Our Team
Jason
Zuckerman
Washington, District of Columbia
Principal
Jason Zuckerman, Principal
Recognized twice by
Washingtonian Magazine as a "Top Whistleblower Lawyer,"
Jason Zuckerman has substantial experience litigating
whistleblower retaliation, qui tam, wrongful discharge,
discrimination, non-compete, and unpaid overtime actions in
federal and state courts. He has
lectured extensively
on whistleblower law and employment law, especially on
Sarbanes-Oxley and False Claims Act actions, and has written
several
articles on
whistleblower protections. Mr. Zuckerman co-authored a
chapter on litigating whistleblower cases for
Whistleblowing: The Law of Retaliatory Discharge (BNA
Books) and drafted a chapter on the D.C. Whistleblower
Protection Act for the D.C. Practice Manual.
Mr. Zuckerman has helped
draft whistleblower protection laws on the federal and state
level and works with various public interest organizations
to strengthen and expand whistleblower protection laws.
Recently, Mr. Zuckerman testified before the D.C. Council in
support of amendments to strengthen the D.C. Whistleblower
Protection Act, which is now the strongest public sector
whistleblower protection statute at the state level.
Several cases that Mr. Zuckerman litigated have set
important precedent concerning the scope of whistleblower
protection laws, and a federal judge cited one of Mr.
Zuckerman's articles in an opinion concerning the scope of
protected conduct under the whistleblower provision of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Mr. Zuckerman frequently writes amicus
briefs on whistleblower law issues. He is rated a 10 out of
10 by
Avvo.
Mr. Zuckerman serves as
Co-Chair of the Whistleblower Subcommittee of the ABA Labor
and Employment Section’s Employee Rights and
Responsibilities Committee, Co-Chair of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Subcommittee of the Fair Labor Standards Legislation
Committee of the American Bar Association’s Labor and
Employment Law Section, Co-Chair of the Whistleblower
Committee of the District of Columbia Bar's Labor and
Employment Section, and has served as Co-Chair of the
National Employment Lawyers Association's Whistleblower
Committee. In addition, Mr. Zuckerman serves on the
Government Accountability Project’s Advisory Committee.
Mr. Zuckerman has appeared
on radio broadcasts and has been quoted in various newspaper
articles and legal periodicals, including Financial Times,
The National Law Journal, BNA's Daily Labor Report,
Investment Adviser Week, Human Resources Executive
Online, HR Magazine, TaxAnalysts,
Richmond Times-Dispatch, Houston Chronicle, HR
News, New Jersey Law Journal, cyberFEDS, HR
Executive, Workforce Management, CCH’s Labor
and Employment Law, Law360 and other print and
electronic media.
Mr. Zuckerman graduated
Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude from Georgetown
University and received his law degree from the University
of Virginia, where he served as Articles Editor of the
Virginia Journal of Law and Technology. In law school,
he received the University of Virginia School of Law's Pro
Bono Award for his advocacy on behalf of prison inmates and
mentally disabled individuals. He is admitted to practice
before the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia bars,
the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of
Appeals for the Second and Fourth Circuits, the United
States District Court for the District of Columbia, the
United States District Court for the Eastern District of
Virginia, and the United States District Court for the
District of Maryland.
Publications
Co-Author: "Whistleblower
Provisions Of The Dodd-Frank Act," Law360
(July 20, 2010).
Author: "D.C. Whistleblower Protection
Act," a chapter in the D.C. Practice Manual (D.C. Bar
Publications).
Co-Author: “Whistleblower
Protections in the Finance Reform Bill,” Law360
(May 27, 2010).
Co-Author, “Congress
Enacts Robust Whistleblower Protections To Prevent Fraud In
Stimulus Spending,” Employee Advocate (May 2010).
Co-Author, “Whistleblower
Protections Under Health Care Bill,” Law360
(April 2010).
Contributing Author: "2010
Annual Update on the Whistleblower Provisions of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002," American Bar
Association Section of Labor and Employment Law Subcommittee
on the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (February 2010).
Co-Author: “Federal
Whistleblower Protections for Transportation Employees,”
The Employee Advocate (Spring/Summer 2009).
Co-Author: “SOX:
A Robust Remedy For Whistleblowers,”
Law360 (August 2009).
“Whistleblower
Protection in the Airline Industry,”
Avvo (September 2009).
“Whistleblower
Protection in the Nuclear Industry,”
Avvo (September 2009).
“Protections
for Whistleblowers in the Public Transportation Industry,”
Avvo (September 2009).
“Protections
for Whistleblowing about Consumer Product Safety,”
Avvo (September 2009).
Co-Author: “Representing
Whistleblowers in Adler Wrongful Discharge Actions,”
Maryland Bar Journal (July 2009).
Co-Author: “Questions
and Answers About the Qui Tam Provision of the False Claims
Act,” The Practical Lawyer
(June 2009).
Co-Author: “Strategies
for Defending Against Non-Compete Litigation,”
Virginia State Bar’s Litigation News (June
2009).
Co-Author: “DOL
ARB Decision Reinvigorates Sarbanes-Oxley Whistleblower
Protection,” 7 Workplace L. Rep.
(BNA) No. 475 (April 3, 2009).
Co-author, “Blowing
the Whistle on Tax Fraud Reaps Rewards,”
SmartPros Ethics & Compliance Insights (March 2009).
Co-author: “Stimulus
Fund Safeguards For Whistleblowers,”
Law360 (February 2009).
Contributing Author: "2009
Annual Update on the Whistleblower Provisions of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002,"
American Bar Association Section of Labor and Employment Law
Subcommittee on the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (February
2009).
Contributing Author: “The Insider: Legal
Ethics in Whistleblower Cases,” Fairfax Bar CLE (2009).
Author: "The
Financial Crisis: Whistleblowers Could Have Helped Avert It,"
Ethics Today (October 2008).
Co-author: "New Protections for Consumer Safety
Whistle-blowers," American Bar Association Section of
Labor and Employment Law Newsletter Vol. 37, No. 1 (Fall
2008).
Co-Author: "Win
for Whistleblowers," National Law Journal
(September 8, 2008).
"False
Claims Act," Avvo (September
2008).
Co-Author: "The
Umpires Strike Back", Legal Times
(June 2008).
Co-Author, "Protecting
the Whistleblower," Corporate
Responsibility Officer (February 2008).
Contributing Author: "2008
Annual Update on the Whistleblower Provisions of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002," American Bar
Association Section of Labor and Employment Law Subcommittee
on the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (February 2008).
Co-author: "Seven
Questions For Sarbanes-Oxley Whistleblowers To Ask,"
The Practical Lawyer (October 2007).
Author: "SOX's
Whistleblower Provision–Promise Unfulfilled,"
Securities Litigation Reporter Vol. 4, Issue 7
(July/August 2007).
Author: "Six
Steps to Limiting Sarbanes-Oxley Whistleblower Liability,"
IT Business Edge (January 16, 2007).
Contributing Author: "2007
Annual Update on the Whistleblower Provisions of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002," American Bar
Association Section of Labor and Employment Law Subcommittee
on the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (February 2007).
Author: "Representing
Whistleblowers," The Docket (November
2006).
Co-author: "Protect
the Whistleblower," National Law Journal
(June 19, 2006).
Contributing Author: "2006
Annual Update on the Whistleblower Provisions of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002," American Bar
Association Section of Labor and Employment Law Subcommittee
on the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (February 2006).
Co-author: "Litigating Whistleblower
Cases," a chapter in
Whistleblowing: The Law of
Retaliatory Discharge (BNA Books 2004).
Author: "Whistleblower
Protections in the Nonprofit Sector,"
Nonprofit Risk Management Center (September 2005).
Contributing Author: "2005
Annual Update on the Whistleblower Provisions of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002," American Bar
Association Section of Labor and Employment Law Subcommittee
on the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (January 2005).
Co-Author: "Litigating
Whistleblower Cases Before the DOL from the Employee's
Lawyer's Perspective," course material for
the August 2005 ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law's
Annual Meeting and for a December 2004 District of Columbia
Bar program titled "Litigating Whistleblower Complaints
Before the U.S. Department of Labor.
Author: "Complying
with Sarbanes-Oxley's Document Destruction Provisions,"
Association Management (July 2004).
Author: "Whistleblower
Protection Programs for Associations,"
Association Management (June 2004).
Author: "Minimizing
the Risk of Whistleblower Retaliation Claims,"
TransLaw (Spring 2004).
Speaking Engagements
Moderator: “Changing Currents in
Employment Law 2010: Recent Trends and Developments,” D.C.
Bar CLE, October 26, 2010.
Panelist: “Employment Law Update: Fall 2010, Whistleblower
Provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act,” ALI-ABA Teleseminar,
September 21, 2010.
Panelist: “Blowing The Whistle As A
Federal Employee,” National Employment Lawyers Association
Conference, June 25, 2010.
Panelist: New Developments in
Whistleblower Protection Law, National Whistleblower
Assembly, May 24, 2010Panelist: “Trends in Sarbanes-Oxley
Whistleblower Law: Key New Developments,” Law Seminars
International, May 21, 2010
Panelist: “Litigating Whistleblower
Cases,” Bar Association of Montgomery County, April 14,
2010.
Panelist: “Here, There and Everywhere: New
and Pending Whistleblower Legislation and Strategies for
Handling Expanding Whistleblower Protections,” ABA 2010
Employment Rights and Responsibilities Committee Midwinter
Meeting, March 25, 2010.
Panelist: “Winning Retaliation Cases and
Defeating Defense Counterclaims and Tricks,” Taxpayers
Against Fraud Conference, October 13, 2009.
Panelist: “Government Contractors and
Other Recipients of Government Funds—Do They Know What
They’re Getting Into?” 39th Annual Virginia Bar Association
Conference on Labor Relations & Employment Law, October 2,
2009.
Moderator: “Litigating Qui Tam
Whistleblower Cases under the New Amendments to the False
Claims Act,” D.C. Bar CLE, September 14, 2009.
Panelist: “Changing Currents in
Employment Law,” National Organization of Black Law
Enforcement Executives Annual Conference, July 28, 2009.
Panelist: “Changing Currents in Employment
Law: Recent Developments Update,” D.C. Bar CLE, June 18,
2009.
Panelist: “Settlement Issues in
Employment Cases,” ALI-ABA Teleseminar, May 22, 2009.
Panelist: “New Whistleblower Protections
for Government Contractors and Employees of State and Local
Governments,” D.C. Bar, April 6, 2009.
Panelist: “New Whistleblower Protection:
The McCaskill Amendment to the Economic Stimulus Bill,”
ALI-ABA Teleseminar, March 17, 2009.
Panelist: “Using OSHA Laws to Remedy
Retaliation,” National Whistleblower Assembly, March 8,
2009.
Panelist: “Whistleblower Law Symposium,”
Institute of Continuing Legal Education in Georgia, March 4,
2009.
Panelist: “The Insider: Legal Ethics in
Whistleblower Cases” Fairfax Bar CLE, February 5, 2009.
Panelist: "Inside the Whistleblower
Experience," Ethics Resource Center, December 8, 2008.
Panelist: "Litigating Whistleblower
Retaliation Claims Before DOL," National Whistleblowers
Center Seminar on "Whistleblower Protections in the Consumer
Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008," November 21, 2008.
Panelist: "Update on Whistleblower
Legislation," Representing Workers in Harassment &
Retaliation Claims CLE, National Employment Lawyers
Association, October 17- 18, 2008.
Panelist: "The Emerging Era in
Whistleblower Rights and the Public's Right to Know,"
Sponsored by Government Accountability Project & American
University Washington College of Law, June 23, 2008.
Panelist: "Litigating Whistleblower
Retaliation Cases," D.C. Bar Labor and Employment Section,
May 19, 2008.
Panelist: "Corporate Whistleblower
Protections," Joint Congressional Forum: Congress at the
Crossroads for Your Rights sponsored by Government
Accountability Project and International Association of
Whistleblowers, May 12, 2008.
Panelist: "Litigating Qui Tam Cases Under
the False Claims Act," D.C. Bar CLE, June 12, 2007.
Panelist: "Litigating False Claims Act
Retaliation Claims," Metropolitan Washington Employment
Lawyers Association, May 17, 2007.
Panelist: "Fraud and Corporate
Whistleblowing: False Claims Act, Qui Tam, IRS and SOX, The
ABC's of a Successful Whistleblower Case," National
Whistleblower Center, May 16, 2007.
Panelist: "Hot SOX: What's New Under the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act," Representing Workers In Whistleblower &
Retaliation Actions CLE, National Employment Lawyers
Association, March 12, 2007.
Panelist: "Litigating Whistleblower
Cases," Annual Maryland Employment Lawyers Association
Training Seminar, September 30, 2006.
Panelist: "At-Will Employment," D.C.
Chamber of Commerce Employer Advocate Program Training
Seminar, September 6, 2006.
Panelist: "Sarbanes-Oxley's Whistleblower
Provisions," Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers
Association," May 18, 2006.
Panelist: "Conducting Internal
Investigations," D.C. Chamber of Commerce Employer Advocate
Program Training Seminar, April 2006.
Panelist: "SOX Whistleblower Claims: Key
Developments and Emerging Issues," D.C. Bar Labor and
Employment Section, April 16, 2006.
Panelist: "ABA Section of Litigation CLE,
Sarbanes-Oxley: Update on Recent Court Decisions," ABA
National Live Audio Webcast, April 11, 2006.
Panelist: "Employment Law 101," NCAPA
Annual Education Conference, October 2005.
Panelist: "Litigating Whistleblower
Cases," Whistleblowers for an Honest, Efficient, and
Accountable Government, September 23, 2005.
Guest Lecturer, University of Virginia
School of Law, "Whistleblower Protections," April 2005.
Panelist: "Employee Concerns Investigations: Navigating the
Minefield," Employee Concerns Program Forum Conference,
February 2005.
Panelist: "Litigating Whistleblower Cases Before the
Department of Labor," Prettyman-Leventhal American Inns of
Court, January 2005.
Panelist: "Procedures Governing Sarbanes-Oxley Whistleblower
Retaliation Claims," Bar Association of the District of
Columbia Section on Labor and Employment, November 2004.
Panelist: "Sarbanes-Oxley's Whistleblower Protection
Provisions," D.C. Chamber of Commerce Employer Advocate
Program, May 2004.
