Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto Takes Part in Whistleblowing Awareness Week
Representatives from U.S. whistleblower law firm Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto (KKC) were featured at this year’s Whistleblowing Awareness Week, an international event hosted by WhistleblowersUK and backed by Baroness Susan Kramer in the UK House of Lords.
Held from July 3 to 11, the event brought together legal experts, parliamentarians, and anti-corruption advocates to push for stronger protections and incentives for whistleblowers in the UK and worldwide.
Benjamin Calitri, a whistleblower attorney at KKC, and Kate Reeves, the firm’s international liaison, participated in key discussions throughout the week. Speaking on a panel hosted by Forvis Mazars, Calitri made the case for reward-based whistleblower programs, pointing to their success in the U.S. “Whistleblower rewards make blowing the whistle a safe and rational economic activity,” he said. He highlighted that in 2024 alone, the SEC awarded over $255 million to whistleblowers — many of whom were from outside the U.S., including the UK. Calitri highlighted the success of U.S. whistleblower programs and the frequency with which UK whistleblowers currently utilize these programs. In 2024, for example, the SEC imposed over $8.2 billion in sanctions and received its second-highest number of foreign whistleblower tips from the UK.
Calitri and Reeves joined Ukrainian anti-corruption officials and Australian Senator David Shoebridge to explore how whistleblowers can aid national reform efforts. Reeves proposed that Ukraine consider adopting a version of the U.S. False Claims Act, which empowers individuals to report fraud and share in financial recoveries. Reeves highlighted the potential impacts of a qui tam whistleblower law for Ukraine, emphasizing the positive changes it could bring in the context of the nation’s current conflict.
Reeves also spoke on a panel about whistleblowing in the AI sector, referencing the OpenAI whistleblower disclosures and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley’s proposed AI Whistleblower Bill as a forward-looking model for other countries.
Throughout the week, the KKC team urged UK policymakers to adopt stronger legal frameworks — including the proposed Office of the Whistleblower Bill — to ensure whistleblowers are protected and incentivized. While the UK has taken steps toward reform, it still lacks the kind of robust reward system seen in the U.S.
As global attention turns toward tightening anti-corruption efforts, Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto’s presence at Whistleblowing Awareness Week signals a clear message: with the U.S. potentially pulling back on enforcement, it’s crucial for other countries, such as the UK, to step up and fill the gap.
