The Wall Street Journal recently interviewed one of the leading experts in obtaining rewards in SEC foreign corruption cases, Christopher Connors, who explained to the Wall Street Journal some of the pandemic-related reasons for the surge of new cases. As reported by the Wall Street Journal: “Lawyers chalk up the increase to the fact that many would-be tipsters are working from the privacy of their home, out of view of snooping colleagues and managers and thus safer from being exposed as whistleblowers. Tipsters might also feel less concerned about retaliation if they are not interacting regularly with their managers, lawyers say; if they have been furloughed or laid off, they might feel even less so. ‘These people have more time on their hands,’ said Christopher Connors, a managing attorney at the Connors Law Group in Chicago, whose team has taken on at least seven new whistleblower clients since the end of February—a big increase for the firm. ‘They don’t have to go see their bosses, and they may feel a bit more emboldened to report,’ he said. When employees face pressure to meet goals during difficult financial times, the likelihood of wrongdoing can increase. Anticorruption organizations have warned that the current economic tumble could create an environment ripe for bribery. In recent months, Mr. Connors’ clients have submitted reward cases on foreign corruption in the medical device, pharmaceutical, and technology sectors to the SEC, the Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.’” A link to the article is here. The Wall Street Journal had covered a story last year where Connors and reward attorney Andy Rickman teamed up to secure a $4.5 million award for a Brazilian healthcare client. This article can be viewed here.
