WASHINGTON, DC, June 16, 2015 – Whistleblower attorney Erika Kelton, a partner at Phillips & Cohen LLP, has been recognized as one of the “Attorneys Who Matter” for 2015 by the Ethisphere Institute.
“Representing the best and brightest minds in the legal field, Ethisphere’s annual ‘Attorneys Who Matter’ recognition highlights those who have made a significant difference in the ethics and compliance fields through their respective professions,” said Ethisphere in a statement.
Kelton’s whistleblower cases have stopped massive financial frauds, protected patients by exposing harmful pharma marketing practices and exposed misconduct in many other industries including telecommunications and medical devices. As a result, the federal government has recovered billions of dollars.
Last year, the Securities and Exchange Commission awarded one of her international whistleblower clients more than $32 million for exposing and helping to stop a significant securities fraud. It is the largest whistleblower reward the SEC has made under the Dodd-Frank program.
Ms. Kelton also was the attorney for the key whistleblowers in the two largest healthcare fraud settlements ever: GlaxoSmithKline’s $3 billion settlement and Pfizer’s $2.3 billion settlement with the government for unapproved marketing of best-selling prescription drugs for uses that endangered patients’ health and lives.
“I am very proud to be named to the ‘Attorneys Who Matter’ list, but I recognize that it is the whistleblowers who truly matter,” said Kelton. “They are the ones who step up and report wrongdoing, even when there are risks to their careers and livelihood. It is an honor to work with them.”
The Ethisphere® Institute is an organization whose goal is to define and advance the standards of ethical business practices that fuel corporate character, marketplace trust and business success. Ms. Kelton is the only whistleblower attorney selected for the “Attorneys Who Matter” list.
Other notable individuals on Ethisphere’s 2015 “Attorneys Who Matter” list include U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Mary Jo White, SEC Whistleblower Office Chief Sean McKessy and US Attorney Preet Bharara of the Southern District of New York. The full list is published in the Q2 2015 issue of Ethisphere Magazine and is available online at http://ethisphere.com/magazine/attorneys-who-matter/.