News articles like the piece in Newsweek serve a valuable purpose: They explain to the public exactly why people should speak out against criminal activity at work.
Houston, TX (PRWEB) March 13, 2014
Newsweek magazine recently published an article detailing the benefits of being a corporate whistleblower, which is an important message to send to people who might see corruption and other illegal activities but are afraid to step forward, according to Houston whistleblower lawyer J. Mark Brewer of Brewer & Pritchard, P.C.
Brewer based his comments on the article published in Newsweek about whistleblowers. (“The Perks of Being a Whistle-Blower,” Jan. 30, 2014)
“News articles like the piece in Newsweek serve a valuable purpose: They explain to the public exactly why people should speak out against criminal activity at work,” Brewer said. “My only concern with articles like these is that they place so much emphasis on the millions of dollars many whistleblowers receive for reporting wrongdoing. In my experience, that’s not what motivates many whistleblowers we work with at our law firm. In most cases, most whistleblowers step forward because they simply want to do the right thing and take a stand against corruption and illegal activities.”
The Newsweek article focused on whistleblowers in the United States and the whistleblower attorneys who work with many of these people. In particular, the article included information about the Internal Revenue Service’s “special program” created in 2006 that rewards corporate whistleblowers 15 to 30 percent of tax frauds totaling at least $2 million. The article also included information about specific whistleblowers, including Bradley Birkenfeld, a former UBS private banker who received $104 million from the IRS for revealing a tax fraud scheme by the Swiss bank, which paid a $780 million fine for failing to pay taxes, Newsweek reported.
Corporations doing business in the United States underpay their federal income taxes by an estimated $385 billion a year, according to IRS estimates, Newsweek reported. But perhaps more than anything, the 1,910-word-long article illustrates just how complicated whistleblowers cases can be in the United States. In most cases, the IRS takes five years to pay whistleblowers for exposing corporations that fail to pay their federal taxes, Newsweek reported.
Due to the complexity of such cases, it’s critical that potential whistleblowers contact a lawyer as soon as possible if they’re considering exposing wrongdoing at their office, attorney Brewer said.
“People considering pursuing such legal action should not do so on their own,” Brewer said. “Whistleblower cases can be extremely complicated and involve years of litigation. That’s why it’s critical that whistleblowers have a knowledgeable, experienced attorney at their side who can successfully guide them through this byzantine process. We know because we have worked with whistleblowers throughout the country.”
About Brewer & Pritchard, P.C.
Serving clients in Texas and across the country, the attorneys at Brewer & Pritchard, P.C. have a well-earned reputation for being knowledgeable, experienced lawyers focused on results. The Houston law firm handles a wide variety of cases, including Medicaid fraud, whistleblower claims, business law, corporate law, mergers, acquisitions and other legal issues. The law firm discreetly investigates every case and respect’s clients’ privacy. For more information about what to do if you suspect wrongdoing at your company and the legal options available to whistleblowers, call 800-445-8710 or complete the online contact form. Not certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
Brewer & Pritchard, P.C.
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Houston, Texas 77056
http://www.bplaw.com/