS Whistleblower Rewards
Tax Fraud and Evasion - IRS Whistleblower Rewards Attorneys

Tax Fraud & Evasion

For criminal and non-criminal tax fraud or evasion whistleblowers.

SEC Whistleblower Rewards
Securities Fraud - SEC Whistleblower Rewards Attorneys

Securities Fraud

For securities fraud and manipulation whistleblowers.

CFTC Whistleblower Rewards
CFTC Whistleblower Lawyer - Commodities Fraud - Ticker

Commodities Fraud

For commodities fraud and manipulation whistleblowers.

AML Reward Program
Anti Money Laundering Lawyer

Anti-Money Laundering

For U.S. and international money laundering whistleblowers.

Qui Tam Rewards
Qui Tam Attorneys

False Claims Act

For federal or state government contracting fraud whistleblowers.

Various Rewards
Foreign Corruption - Anti Money Laundering Whistleblower Attorneys

Foreign Corruption

For foreign bribery and corruption whistleblowers.

Various Reward Laws
Cryptocurrency Whistleblower Attorney

Cryptocurrency Fraud

For cryptocurrency and digital asset fraud whistleblowers.

Qui Tam Rewards
Medicare and Medicaid Fraud

Medicare & Medicaid Whistleblowers

For Medicare and Medicaid fraud whistleblowers.

Qui Tam Rewards
Defense Contract Fraud

Defense Contract & Procurement Fraud

For defense and procurement fraud whistleblowers.

Public Interest Advocacy

Nation’s leading whistleblower firm, KKC fights to enact, strengthen, and defend whistleblower laws through public interest advocacy.

  • Protecting Federal Employees

    We’ve protected federal employees’ First Amendment rights and set precedent in ‘mixed cases’ involving retaliation and Title VII discrimination.

  • SEC Rulemaking

    During the Dodd-Frank rulemaking process, leading partners of our firm worked closely with the SEC to create an effective whistleblower program.

  • Banning Restrictive NDAs

    Our attorneys successfully argued cases which established precedents protecting whistleblowers from being silenced by non-disclosure agreements.

  • IRS Rulemaking

    Since 2006, our expert legal team has engaged in consistent advocacy to ensure that the IRS Whistleblower Program works to the best of its abilities.

  • AML Rulemaking

    Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto advocated for the AML Whistleblower Program and now works to ensure effective international whistleblower regulations.

  • Protecting the FCA

    Our team has filed numerous amicus curiae briefs and helped lead the fight to pass amendments that have strengthened the False Claims Act (FCA).

Whistleblower News

We publish breaking whistleblower news each week, providing expertise on whistleblower topics and issues.

Awards and Recognition

Best Whistleblower Lawyers - Martindale Hubbell AV Preeminent

Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent®

Each of the lawyers of our firm have a AV Preeminent® rating from the Martindale-Hubbell® Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers. This top rating is based on a peer review survey conducted by Martindale-Hubbell.

Other Notable Awards

LawDragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Lawyers
Washingtonian Lifetime Achievement - Top Lawyer 15 Years
Washingtons Best Lawyers
AV Preeminent
IEEE
National Law Journal Plaintiffs Hot List
Elite Trial Lawyers - Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto LLP
America's Most Honored Professionals - Top 1 Percent - Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto LLP

Whistleblower FAQs

Obtaining Legal Representation

Frequently Asked Questions

Blowing the whistle is serious business. Your job, reputation, and career may be on the line. Your first priority should be to find a whistleblower lawyer. Not all whistleblower disclosures are lawful or protected. You need to know how to blow the whistle and protect yourself. Moreover, many whistleblower laws permit you to obtain a financial reward. It is essential that when you blow the whistle, you understand your rights.

The three founding partners of our firm have exclusively represented whistleblowers since 1984 (Stephen Kohn), 1985 (Michael Kohn) and 1988 (David Colapinto). Our managing partner, Mary Jane Wilmoth, joined the firm in 1993.

The firm’s record on winning whistleblower cases is second to none. We obtained the largest award ever given to an individual whistleblower, won numerous reward and retaliation cases, and have worked with Congress and executive agencies in drafting the laws and rules governing whistleblowers.

Our partners have written the most books published on whistleblower laws. In 1988 the firm’s partners helped to found the National Whistleblower Center, and they are highly committed to advocating pro bono for whistleblowers. We’ve successfully established many of the whistleblower laws, regulation, and legal precedents that now benefit all whistleblowers.

In the United States, many whistleblower attorneys work for a “contingency” fee. If the whistleblower loses his or her case, the whistleblower does not have to pay the attorney any money. But if the whistleblower wins the case, their attorney will generally obtain a contingency fee of between 30-40%. Additionally, many whistleblower laws have “statutory fee” provisions. Under these provisions, if the whistleblower wins, the company must pay all “reasonable” attorney fees incurred on behalf of the client.

Finally, although many whistleblowers have a “contingency fee” arrangement, many firms will charge a whistleblower an hourly fee. There are many reasons that firms charge such a rate. Having to pay an attorney a fee is not a good reason to reject retaining legal representation. It is Kohn, Kohn and Colapinto’s general practice to represent whistleblowers on a contingency fee basis.

Outside of the United States, most attorneys charge their clients fees. However, the United States has a different pay-model based on a contingency fee (see above). Thus, international whistleblowers who retain attorneys in the United States often do not have to pay any up-front attorney fees. For more information about attorney fees, please refer to our standard whistleblower attorney fees resource page.

Under the virtually universally followed general rule, if a whistleblower loses their case, he/she does not have to pay the attorney fees incurred by opposing counsel. This general rule is especially true in whistleblower cases litigated within the U.S. Department of Labor. In these cases, there are strict rules preventing companies from ever obtaining any fees or costs from whistleblowers who lose their cases.

There are even limits on the number of sanctions given if a whistleblower files a frivolous lawsuit, in bad faith. In federal court, whistleblowers do not have to pay fees to a corporation if they lose their case. However, if a lawsuit is frivolous and pursued in bad faith, the whistleblower may be liable for sanctions. A losing party in federal court is often liable to pay court costs, which are very small when compared with attorney fees.

It is nearly impossible for a whistleblower who files under the SEC and IRS reward laws to be liable for attorney fees from his or her employer. This situation is especially true if they maintain their confidentiality.

The whistleblower lawyers of the law firm of Kohn, Kohn and Colapinto all have over 30 years of experience representing whistleblowers. If KKC agrees to represent you, one of our partners will manage your case. This hands-on approach by KKC partners makes it very difficult for the law firm to represent all of the whistleblowers who contact our firm. A founding partner does review every intake form received through the contact form on our website.

It is often difficult to find a whistleblower lawyer and obtain qualified counsel. Many whistleblowers still proceed pro se (i.e., represent themselves), often because they cannot afford or locate an attorney. We strongly recommend that whistleblowers seeking representation carefully read The New Whistleblower’s Handbook. This book sets forth the essential elements of all modern whistleblower laws. You must understand how these laws work, so you are in the best position to “sell” your case to a prospective attorney.

View All FAQs