Chicago Whistleblower Attorney

Chicago is home to many major commodity, futures, and options exchanges, including the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME). And like many other cities, it is also home to a wide array of financial frauds that occur at the federal and state level.

When a whistleblower decides to expose these white-collar crimes, our Chicago whistleblower lawyers stand among the best in helping them do so. Our Washington, DC-based team works collaboratively to help clients receive the maximum reward, protection, and justice possible.

From securities and commodities fraud, to accounting fraud, money laundering, bribery, and government contract fraud, we bring over 35 years of experience to each case. Our collaborative approach to working on cases ensures each client gets the attention and confidentiality they deserve for their action.

One of our False Claims Act clients, Dr. Aaron Westrick, took on the task of challenging ineffective bulletproof vests. His action led to large settlements and showcased our firm’s position as a leading whistleblower law firm.

• The Illinois State False Claims Act offers protection under common law “public policy” tort
• Penalties for deceitful claims in Illinois may include substantial damages
• Successful Illinois or Chicago False Claims Act whistleblowers can claim a portion of the government’s recovery amount through qui tam lawsuits

Our whistleblower attorneys serve Illinois and greater Chicago, and experts in Illinois False Claims Act law, and other federal securities and commodities laws. Our team is here to guide whistleblowers every step of the way, ensuring that they are heard, rewarded, and protected. If you believe you have a whistleblower case live in Chicago, don’t hesitate to contact our whistleblower attorneys for a free case evaluation.

Why Choose Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto?

• We have over 35 years of expertise working on high-profile, precent-setting whistleblower cases at the national and local levels
• We take a collaborative approach to case work, which has led to our firm’s greatest victories and client success
• We helped write many of today’s modern whistleblower laws, and work tirelessly on Capitol hill to have more passed
• We’re behind over a third of all IRS whistleblower award cases, and behind some of the largest awards in history (Birkenfeld, $104 million)

Most state False Claims Act cases are part of a larger federal lawsuit. Meaning, Illinois claims can be included in a federal False Claims Act lawsuit. However, if the case does not involve federal funds, the case should be filed in a Illinois Superior Court.

Whistleblowers must serve, by postage “return receipt requested” the Attorney General of the State of Illinois on the same day the complaint is filed. They must also serve their disclosure statement to the Attorney General on the same date they filed their complaint. The complaint must be filed under seal.

• COVID-19 related frauds using Illinois funds.
• Medicaid fraud by healthcare providers.
• Bank and mortgage fraud.
• False claims regarding Illinois state or local spending.
• Contractual fraud with Illinois governments.

Notwithstanding any other provision, a person is liable to the State for a civil penalty of not less than $5,500 and not more than $11,000, plus 3 times the amount of damages which the State sustains because of the act of that person, when: (i) the civil action was brought by a private person pursuant to paragraph (1) of subsection (b) of Section 4; (ii) the State did not elect to intervene pursuant to paragraph (2) of subsection (b) of Section 4; (iii) the actual amount of the tax owed to the State is equal to or less than $50,000, which does not include interest, penalties, attorney’s fees, costs, or any other amounts owed or paid pursuant to this Act; and (iv) the violation of this Act relates to or involves a false claim regarding a tax administered by the Department of Revenue, excluding claims, records, or statements made under the Property Tax Code.

Whistleblowing rewards range from 15% to 30% of proceeds, depending on state involvement and the whistlebowler’s role. Rewards are reduced if the whistlebowler is implicated in the violation.

If you’re contemplating whether to take action, consult our Illinois whistleblower attorneys for a free and confidential case evaluation. If Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto decides to represent you, one of our esteemed partners will take your case.

Federal and Illinois laws empower individuals to report unethical employer actions without facing retaliation. Our firm has been instrumental in advocating for reforms, preventing companies from dissuading whistleblowers, as seen in landmark acts like Dodd-Frank Act and Sarbanes-Oxley.

SEC Whistleblower Program:

• Expose securities fraud and get rewarded: If you have original information about violations of the Securities Exchange Act that lead to successful enforcement actions with over $1 million in sanctions, you may be eligible for a reward.
• Fight Wall Street wrongdoing, get compensated: The SEC encourages individuals to report securities fraud. Eligible whistleblowers can receive awards between 10% and 30% of collected sanctions exceeding $1 million.

CFTC Whistleblower Reward Program:

• Blow the whistle on commodity fraud, earn a reward: Launched in 2010, this program incentivizes reporting violations of the Commodity Exchange Act. If your information leads to successful action, you could receive 10-30% of the collected sanctions.
• Protect market integrity, get financially rewarded: The CFTC rewards individuals who expose breaches of commodity trading laws. Eligible whistleblowers receive a percentage of the recovered funds, ranging from 10% to 30%.

IRS Whistleblower Program:

• Report tax fraud, get rewarded: If you have knowledge of significant tax underpayments or violations of internal revenue laws, you may be eligible for an IRS whistleblower award.
• Help the IRS catch tax cheats, earn compensation: Individuals who provide valuable information about tax fraud to the IRS can be rewarded. Awards range from a percentage of collected taxes, penalties, and interest.

AML Whistleblower Program:

• Stop money laundering, get rewarded: This program encourages reporting violations related to money laundering activities. Eligible whistleblowers can receive 10-30% of the collected sanctions.
• Combat financial crime, earn financial reward: If you have information about money laundering, you may be eligible for a reward from the AML Whistleblower Program. Awards range from 10% to 30% of the recovered funds.