Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

Foreign Whistleblowers Fuel SEC Enforcement Activity, Raising the Stakes for Global Corporate Compliance

BY Jonathan B. New
July 01, 2016

On July 21, 2010, when President Obama signed into law the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank), the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) Whistleblower Program went into effect, entitling “eligible” whistleblowers to an award of 10%-30% of the monetary sanctions collected in actions brought by the SEC. An “eligible” whistleblower is a person who voluntarily provides original information about a possible violation of the federal securities laws that has occurred, is ongoing, or is about to occur. If that information leads to a successful SEC action resulting in an order of monetary sanctions over $1 million, the whistleblower(s) can collect their bounty. Over the lifetime of the program, the SEC has addressed more than 390 award claims and has awarded more than $67 million to 29 individuals, known as claimants, in connection with 16 actions.

Neither Dodd-Frank nor SEC regulations prohibit a foreign national or U.S. citizen living or working abroad from being an eligible whistleblower. And as the SEC continues to see an uptick in both the quality and quantity of tips under the Whistleblower Program, those tips are increasingly coming from individuals outside of the United States. With this new increase in whistleblowing tips coming from foreign jurisdictions, companies must be prepared, and must adjust their compliance and monitoring systems to work within this new paradigm.

The SEC's Success with Foreign Whistleblowers

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
Yachts, Jets, Horses & Hooch: Specialized Commercial Leasing Models Image

Defining commercial real estate asset class is essentially a property explaining how it identifies — not necessarily what its original intention was or what others think it ought to be. This article discusses, from a general issue-spot and contextual analysis perspective, how lawyers ought to think about specialized leasing formats and the regulatory backdrops that may inform what the documentation needs to contain for compliance purposes.

Hyperlinked Documents: The Latest e-Discovery Challenge Image

As courts and discovery experts debate whether hyperlinked content should be treated the same as traditional attachments, legal practitioners are grappling with the technical and legal complexities of collecting, analyzing and reviewing these documents in real-world cases.

Identifying Your Practice's Differentiator Image

How to Convey Your Merits In a Way That Earns Trust, Clients and Distinctions Just as no two individuals have the exact same face, no two lawyers practice in their respective fields or serve clients in the exact same way. Think of this as a "Unique Value Proposition." Internal consideration about what you uniquely bring to your clients, colleagues, firm and industry can provide untold benefits for your law practice.

Risks and Ad Fraud Protection In Digital Advertising Image

The ever-evolving digital marketing landscape, coupled with the industry-wide adoption of programmatic advertising, poses a significant threat to the effectiveness and integrity of digital advertising campaigns. This article explores various risks to digital advertising from pixel stuffing and ad stacking to domain spoofing and bots. It will also explore what should be done to ensure ad fraud protection and improve effectiveness.

Turning Business Development Plans Into Reality Image

This article offers practical insights and best practices to navigate the path from roadmap to rainmaking, ensuring your business development efforts are not just sporadic bursts of activity, but an integrated part of your daily success.