Blowing the whistle is serious business. Your job, reputation, and career may be on the line. Your first priority should be to locate a whistleblower lawyer. Not all whistleblower disclosures are lawful or protected. You have to know how exactly to blow the whistle and protect yourself.
Moreover, many whistleblower laws permit you to obtain an economic reward. It is vital that when you blow the whistle, you understand your rights.
If I live outside the United States, can I obtain a free attorney?
Outside the United States, most attorneys charge their clients fees. However, the United States has a different pay-model centered on a contingency fee (see above). Thus, international whistleblowers who retain attorneys in the United States often do not have to cover any up-front attorney fees. If I lose my case, must I pay the fees of opposing counsel?
Under the virtually universally followed general rule, if a whistleblower loses their case, he/she does not need to pay the attorney fees incurred by opposing counsel. This general rule is particularly so in whistleblower cases litigated within the U.S. Department of Labor. In these cases, there are strict rules preventing companies from ever obtaining any fees or costs from whistleblowers who lose their cases. There are even limits on how many sanctions given if a whistleblower files a frivolous lawsuit, in bad faith.
In federal court, whistleblowers do not have to pay for fees to a corporation should they lose their case. However, if a lawsuit is frivolous and pursued in bad faith, the whistleblower might be liable for sanctions. A losing party in federal court is often liable to pay court costs, which are very small when compared with attorney fees.
It's extremely difficult for a whistleblower who files beneath the SEC and IRS reward laws to be liable for attorney fees from his / her employer. This situation is particularly so when they maintain their confidentiality. Will Kohn, Kohn, And Colapinto represent me?
The whistleblower lawyers of the law firm of Kohn, Kohn and Colapinto all have over 30 years'experience representing whistleblowers. If KKC agrees to represent you, certainly one of our founding partners will manage your case. This hands-on approach by KKC partners helps it be very problematic for regulations firm to represent all of the whistleblowers who contact our firm. A founding partner does review every intake form received through the contact us form on our website.