On March 29, 2022, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida held that in order to engage in protected conduct under the False Claims Act (“FCA”), a plaintiff must specifically suspect that their employer has made a
Proskauer Whistleblower Defense
D.C. Circuit: No Award to Whistleblower Who Made Disclosure Before Enactment of SEC’s Whistleblower Program
On May 27, 2022, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed an order by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) denying a whistleblower award under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank”), holding that information provided to…
SEC Proposes Amendments to Whistleblower Program Rules, Which May Lead to More SEC Tips
New York Department of Labor Issues Required Posting for Expanded Whistleblower Protection Law

The New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) has issued a form of required notice regarding the dramatically expanded whistleblower protections under New York Labor Law § 740 that took effect last month.
As we previously reported, the expanded…
CA Supreme Court: Contributing-Factor Standard Applies to Whistleblower Retaliation Claims
On January 27, 2022, the California Supreme Court settled an inconsistency that has divided the courts of appeal with respect to the proper evidentiary standard for whistleblower retaliation claims under California Labor Code section 1102.6. It ruled that the “contributing-factor”…
SDNY: Confidentiality Agreement Impeded Investors from Whistleblowing
On November 17, 2021, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York held that a company and its CEO violated Rule 21F-17 of the Exchange Act by entering into confidentiality agreements with investors that prohibited communications with…
EEOC Updates COVID-19 Guidance with Anti-Retaliation Section
On November 17, 2021, the EEOC updated its technical guidance on COVID-19 and anti-discrimination with a new anti-retaliation section.
The new section largely restates existing statutory anti-retaliation protections in the context of COVID-19. The guidance provides several examples of COVID-related…
SEC Awards $400,000 to Whistleblower Culpable In Fraudulent Scheme
On November 23, 2021, the SEC issued an award of $400,000 to a whistleblower who voluntarily provided the SEC with original information that assisted the agency in bringing a successful enforcement action that resulted in the termination of an ongoing…
SEC Releases FY 2021 Whistleblower Program Annual Report
On November 15, 2021, the SEC published its annual report to Congress covering the period from October 1, 2020 to September 30, 2021. The report was prepared by the SEC’s Office of the Whistleblower to summarize its whistleblower bounty program,…
CA District Court: Dodd Frank Whistleblower Provision Does Not Apply Extraterritorially
On June 28, 2021, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California granted the Company’s Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss after an executive claimed he was discharged in violation of the Dodd-Frank Act’s (DFA) whistleblower protection provision…