Way back in 2010, I noted that given the recent passage of the whistleblower provisions in Dodd-Frank, some plaintiffs’ lawyers believed that a lucrative new practice area might be brewing. Specifically, Section 922 of Dodd-Frank provides that any whistleblower who makes a claim may be represented by counsel, and must be represented by counsel if he or she wishes to submit the claim anonymously.
Indeed, I observed, some industrious plaintiffs’ lawyers were going all-in on the concept. New York attorney Stuart Meissner actually created an advertisement that he ran in movie theaters in Manhattan. Meissner’s ad (watch it here) was played prior to the showing of the 2010 movie, “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps,” and referred potential whistleblowers to the firm’s website, SECSnitch.com. Meissner’s law firm was also aggressive in the earliest days of the SEC’s whistleblower program, claiming to have filed the first-ever whistleblower complaint pursuant to the provisions of Dodd-Frank.
