WASHINGTON, DC, January 3, 2017 – Erika Kelton and Sean McKessy, partners at the whistleblower law firm Phillips & Cohen LLP, have been named to the Ethisphere Institute’s “Attorneys Who Matter” list for 2016.
Kelton and McKessy were selected for their success in representing whistleblowers and holding companies accountable as well as their outspoken advocacy for whistleblowers. They are the only attorneys on the list whose practice is devoted exclusively to representing whistleblowers.
“These hard-working professionals raise the bar for ethical behavior industry-wide and boast a commendable track record of public service, legal community engagement and academic involvement,” Ethisphere said about the distinction.
Kelton, who was also included in Ethisphere’s 2015 “Attorneys Who Matter” list, has represented whistleblowers in cases that have led to healthcare fraud settlements with major pharmaceuticals companies, as well as clients who submitted information to the Securities Exchange Commission and Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
One of Kelton’s international whistleblower clients won one of the SEC’s largest ever whistleblower awards of more than $32 million. She also represented whistleblowers in two of the biggest healthcare fraud settlements ever, GlaxoSmithKline ($3 billion) and Pfizer ($2.3 billion).
McKessy was the first ever chief of the SEC’s Office of the Whistleblowers. As the head of that office, he oversaw the establishment of the processes and policies that helped make the SEC whistleblower program as effective as it has become. McKessy joined Phillips & Cohen in September 2016, and brings unparalleled knowledge of the SEC whistleblower program to his work with clients.
The Ethisphere Institute is an organization that works with corporations to establish ethical business practices.