Though American workers enjoy the protection of many laws, their lives and careers can still be damaged by pressure from above to commit illegal acts. Everyone has a right to speak out against these abuses without fear of punishment, and those that assert it are often justly rewarded. Whistleblowers perform a public service by upholding what is ethical and fair. They also assume great risk. Their cases can be grueling, the stakes are high and the opposition is never less than formidable.
At Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto, we’ve earned our reputation as the premier advocate for the American whistleblower by winning such decisions for 20 years. The laws at play are complex, but the reason for our success is not. In case after case, we’ve provided our clients with the legal expertise and grit to beat even the toughest foes in court. At KKC, we realize that standing up for the public interest often demands personal courage. We also know that whatever your job, you don’t leave behind your rights and duties as a citizen when you step in the workplace door.
If you are considering an action, we invite you to contact us.
Highlights
U.S. must reward Birkenfeld' for UBS whistleblowing
Former UBS employee Bradley Birkenfeld will claim multiple millions of dollars in reward money for blowing the lid on the bank’s covert activities in America, having been previously sentenced to more than three years in prison in August. His jailing has now been delayed while he continues to assist the U.S. government. World Radio Switzerland’s Washington Correspondent Daniel Ryntjes has spoken to Birkenfeld’s newly hired lawyer who will make the case for the reward. Stephen Kohn is also the Executive Director of The National Whistleblowers Center in Washington. Click below to hear the interview.
KKC partner Michael D. Kohn attended the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Symposium September 16 & 17, 2009 in Seoul, South Korea. The symposium was co-hosted by Korea's Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) and the APEC Secretariat and was entitled "Systematic Approach to Building Anti-Corruption Capacity.'' Michael Kohn spoke on the importance of protecting whistleblowers to encourage them to come forward with information about corrupt activities in government and business.
Whistleblower expert David Colapinto, a partner of KKC, testified at the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing “Protecting the Public from Waste, Fraud and Abuse: H.R. 1507, the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2009” on May 14, 2009. Mr. Colapinto testified about the need for stronger whistleblower protections for national security employees. KKC client and whistleblower Bunny Greenhouse, formerly the highest ranking civilian contracting official Army Corps of Engineers’, who stood alone in opposing the approval of a highly improper muti-billion dollar no bid contract to Halliburton for the reconstruction of Iraq also testified. Video of the testimony and Mr. Colapinto's written testimony can be found here.