United States: Understanding The Global Reach Of U.S. Whistleblower Anti-Retaliation Protections

As the Securities and Exchange Commission's Whistleblower Program continues to gain traction, reports of compliance concerns are likely to increase. Created under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (''Dodd-Frank''), the SEC's Whistleblower Program authorizes payment of bounties to qualified whistleblowers who report ''original information'' regarding possible violations of the federal securities laws to the SEC.¹ Dodd-Frank also includes broad protections against retaliation for whistleblowers who 1) provide information to the SEC, 2) assist in any SEC investigation or action relating to such information, or 3) make disclosures that are ''required or protected'' under various securities laws, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (''SOX'').²

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Originally published by Bloomberg BNA, World Securities Law Report, July 2014

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