Minnesota Whistleblower Lawyer

If you discover information about potential securities fraud and want to report your tip to the SEC for a possible reward, speak with an experienced Minnesota whistleblower attorney.

Finding out about securities violations can be a difficult burden to live with. The extraordinary fear of retaliation if you were to come forward, coupled with the knowledge that unknowing investors and coworkers alike are being affected by these violations, can just be too much to handle alone.

You can anonymously report your tip to the SEC and avoid retaliatory action by your employer, but you’ll likely need to work with a qualified attorney at Meissner Associates to do so.

Put a stop to fraudulent activity and take the weight off of your shoulders. A Minnesota whistleblower lawyer from our firm will work to get you on the fast track to recovering a financial reward from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Types of Securities Violations

Even those who work in the securities industry have a difficult time recognizing the warning signs associated with some of the most common types of securities violations. Some of the violations Minnesota whistleblower clients may come forward about include the following:

When you obtain information about any of these kinds of schemes, it’s important to report your tip as soon as you have the opportunity to. Failure to do so can leave the door open for another whistleblower to step in before you, which will render you ineligible for a whistleblower award.

Stand Up to Retaliation

The concerns surrounding possible retaliation by employers is enough to hold would-be whistleblowers back from reporting the tip. That means they miss out on rewards that can top millions of dollars.

Employers in Minnesota and elsewhere ignore the carefully constructed provisions in the Sarbanes-Oxley and Dodd-Frank Acts, which specifically state that retaliation by demotion, harassment, defamation, and termination is illegal. With alarming frequency, whistleblowers are silenced due to this threatening action.

Unfortunately for your employers, should they make the decision to retaliate against you for doing the right thing, they will be punished. Dodd-Frank has laid out what will happen to employers who engage in retaliatory behaviors.

The SEC might bring forward multiple sanctions and fines in addition to the lawsuit a whistleblower lawyer in Minnesota can help you file. Your retaliation lawsuit could entitle you to reinstatement to your former position, double back-pay, and the recovery of any other damages you might have suffered.

Claiming Your Reward

Simply coming forward with a tip about a violation of securities laws isn’t enough to qualify you for an award. The regulations in the Dodd-Frank Act provide clearly detailed criteria, all of which need to be met in order for you to win an award. They are as follows:

  • Voluntarily Submitted – The information you provide has to be given without the SEC compelling you to. If the SEC has already begun investigating your company, you’ll need to act quickly before a coworker has a chance to blow the whistle and before investigators begin to question you about any knowledge you might have.
  • Original – You need to be the first person to come forward with this particular piece of information, and you must have obtained this knowledge from a source that wasn’t public, such as internal documents or rumors in the office.
  • Enforceable Action – If the SEC cannot take action against the violating person or corporation, you won’t be eligible for a reward. An enforceable action could be a suit brought forward in court or monetary sanctions.
  • Sanctions Exceeding $1,000,000 – The only way you can win an award is if the SEC is able to recover an amount that exceeds the $1,000,000 threshold. Depending on how helpful your tip was to the investigation, you will be awarded between 10 and 30 percent of the recovered sanctions.

To the untrained eye, it’s difficult to determine the value of the information you have. This is when working with a capable Minnesota SEC whistleblower lawyer with Meissner Associates can become particularly useful. We can give you advice on what you can expect after blowing the whistle to the SEC.

Speak with a Minnesota Whistleblower Attorney

If you would like to discuss the details of your tip and aren’t sure where to turn, get in touch with a qualified Minnesota whistleblower lawyer at Meissner Associates today. You can fill out the confidential contact form we’ve provided below or call our office directly at 1-866-764-3100 to set up your free tip evaluation.