US whistleblower programs help stop corporate wrongdoing and reward whistleblowers around the world who provide information that leads to monetary sanctions.
Here are some commonly asked questions that whistleblowers outside the US have.
[See this page in Français , Deutsch, Русский, Español, 中文, Português, 한국어.]
What is a whistleblower?
A whistleblower is someone who knows of wrongdoing or fraud by a company or individual and reports it as a way to stop those practices. US whistleblower programs with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) encourage whistleblower claims from around the world.
Can I be a whistleblower and get a reward if I am not a US citizen or resident?
Whistleblowers from any country can qualify for a reward under the four major US whistleblower reward programs. We represented a whistleblower from outside the US who received a whistleblower reward of more than $32 million from the SEC.
What type of wrongdoing is covered by the US whistleblower reward programs?
The main whistleblower programs for international whistleblowers cover financial fraud and bribery committed by companies that are covered by US laws or whose parent companies or subsidiaries are under US jurisdiction.
How does the US whistleblower law work for people who report financial frauds or bribery of government officials?
The first step generally is to hire a lawyer who has experience with US whistleblower laws. Whistleblower lawyers can build a strong case to present to the SEC, CFTC or the US Department of Justice, which makes it more likely the government will investigate the matter. A whistleblower lawyer also can help clients maintain their anonymity, if necessary.
A government investigation can take months or years, depending on the case. Under the SEC and CFTC programs, the government must recover at least $1 million for the whistleblower to receive an award. The whistleblower will receive an award of 10 percent to 30 percent of the amount the government collects in those cases.
How can I protect my identity as a whistleblower?
The SEC whistleblower program and the CFTC whistleblower program allow whistleblowers to file their whistleblower claims anonymously, provided that you are represented by a lawyer. Phillips & Cohen works closely with the SEC Whistleblower Office and the CFTC Whistleblower Office to protect our clients’ identities.
More information about each whistleblower program:
- False Claims Act and qui tam cases.
- SEC whistleblower program.
- CFTC whistleblower program.
- IRS whistleblower program.
Top lawyers for whistleblowers in US reward programs
Phillips & Cohen LLP is the most successful and most experienced law firm representing whistleblowers in the US and other countries under US reward programs. We have been fighting for whistleblowers for 30 years. Our cases have recovered more than $12.8 billion and earned our clients more than $1 billion in rewards. (See “Why we win.”)
We represent both US and international clients. In two separate SEC whistleblower cases, we won for international clients a $37 million award and a $32 million award, which are likely the largest SEC whistleblower awards issued to whistleblowers based overseas.
If you know about fraud or wrongdoing by a company that violates US laws, including bribery of foreign officials, and would like to discuss your case with one of our attorneys, please see our “Contact us” page. By law, your communications with us during this process are completely confidential and will be treated by us accordingly.