Securities Litigation

The Sixth Circuit this week rejected the "definitively and specifically" standard that had required a Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower's "reasonable belief" to closely track each element of the legal cause of action for the fraud she reports has occurred. The Circuit instead aligned with more recent authority requiring only a subjective belief that is objectively reasonable, given the whistleblower's training and experience. Sarbanes-Oxley makes it illegal for a public company to retaliate against an employee who reports fraud or assists in investigations or enforcement ...