Monthly Archives: August 2018
Whistleblower Receives $1.1 Million Award in Case Involving Sonoma Valley Boys Home
A jury in Sonoma County awarded $1.1 million to a whistleblower in a case against the Hanna Boys Center, ruling the whistleblower had been wrongfully terminated for raising his concerns about drug use, bullying and other issues at the boys’ home. The whistleblower was Tim Norman, who had worked as head of clinical care at […]
Gag Orders at Federal Agencies Violate Whistleblower Laws
Over the last year and a half, there have been numerous reports about employees of federal agencies not being allowed to use specific words when preparing documents for Congress or when putting together reports. For example, in December, The Washington Post reported the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended employees not use words like […]
Former Bryan Cave Partner Accused of Attempting to Conceal Hack
A former partner at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner stands accused of encouraging a client to hide information from the Federal Trade Commission revealing that his cybersecurity firm revealed patient data obtained with the use of spying software she supplied while working as a federal prosecutor tracking and fighting against child pornographers. The lawsuit claims LabMD, […]
OSHA Asks for Input on Railroad, Trucking Whistleblower Laws
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) held a meeting June 12 in Washington, D.C. to get feedback from stakeholders in the trucking and railroad industries about whistleblower laws affecting their fields. The agency was specifically searching for suggestions about how it can offer better “whistleblower customer service” and the types of assistance it […]
Companies Must Be Careful About How They Handle Potential Cybersecurity Whistleblowers
Recent guidance from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), as well as cases involving the agency and a Supreme Court ruling on whistleblower protections, have shown just how seriously the SEC takes cybersecurity. Now, the onus is on companies across the nation to treat potential cybersecurity whistleblowers properly. In one recent case the SEC […]
Former HSBC Banker Sentenced to Prison for Fraud
Mark Johnson, a former HSBC Holdings, PLC trader, recently became the first person to be convicted in an international investigation into currency rigging. In late April, a U.S. District Judge in Brooklyn sentenced him to two years in prison for nine counts of wire fraud and conspiracy after rigging a $3.5 billion client order in […]
How the #MeToo Movement Has Started to Affect Legal Cases
The #MeToo movement gained such tremendous momentum in the second half of 2018 that its members were named the TIME People of the Year. Not only has the movement had a significant social and cultural impact and brought some important discussions about sexual harassment and assault to the forefront, but it has also begun to […]
Jury Awards $5.1 Million to Workers Subjected to ‘Onionhead’ Religion
A U.S. District Court in Brooklyn awarded $5.1 million to 10 workers who claimed their employer, United Health Programs of American, Inc., forced them to participate in group prayers and various other types of religious activities associated with the “Onionhead” religion. According to the workers’ lawsuit, the company, which provides customer service for health insurance […]
Wells Fargo Forced to Pay $9.5 Million Settlement
Wells Fargo has gone through no shortage of scandals in recent years, and now it has more bad news. In late April, Wells Fargo agreed to shell out $9.5 million in a settlement over allegations that it did not pay financial advisors their commissions in a timely manner and routinely failed to reimburse them for […]
