Whistleblower Protections under Dodd-Frank and Sarbanes-Oxley

Summary

This practice note discusses the protections available to whistleblowers under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (Dodd-Frank), each as amended, and Dodd-Frank's whistleblower award program. SOX Section 806 and Dodd-Frank Section 21F are separate, overlapping programs that protect corporate whistleblowers reporting unlawful conduct from retaliation from their employers. In Regulation 21F, under Dodd-Frank Section 21F, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) administers an award program granting a percentage of the monetary sanctions imposed in an action to the whistleblower.