Dodd-Frank's Anti-Retaliation Protections Apply Only to Whistleblowers Who Report to the SEC
February 23, 2018 | The Insider: White Collar Defense and Securities Enforcement
In Digital Realty Trust, Inc. v. Somers, a 9-0 opinion by Justice Ginsburg issued February 21, 2018, the Supreme Court held that the anti-retaliation provisions of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act do not extend to employees who have reported internally but extend only to employees who have reported suspected securities law violations to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Supreme Court's decision reversed the Ninth Circuit, and resolved a longtime circuit split. The Fifth Circuit has held that employees must provide information to the SEC while the Ninth and Second Circuits held that reporting internally is enough for employees to qualify for Dodd-Frank Act's anti-retaliation protections. [...]