ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER

Government Protects Whistleblowers from Retaliation

Whistleblowers Gets Job Back

In a strong statement of encouragement to whistleblowers the government recently ordered the reinstatement of a bank whistleblower who blew the lid on the bank’s unlawful practices. In a complex national case against one of the country’s largest banks, an employee whistleblower uncovered the bank’s practice of opening unauthorized accounts for its customers and reaping fees from those accounts. We at Evans Law Firm have years of experience with these kinds of whistleblower cases, also known as qui tam cases. The cases, like this one, are very complex and drawn out and the rules governing them are very strict. We recommend you consult with counsel before coming forward with your information of wrongdoing. If you live in San Francisco County or any California county and have information that may qualify as a qui tam/whistleblower case, call Evans Law Firm, Inc. today at 415-441-8669.

Federal and California law prohibit retaliation against whistleblowers who initiate government or internal investigations of wrongdoing. In the recent case, the bank fired a local bank manager allegedly after the manager brought the bank’s unlawful scheme to light. The discharged employee sought the help of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the leading federal labor agency for worker protection. OSHA agreed that the termination was in retaliation and ordered that the bank re-hire her. In addition to reinstating the whistleblower’s job and awarding her $577,500 in back pay, compensatory damages and attorneys’ fees, OSHA ordered the bank to clear her personnel file. The bank is also required to post notices informing bank workers about federal whistleblower protection laws.

Government protection against retaliation is only one of the major incentives for whistleblowers to bring wrongdoing to light. The other is that whistleblowers stand to receive financial rewards if their allegations of wrongdoing are ultimately successful. Such actions include cases such as this one and whistleblower cases under the False Claims Act (FCA) which assist the government in recouping hundreds of millions each year previously paid out for false claims. The Internal Revenue Service has a similar whistleblower program that rewards citizens with evidence of tax avoidance schemes when that evidence helps the government recoup unpaid taxes. The Securities and Exchange Commission also has a whistleblower program for assistance with securities law violations and investment fraud cases, and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has a whistleblower program for financial industry regulatory violations, abuse, and fraud. Evans Law Firm has years of experience with all these different types of complex whistleblower/qui tam litigations, involving false claims, offshore tax avoidance schemes, securities fraud, and financial fraud and abuse. Our attorneys know what evidence the government looks for and can help sift and marshal your evidence effectively, guide your case through investigation and discovery, and represent you at trial.

Contact Us

If you or someone you love has information regarding a whistleblower/qui tam case in San Francisco County or any California county involving the False Claims Act, Internal Revenue Service Whistleblower Office, Securities and Exchange Commission Whistleblower Program, or the FINRA Whistleblower Office or other illegal activity, contact the Evans Law Firm whistleblower attorneys at (415) 441-8669, or by email at info@evanslaw.com. Our attorneys have experience with complex financial contracts and large insurance companies. We can help guide your case through a FINRA Arbitration, jury trial or toward an equitable settlement. We also handle cases involving physical and financial elder abuse, qui tam and whistleblower law, nursing home abuse, whole life insurance and universal life insurance, and indexed, variable, and fixed annuities.