Our Team

Jason Zuckerman
Washington, District of Columbia
Principal

Jason Zuckerman, Principal

Recognized by Washingtonian Magazine as a "Top Whistleblower Lawyer," Jason Zuckerman has substantial experience litigating whistleblower retaliation, qui tam, and wrongful discharge cases. He also litigates civil rights, 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 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, HR Magazine, TaxAnalysts, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Houston Chronicle, New Jersey Law Journal, cyberFEDS, HR Executive, Workforce Management, CCH’s Labor and Employment Law, Law360 and other print and electronic media. 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 to propose amendments to strengthen the D.C. Whistleblower Protection Act. Several cases that Mr. Zuckerman litigated have set important precedent concerning the scope of whistleblower protection laws, and a federal judge recently 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 is rated a 10 out of 10 by Avvo.

Mr. Zuckerman serves as Co-Chair of the National Employment Lawyers Association's Whistleblower Committee and Co-Chair of the Whistleblower Committee of the District of Columbia Bar's Labor and Employment Section. In addition, Mr. Zuckerman serves on Law360’s Employment Editorial Advisory Board and on the Government Accountability Project’s Advisory Committee, and is active in the American Bar Association Section of Labor and Employment Law's Employee Rights and Responsibilities Subcommittee.

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

Author: "D.C. Whistleblower Protection Act," a chapter in the D.C. Practice Manual (D.C. Bar Publications).

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

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.