Washington Whistleblower Lawyer

If you have obtained information about a violation of US securities laws, consult with an experienced Washington whistleblower attorney who can offer you protection as you submit your tip anonymously and seek your reward.

When you have insight into a possible securities violation or instance of investment fraud, it can create uncertainty about how you should proceed. Should you report your findings and possibly face retaliation from your employer? Or should you keep the information to yourself and be weighed down by the knowledge that investors are being scammed?

Do the right thing and prepare to provide the information you have to the Securities and Exchange commission (SEC). An experienced Washington whistleblower lawyer at Meissner Associates can ensure that you are able to report your tip anonymously so you don’t have to concern yourself with fears of retaliation. We’ll get you going in the right direction as you seek a reward for your tip to the SEC.

Blow the Whistle on Securities Fraud in Washington

As more and more information about investment schemes and securities fraud comes to light, operators of such violations get smarter about concealing the fraudulent activity—so smart, in fact, that even the most seasoned professionals are having trouble recognizing the warning signs.

Still, there are some common schemes that whistleblowers in Washington and elsewhere often blow the whistle on:

• Ponzi and pyramid schemes
• Money laundering
• Insider trading
• Embezzlement
• Manipulation and mispricing of stocks

If you are aware of such operations, it is important that you act quickly. If you don’t, the reward you receive from the SEC could be significantly reduced.

Don’t Worry About Retaliation

As more whistleblowers began to come forward over the years, the frequency of retaliation by employers who suspected them of blowing the whistle also increased. Then, the Dodd-Frank and Sarbanes-Oxley Acts took effect and extended robust protections for whistleblowers that prohibited employers’ retaliatory behaviors.

As outlined in Dodd-Frank, employer retaliation may take the form of making the workplace a hostile environment, harassment, defamation of your professional reputation, demoting you, and terminating you entirely upon suspicion that you have become a whistleblower.

Should your employers retaliate against you, you and your whistleblower lawyer in Washington can hold them accountable for their behavior by filing a lawsuit. If this lawsuit is successful, you could receive double back-pay, reinstatement to your position, and compensation for any other losses you might have endured. Additionally, the SEC can impose sanctions in the hope of preventing future retaliation.

Criteria for Receiving a Whistleblower Reward

When whistleblowers come forward with information about a securities violation, they do not automatically qualify for a reward. The requirements for SEC rewards are clear and concise. You must meet each of the following criteria in order to qualify for a reward:

• Voluntarily Provided Your Tip – When it comes to whistleblowing, “voluntarily” means that the SEC cannot have compelled you to provide the information. Should investigators question you about the matter before you report your tip, you will not qualify for a reward. It is crucial that you report your tip before the SEC interviews you.
• Original Information – A tip will be considered original in two circumstances. First, you need to be the first whistleblower to provide this particular piece of information. (If multiple whistleblowers provide the same tip, only the first to have done so will be eligible.) Second, your tip needs to have come from a source that the public does not have access to.
• Taking Enforceable Action – This requirement states that whistleblower information needs to lead directly to enforceable action taken by the SEC. Generally, this will also mean that your tip needs to be valuable to the success of the SEC’s investigation.
• Sanctions Exceed $1,000,000 – Even if each of the other qualifications are met, the only way a whistleblower can obtain a reward is if the SEC recovers sanctions that exceed $1,000,000—of which you’ll be entitled to 10 to 30 percent, depending on how useful your tip was.

The only way to know for certain whether your tip truly meets the above requirements is to consult with a capable whistleblower attorney in Washington. The attorneys at our firm have the extensive knowledge necessary to determine whether your tip will meet the criteria.

Meet with a Washington Whistleblower Attorney

If you would like to discuss information you have about an investment scheme or other type of securities fraud and would like to do so before reporting to the SEC, reach out to Meissner Associates today.

You can schedule a free and confidential tip evaluation with a Washington whistleblower lawyer, who can give you a better idea of your next steps and how to win a financial reward. Get in touch by filling out the secure contact form below or calling our office at 1-866-764-3100.