Whistleblower Attorney Near Me

Our team consists of the world’s leading whistleblower attorneys, which includes former SEC acting chair and Commissioner Allison Herren Lee. Also, Andrew Feller, former senior Counsel in the Division of Enforcement and later senior policy advisor. And lastly, renowned whistleblower attorney Stephen M. Kohn, and of the most prominent legal figures of the 21st century.

Other Firm Highlights Include:

• Record-Breaking Whistleblower Awards: KKC is widely recognized for securing some of the largest whistleblower rewards in history. Most notably, the firm represented UBS whistleblower Bradley Birkenfeld, who received a $104 million award from the IRS, the largest individual whistleblower award to date. This case was pivotal in breaking down Swiss bank secrecy.
• Pioneering Whistleblower Advocacy: The firm’s founding partners—Stephen M. Kohn, Michael D. Kohn, and David K. Colapinto—are considered pioneers in modern whistleblower law. They co-founded the National Whistleblower Center in 1988, a non-profit advocacy organization dedicated to protecting and rewarding whistleblowers.
• Shaping Whistleblower Legislation: KKC has played a crucial role in the development and strengthening of key U.S. whistleblower protection laws. Their expertise has contributed to the drafting and implementation of provisions within the False Claims Act, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (which created the SEC and CFTC whistleblower programs), the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act, and IRS tax whistleblower laws.
• Expertise Across Diverse Whistleblower Programs: The firm possesses deep expertise across a wide array of whistleblower programs, including those administered by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and under the False Claims Act (qui tam actions) and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). Their practice areas also cover anti-money laundering (AML) and international whistleblower cases.
• Strong Background and Experience in Whistleblower Retaliation Cases: The founding partners of KKC have vast experience in representing whistleblowers in employment retaliation cases. They set many of the early precedents under federal whistleblower protection statutes that cover both private sector/corporate and government employees. Thus, KKC is devoted to protecting the best interests of individual whistleblowers and understands what whistleblowers risk and the impact of their disclosures when they come forward. Given their vast experience in retaliation cases, KKC can draw on its experience to advise what terms of severance are appropriate to protect whistleblowers under federal law.
• Significant Legal Precedents: Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto has a track record of winning landmark court decisions that have established important legal precedents, expanding protections and rights for whistleblowers. This includes cases related to employer retaliation, the scope of whistleblower protection laws, and the rights of federal employees.
• Notable Cases and Recoveries: Beyond the Birkenfeld case, KKC has successfully represented whistleblowers in numerous high-impact cases leading to substantial recoveries for the U.S. government and significant awards for their clients. These cases have involved various forms of fraud, including healthcare fraud, securities fraud, tax evasion, and government contract fraud, with notable cases involving entities like Novartis and Bristol-Myers Squibb.
• Awards and Recognition: The firm and its attorneys have consistently received prestigious awards and recognition for their work. This includes top ratings from legal directories like Martindale-Hubbell (AV Preeminent), selection as a leading plaintiff’s firm by The National Law Journal, and individual accolades for its partners, such as Stephen Kohn being named one of America’s Top 200 Lawyers by Forbes and recognized for his influence in business ethics.
• International Reach: KKC has a significant international practice, representing whistleblowers from around the world who report violations of U.S. laws with transnational reach, such as the FCPA and various financial fraud statutes. This includes the case with Howard Wilkinson, a former Danske Bank manager who exposed a Russian money laundering scheme of over $230 billion.

These are just a few of the highlights that display our rich history of winning for whistleblowers across many geographies around the world. We also have deep partnerships with whistleblower attorneys in all parts of the world, which makes finding a qualified whistleblower near your location trusted.

Below is a list of federal laws that our firm specializes in, many of which have broad transnational reach. Many offer strong protections, such as anti-retaliation provisions, anonymous whistleblowing, and award incentives. If your concerns relate to any of the below, contact us to better understand your options:

• Dodd-Frank Act (Whistleblower Provisions): Established SEC/CFTC whistleblower programs targeting securities & commodities law violations; strengthened FCPA provisions; addressed broad financial market stability issues
• SEC Whistleblower Program: Federal securities law violations (e.g., market manipulation, insider trading, accounting fraud, FCPA by issuers)
• CFTC Whistleblower Program: Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) violations (e.g., fraud and manipulation in futures, swaps, options, commodities, digital assets, forex; spoofing; BSA violations by registrants)
• FinCEN Whistleblower Program: Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) violations (e.g., AML program failures, SAR/CTR filing failures, KYC issues); Violations of specific U.S. sanctions laws (IEEPA, Kingpin Act, Trading With the Enemy Act)
• IRS Whistleblower Program: Tax underpayment/violations >$2M (or individual income >$200k for mandatory award); lesser amounts for discretionary award. Covers tax evasion, false returns, hidden assets, etc.
• False Claims Act and Qui Tam: Knowingly submitting false claims to U.S. gov’t, false records for claims, conspiracy, retaining overpayments (e.g., Medicare fraud, defense contractor fraud)
• Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA): Bribing foreign officials to obtain/retain business. Accounting: Falsifying records or inadequate internal controls (issuers only), often to conceal bribes
• Employment severance agreement advice: KKC has the background and experience in whistleblower protection law to advise whistleblowers facing retaliation. KKC’s partners and attorneys can advise whistleblowers on the best strategies to protect their careers and reputations and negotiate the best results if faced with severance or termination.
• Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX): (Focus is anti-retaliation for reporting) Violations of mail/wire/bank/securities fraud laws, SEC rules, or laws re: fraud against shareholders (often involves financial reporting, internal controls)
• Whistleblower Protection: Employees who believe that they’ve been a victim of retaliation for reporting violations of law/rule/regulation, gross mismanagement, gross waste of funds, abuse of authority, substantial/specific danger to public health/safety may file under one or more federal whistleblower laws. OSHA’s Whistleblower Protection Program consists of 20 federal laws protecting whistleblowers from retaliation within their industry. Employees who believe that they’ve been a victim of retaliation in violation of one of these laws may file a complaint with OSHA.

Given the great success of the federal FCA, there are a multitude of state FCA cases with whistleblower provisions as well. Below is an overview of the states in which we have expertise:

• California
• Colorado*
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• District of Columbia
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Louisiana*
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan*
• Minnesota
• Montana
• Nevada
• New Hampshire*
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• Oklahoma
• Rhode Island
• Tennessee
• Texas*
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington*

The following local jurisdictions have enacted False Claims Act laws:

• Allegany County, Pennsylvania
• Chicago, Illinois
• New York City, New York
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

States with an “*” have a limited False Claims Act law that only covers fraud in Medicaid programs.

Below are helpful landing pages that we’ve created to help you learn more about our practice areas in your specific state or city. These are based on popular searches for whistleblowers near me:

• California (Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco)
• District of Columbia
• Florida (Miami)
• Georgia
• Illinois (Chicago)
• New Jersey
• New York (New York City)
• Pennsylvania (Philadelphia)
• Texas

If your state is not listed or you’re unsure of which laws apply to you, contact our firm for more precise information. We have guidance for whistleblowers in all 50 states, including the local jurisdictions listed above.

If you’re looking for an investment fraud and securities fraud lawyer to represent you in a whistleblower award claim before the SEC or CFTC, we’re the firm you can call for experienced legal counsel. Fill out the intake form below for a free and confidential case evaluation. We don’t get a fee unless we win your case and receive a recovery.