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SEC Whistleblower Award Program

Pickholz Victory Recognized As A Defining Moment In The SEC Whistleblower Award Program

Inside Counsel Magazine Names The Pickholz Law Offices' Victory As One Of The Five Milestones In The History Of The SEC Whistleblower Award Program

On July 31, 2014, The Pickholz Law Offices won one of the first awards given out under the SEC whistleblower award program.  Not only was this one of the first awards granted, but it was also the first SEC whistleblower reward ever granted on appeal.

This unprecedented victory led Inside Counsel magazine to name it as one of the five key events in the history of the SEC whistleblower award program.

Inside Council screenshot

Excerpt from the Inside Counsel article

The Award Generates Extensive Media Coverage

In addition to Inside Counsel magazine, many other professional news outlets recognized that the reward we won for our client was a very significant turning point for the SEC whistleblower award program.

For example, The New York Times ran a story about the award called "The Man Who Blew The Whistle".

The Boston Business Journal published an article called "Former MassMutual agent: Why I became a whistle-blower".

Colgate University published an extensive article called "The $2.5 Billion Math Problem", and posted a documentary featuring our client on YouTube.

How The SEC Whistleblower Award Came About

The client hired us to be his SEC whistleblower law firm.  On behalf of our client, we submitted an application for an SEC whistleblower award.  The SEC's Claims Review Staff ("CRS") issued a Preliminary Determination in which it denied our client any award at all.  The reasoning that the CRS gave was that it believed that our client did not provide his information to the SEC "voluntarily", as is required under the rules governing the SEC whistleblower award program.

Acting as the client's SEC whistleblower lawyer, our Firm's founder Jason Pickholz contested that decision to the full Commission in Washington, D.C.

On appeal, the Commission agreed with us and our client, and departed from the CRS's recommendation to deny our client an SEC whistleblower reward.  Instead, the Commission granted our appeal and gave our client an award that now stands as one of the marquee events in the history of the SEC whistleblower award program.

You can see the actual award on the SEC's website by clicking here.

A Note About Inside Counsel Magazine's Website

The article recognizing our victory as one of the five major events in the history of the SEC whistleblower award program was posted on Inside Counsel magazine's website From August 2014 - March 2018.

In 2015, ALM acquired Inside Counsel.  On or around March 2018, ALM shut down the Inside Counsel website on which the article had been hosted.  As of March 16, 2018, ALM had not yet reposted the article on its own website.

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Jason Pickholz - pickholzlaw.com

The Pickholz Law Offices represents U.S. and international clients in securities and white collar cases. The Firm has helped whistleblowers report frauds to the SEC, CFTC, and IRS, and has defended clients in investigations by the SEC, CFTC, DOJ, FINRA, and other financial and securities enforcement regulators.

The Firm’s founder, Jason Pickholz, is the author of the two-volume book Securities Crimes, has appeared on tv and radio, and has taught continuing legal education courses. A former BigLaw partner, he has been representing clients in financial and securities fraud cases since 1995. In recognition of his many achievements, Mr. Pickholz was elected by his legal peers to be a Fellow of The New York Bar Foundation, an honor limited to just 1% of all attorneys in the New York State Bar Association.

Mr. Pickholz has been counsel in many high-profile cases. He was the first attorney ever to win an SEC whistleblower award on appeal to the Commission, which Inside Counsel magazine called one of the five key events in the history of the SEC whistleblower program. On the defense side, Mr. Pickholz has defended clients in the SEC’s COVID-19 investigations, the CFTC’s cryptocurrency cases, and a former US Senator, among others.

If you want to speak with a CFTC, IRS, or SEC whistleblower lawyer, or with a white collar defense lawyer, you can call the Firm at 347-746-1222.

The above information is not and should not be construed as providing legal advice. It is not and should never be considered as a substitute for consulting with your own lawyer. The use of this web site or this page does not constitute or create any attorney-client, fiduciary, or confidential relationship between The Pickholz Law Offices LLC and anyone using this web site, or anyone else. The information contained on this website is for informational purposes only. The content of this web site may not reflect current developments. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Results of prior cases or matters contained on this web site are not indicative of future results or outcomes, and should not be taken as a prediction, promise, or guarantee of any future result or outcome. No one who accesses this web site should act or refrain from acting based on anything contained on this web site. For additional terms-of-use and conditions governing the use of this web site, please view our full Terms and Conditions.