Jason Pickholz Interviewed On Bloomberg Radio
Jason Pickholz, Book Author and SEC Whistleblower Lawyer On Bloomberg Radio Discussing Supreme Court Case Involving Whistleblowers --
Jason Pickholz appeared as a guest SEC whistleblower lawyer on Bloomberg Radio to discuss today’s U.S. Supreme Court arguments in Digital Realty v. Somers. This case is being closely watched by SEC whistleblower attorneys and corporate lawyers alike.
Mr. Pickholz appeared on the program as an SEC whistleblower lawyer, while another guest spoke from the corporate perspective. In addition to the facts and legal issues involved in the case, topics covered during the program included the ramifications of the possible outcomes for SEC whistleblowers and corporate employers, the SEC whistleblower process itself, and more.
You can listen to the full program below:
Jason Pickholz, SEC whistleblower lawyer on Bloomberg Radio -- "Supreme Court Hears Corporate Whistle-Blower Case," Bloomberg Law Show (Bloomberg Radio), host: June Grasso, producer: David Sucherman (Nov. 28, 2017).
Background Of The Case
In Digital Realty, the U.S. Supreme Court will decide a confusing issue of the SEC whistleblower program: whether whistleblowers who report internally to their companies are protected by the Dodd-Frank Act’s anti-retaliation provisions, or whether they must report to the SEC in order to receive those protections. Since 2010 when the Dodd-Frank Act was passed, this has been the most heavily litigated issue involving the SEC whistleblower program.
In 2013, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that to be protected against retaliation by the Dodd-Frank Act, a whistleblower must report to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. According to the Fifth Circuit, a whistleblower who only reports the violations or frauds internally to his or her company is not protected from retaliation by Dodd-Frank. That case was Asadi v. G.E. Energy (USA) LLC. Since then, at least ten U.S. District Courts have agreed with the Fifth Circuit.
Two years after Asadi, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit disagreed with the Fifth Circuit. According to the Second Circuit, a whistleblower who reports internally, but who does not also report to the SEC, is still protected by Dodd-Frank’s anti-retaliation provisions.
Earlier this year (2017), in Digital Realty v. Somers, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that an employee who was fired for reporting violations internally, but who did not report the violations to the SEC, was still protected by Dodd-Frank’s anti-retaliation provisions. In doing so, the Ninth Circuit agreed with the Second Circuit. At least fourteen U.S. District Courts have taken the same position as the Second and Ninth Circuits.
The views of the Second Circuit, along with the Ninth Circuit decision in Digital Realty, clashed with the Fifth Circuit's ruling in Asadi. As a result of the Ninth Circuit's decision in Digital Realty, there was now an actual conflict between several different U.S. Courts of Appeals. For this reason and others, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear the Digital Realty case to resolve the dispute.
The Supreme Court’s decision is expected to come out later this Term.
For an earlier discussion of the Digital Realty case, please click here.
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About the Pickholz Law Offices LLC
The Pickholz Law Offices LLC is a law firm that focuses on representing clients involved with investigations conducted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, FINRA, and other securities regulators.
The Pickholz Law Offices has represented employees, officers, and others in SEC whistleblower cases involving financial institutions and public companies listed in the Fortune Top 10, Top 20, Top 50, Top 100, Top 500, and the Forbes Global 2000. We were the first law firm ever to win an SEC whistleblower award for a client on appeal to the full Commission in Washington. Inside Counsel magazine named this achievement one of the five key events of the SEC whistleblower program. Examples of the Firm’s SEC whistleblower cases are available here.
In addition to representing SEC whistleblowers, since 1995 the Firm’s founder, Jason R. Pickholz, has also represented many clients in securities enforcement investigations conducted by the SEC, FINRA, the U.S. Department of Justice and US Attorney’s Offices, State authorities, and more. Examples of some of the many securities enforcement cases that Mr. Pickholz has been involved with are available here.
You can see what actual clients have had to say about The Pickholz Law Offices by going to the Client Reviews page on our website or by clicking here.
How to Contact the Pickholz Law Offices LLC
If you would like to speak with a securities lawyer or SEC whistleblower attorney, please feel free to call Jason R. Pickholz at 347-746-1222.
The Pickholz Law Offices remains open and will be fully operational through teleworking while we all grapple with this terrible pandemic. We hope that all of our clients, colleagues, friends, and their families remain safe and healthy. Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone who has been affected by COVID-19.
