Criminal Law

• Fraud
  Here are stories of whistleblowers in a variety of circumstances who were represented by Phillips & Cohen attorneys. These whistleblowers exposed Medicare fraud, defense contractor fraud as well as Wall Street fraud and their experiences as whistleblowers varied.
• White Collar Crimes
  As an Assistant US Attorney for the District of Vermont, Mr. Foster investigated and prosecuted numerous healthcare fraud cases and white collar crimes. His work resulted in record-breaking recoveries and has been recognized with numerous awards, including the National Law Journal’s “Rising Star Award,” and several of the Department of Justice’s highest honors.
• Money Laundering
  The anti-money laundering whistleblower program allows whistleblowers to report money-laundering violations and sanctions evasion through a government program that offers rewards, protections against job retaliation and confidentiality. Whistleblowers may report money laundering and sanction evasion anonymously, if they do so through an attorney.

Business and Corporate Law

• Corporate Law
  In recognition of Phillips & Cohen’s success and experience, the UK Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards requested and quoted the written testimony of Phillips & Cohen partner Erika A. Kelton about the need for a UK law that rewards whistleblowers in a major report on ways Britain could improve corporate governance and the culture of the banking sector following the Libor scandal and other major problems with banks (Section 801).

Employment Law

• Employment Contract
  The SEC has adopted a rule to punish companies that implement codes of conduct or employment contracts that would stymie their employees from reporting potential misconduct to the SEC.
• Severance Agreement
  HomeStreet Inc., a Seattle-based financial services company, paid a $500,000 penalty to settle charges that it conducted improper hedge accounting and later took steps to impede potential whistleblowers. The SEC said HomeStreet tried to determine the identity of a presumed whistleblower after the SEC requested documents related to hedge accounting from the company, suggesting to one individual considered to be a whistleblower that the terms of an indemnification agreement could allow HomeStreet to deny payment for legal costs during the SEC’s investigation. The SEC also penalized HomeStreet for requiring former employees to sign severance agreements waiving potential whistleblower awards or risk losing their severance payments and other post-employment benefits.

Finance Law

• Tax Law
  Tax Management Portfolios. The portfolios are considered the gold standard in the legal world for those dealing with tax matters.