Ethisphere, a think tank that focuses on business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability, has named Pfizer whistleblower John Kopchinski the most influential person in business ethics for 2009.
Kopchinski received a relator’s share of $51.1 million, part of the $2.3 billion penalty that Pfizer paid for illegally marketing some of its drugs.
In our blog post on the Pfizer settlement, we noted that this was the largest health care fraud settlement ever.
Kopchinski was represented by Phillips & Cohen LLP. Erika Kelton of Phillips & Cohen said, “John Kopchinski wasn’t seen as a team player and ultimately lost his job at Pfizer. But the happy ending to his story and the recognition this honor bestows should give other whistleblowers hope.”