In the past few years, industry-watchers have seen a rise in lawsuits filed against pension funds: Clients have been suing pension fund providers for charging excessive fees—even higher fees than they charge other clients for similar investment products—and other wrongdoing. And now, following a unanimous decision issued by the Supreme Court in January 2022, even more clients may begin bringing lawsuits against providers—since the Court’s ruling clarifies pension fund providers’ duties to their customers. Continue reading
Is Your Financial Advisor Firm Charging Too Much In Fees, Commissions, Or Interest?
In a previous post, we began to address some general ways in which a financial advisor can overcharge investment clients. But it’s worth a bit more focus on one specific type of investment: margin accounts. Some advisors contractually steer customers into margin accounts as the default investment. But margin accounts are inherently riskier investments, and investors with these accounts are more vulnerable to being overcharged by their advisors. Continue reading
SEC Awards $3.5 Million To Whistleblower
The SEC has again given an award to a whistleblower. This time it totals $3.5 million, and comes after multiple instances of support from the individual.
The whistleblower’s contribution prompted SEC staff to investigate more possible securities violations. This made the investigation easier for the SEC staff, which saved them time and resources. Continue reading
SEC Awards $14M To Whistleblower Posting Report Online
Most whistleblowers are keen to keep their activity concealed and private until the information becomes public. In an unusual twist, one whistleblower decided to publish a research report online detailing the fraudulent activity of a company and that of its CEO prior to notifying the SEC of the fraud.
Within days of sharing this information online, the whistleblower then shared the same information with the SEC. The individual was persistent in reaching out to SEC staff about this information. Their continued contact led to the SEC opening an investigation that resulted in a successful enforcement action. This whistleblower was an outsider, not an employee of the company. Continue reading
SEC Considering Changes To Improve Whistleblower Program
As we’ve blogged many times, the SEC pays whistleblowers monetary awards out of funds collected from companies and individuals that violate securities law through administrative fines and other sanctions. Since 2012, when the first award was made, the SEC has awarded $1.2 billion to 245 whistleblowers. Continue reading
What To Do If You Encounter Defense Contractor Fraud And Want To Stop It
What should you do if you’ve encountered defense contractor fraud and you want to stop it? Practically speaking, start by getting qualified legal representation as soon as possible. You need legal protection, to understand the best ways to insulate yourself from retaliation or other negative results, and, importantly, to make sure you aren’t somehow held liable for the fraud. (Or, if you already have been involved, what you can do to minimize your liability.) Beyond that, there are other possibilities to consider. Continue reading
What To Do If You Encounter Health Care Fraud and Want to Stop It
What should you do if you’ve encountered health care fraud and you want to stop it? You have options, and there isn’t one right or wrong answer. It will depend on the type of fraud, who is perpetrating it, how much you want to remain anonymous, and more. Continue reading
What Is Arbitration And How Does It Work For Whistleblowers?
When it comes to legal terminology, there’s one term that is frequently discussed but little understood: Arbitration. Let’s discuss what arbitration is and how it can impact your whistleblower claim.
Arbitration is a sort of private mini-trial to litigate disputes between two or more parties. Rather than going to court for a lawsuit, disputing parties present facts and arguments before a private judge, known as an arbitrator, that the parties have hired to hear their case. The arbitrator makes a decision on the case, just as a judge in a court would do, and the parties must follow the arbitrator’s decision. Continue reading
Four Whistleblowers Involved In $40M SEC Bounty
Through three orders, the SEC issued awards to four people that totaled over $40 million.
- In the first proceeding, the SEC awarded two individuals a bounty of $37 million that provided crucial evidence leading to the success of the covered action. One individual helped SEC staff understand the evidence provided, and led to additional relevant information. The continuing assistance of both gave staff more information that helped to advance the investigation. Another governmental agency was involved with this action with its own separate “covered action.” Both whistleblowers received 50% of the bounty amount.
- In the second proceeding, the SEC awarded one individual $1.8 million for the new information they provided that saw SEC staff open a new investigation into misconduct. The individual quickly offered an internal report, and continued to provide SEC staff with information, documentation, and other assistance throughout the investigation. Charges in the affiliated covered action were a direct result of this individual’s contributions, which caused them to suffer hardships as a result.
- In the third proceeding, a whistleblower received an SEC bounty of $1.5 million for information and assistance in an existing investigation that led to a successful enforcement action. As with the previous two, this individual gave continued and substantial assistance to SEC staff throughout the investigation. This whistleblower provided new information that saved staff time and resources and helped staff to understand the issues involved.
Latest SEC Bounty Of $4M Goes To Two Whistleblowers
The Securities and Exchange Commission has kept busy, even through the holidays. On January 10th, 2022, the SEC put out a press release announcing that three more people have received bounties after working with SEC staff to identify and discontinue wrongdoing in the financial sector. Continue reading