Los Angeles Whistleblower Lawyer

Los Angeles Whistleblower Attorney

Protecting California Whistleblowers from Retaliation

A whistleblower is an employee who reports or exposes fraud, waste, corruption, and other wrongful activities in their organization. Whistleblowers enjoy legal protection from retaliation by their employers under various acts of Congress and the California State Legislature.

Laws and programs protecting whistleblowers in California include:

• The Whistleblower Protection Act (WPA) – Protects federal employees and federal job applicants
• The Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act (WPEA) – Expands protections under the WPA
• The Whistleblower Protection Program – Established by OSHA to prevent employer retaliation against whistleblowers who report violations under several federal safety statutes
• The Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) – Extends protections for employees blowing the whistle on fraud outside the public sector
• The California Whistleblower Protection Act – Gives authority to the California State Auditor to investigate complaints and protects state employees from retaliation
• The California False Claims Act (FCA) – Also known as California’s Qui Tam statute, the FCA prohibits private contractors from fraudulently securing overpayment from the government, and protects whistleblowers who fire reports to help enforce this act

At Hennig Kramer Ruiz & Singh, LLP in Los Angeles, our attorneys represent workers who have suffered retaliation for reporting employer harassment, discrimination, fraud, or corruption. We are proud of our successful record protecting the rights of employees who have stood up to do the right thing.

Our Los Angeles whistleblower claims lawyers are highly experienced and will help you fight for the financial compensation you deserve. We can represent whistleblower claims throughout California.

Do I Qualify for Whistleblower Protection Under the Law?

Every day, we talk to workers who have questions about their workplace rights and how to handle the situation when they recognize their employer is violating the law. Every set of circumstances will be different, but an experienced whistleblower claims attorney, like ours in Los Angeles, can help you identify if whistleblower protections extend to your situation.

Situations in which a worker has reported their employer’s illegal actions and suffered workplace retaliation include:

• Air, land, and water environmental regulation violations
• Federal and state transportation regulations violations
• Insurance, Medicaid, and Medicare billing fraud
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) violations
• Pharmaceutical company fraud
• Qui tam fraud or corruption claims relating to a municipal, state, or federal contract
• Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) violations
• Weights and measures law violations

Generally, whistleblower protections extend to any worker who faces termination, demotions, or other forms of workplace retaliation after reporting their employer’s illegal action or for refusing to follow an unlawful directive.

Recognizing Whistleblower Retaliation in the Workplace

If you have firsthand knowledge of fraud, corruption or wrongdoing involving agencies or companies in either the private or public sectors, your rights are protected under the law when filing a lawsuit on behalf of the government. It is unlawful for an employer to retaliate for filing a lawsuit in any way.

Possible unlawful retaliatory actions include:

• Termination of employment
• Demotions and denial of promotions
• Reduction in work hours, salary or hourly pay
• Denial of pay increases, bonuses, and other expected compensation
• Negative performance evaluations
• Disciplinary action
• Harassment, discrimination, or ostracization
• Exclusion from meetings, projects, and other events you otherwise would expect to be included in

Unfortunately, sometimes when employees speak out on the job, they can fall victim to employer retaliation and other types of discriminatory practices.

Our team of highly experienced employment retaliation lawyers is well-versed in whistleblower claims, and we believe that employees who obey the law should not be penalized or retaliated against.

Your Advocates When You Report Unlawful Activity

Whistleblower protections under federal and California state law generally protect two types of employees: those who actively report their employer’s fraud, corruption or illegal activities, and those who refuse to comply with directives to break the law.

At Hennig Kramer Ruiz & Singh, LLP in Los Angeles, our experienced employment litigation attorneys aggressively protect the rights of workers who have suffered workplace retaliation after reporting violations of state and federal laws.

Single Plaintiff Whistleblower Retaliation Case Settled For $350,000

Our Los Angeles attorneys for active reporters represented an employee of a company who complained that his employer was refusing to pay its employees nondiscretionary bonuses/commissions and was subsequently terminated for his reporting by a supervisor who was upset that the employee would question her.

Single-Plaintiff Whistleblower Case Settled For $1.15 Million

Our firm represented an individual government employee who made numerous reports of potential conflicts of interest and alleged that his supervisor was directing contracts and business to a specific private company that did business with the government. After over a year of litigation, the matter was settled for $1.15 million.

Think you have a case? Contact Hennig Kramer Ruiz & Singh, LLP online or call (213) 310-8301 to reach out to our Los Angeles attorneys for active reporters.