On September 28, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California issued two separate orders in a long-running SOX whistleblower lawsuit. Following a jury trial, the court upheld the jury’s $1.5 million damages award and awarded the
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Eleventh Circuit Affirms Rejection of Employee’s SOX Claim for Lack of Protected Activity
On September 25, 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the Department of Labor’s Administrative Review Board’s rejection of an employee’s Sarbanes–Oxley Act (SOX) retaliation claim, holding the employee did not engage in protected activity because…
CFTC Awards Over $15 Million to Two Whistleblowers

On September 19, 2023, the CFTC announced whistleblower awards totaling over $15 million to two whistleblowers who provided the CFTC with information that assisted the agency in bringing separate successful enforcement actions.
One of the awards was awarded to a…
CA District Court: Insurance Policy Covering Securities Claims May Extend to SOX Whistleblower Claims
A recent California district court addressed the question of whether, for insurance coverage purposes, a SOX whistleblower claim is a “securities claim,” and answered that question in the affirmative. Skye Bioscience v. PartnerRe Ireland Insurance DAC, No. 23-cv-01218.
Section…
SEC Announces $18 Million Award to Whistleblower
On August 25, 2023, the SEC announced an award of more than $18 million to a whistleblower who first reported misconduct internally and subsequently provided information and assistance that led to a successful SEC enforcement action. (The order granting the…
SEC Awards Seven Whistleblowers More Than $104 Million
On August 4, 2023, the SEC announced payment of more than $104 million to seven whistleblowers who provided the SEC with information and assistance that led to successful enforcement actions by the SEC and another agency (the order granting the…
Illinois Federal Court Grants Employer Summary Judgment on Several Types of Whistleblower Retaliation Claims
On May 5, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois granted a defendant-employer’s motion for summary judgment on whistleblower retaliation claims, holding that the company demonstrated that it would have terminated Plaintiff’s employment even in the…
District of NJ: Federal Courts Lack Jurisdiction to Enforce Preliminary Reinstatement Orders Under SOX
On April 19, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey granted the defendant-employer’s motion to dismiss a complaint seeking court enforcement of a preliminary reinstatement order after determining that the court lacked jurisdiction to enforce such…
SEC Announces Record-Shattering $279 Million Award to Whistleblower
On May 5, 2023, the SEC announced an award of nearly $279 million to a whistleblower who provided the SEC with information and assistance that led to the successful enforcement of SEC and related actions. This enormous award is the…
Illinois Federal Court Grants Motion to Dismiss SOX Whistleblower Claim
On February 28, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois granted a defendant-employer’s motion to dismiss a SOX whistleblower retaliation claim, holding that the plaintiff failed to adequately plead that he engaged in protected activity because…