On May 5, 2020, a Magistrate Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania issued a report and recommendation recommending that a defendant-employer’s motion for summary judgment dismissing a SOX whistleblower retaliation claim be granted, finding that the plaintiff had not engaged in protected activity.  Wutherich v. Rice Energy Inc, No. 18-cv-00200.

Background

Plaintiff was a manager at the defendant-employer, an energy company involved in fracking.  In July 2016, Plaintiff allegedly overheard a co-worker discussing data regarding wells that the co-worker had obtained from a previous employer.  Plaintiff reported this incident to his supervisor and told him that he thought his co-worker had done something illegal and could go to jail for his actions.  In August 2016, Plaintiff allegedly expressed concern about a conflict of interest regarding the company’s use of a service provider in which Plaintiff’s supervisor had a 25% ownership interest.  Plaintiff alleged that, in response to his two complaints, his employment was terminated.  Plaintiff filed suit against the defendant-employer, alleging, among other claims, that he was retaliated against for providing information about incidents that he reasonably believed constituted fraud against shareholders, in violation of Section 806 of SOX.

Ruling

The parties filed cross-motions for summary judgment.  The court recommended that the defendant-employer’s motion be granted, finding that Plaintiff did not engage in protected activity.  With respect to the first alleged whistleblower incident, the court found that Plaintiff did not demonstrate that he subjectively believed that his co-worker’s alleged data theft should have been disclosed to shareholders.  With respect to the second alleged whistleblower incident, the court found that Plaintiff did not show that he reasonably believed he was reporting conduct which constituted a securities violation.  Rather, Plaintiff merely stated that his supervisor’s purported conflict of interest was “wrong,” but did not raise any concerns about the defendant-employer potentially failing to disclose this information to shareholders.

The court also found that even if Plaintiff had shown that he had engaged in protected activity, he did not show that the defendant-employer was aware that he had engaged in such activity.  In addition, the court noted that SOX “is not a general anti-retaliation statute.”  Therefore, it was not enough for the defendant-employer to know that Plaintiff had reported something unethical; rather, it had to know or suspect that he had reported a Section 806 violation.

Implications

This decision reaffirms the principle that SOX does not extend whistleblower protection to complaints about any form of purportedly improper conduct, but only protects complaints that are related to one of the six categories of misconduct specified in Section 806 of SOX.

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Photo of Steven J. Pearlman Steven J. Pearlman

Steven J. Pearlman is a partner in the Labor & Employment Law Department, where he is Head of the Restrictive Covenants, Trade Secrets & Unfair Competition Group and Co-Head of the Whistleblowing & Retaliation Group.

Employment, Whistleblower, Restrictive Covenant and Trade Secret Practice.

Steven J. Pearlman is a partner in the Labor & Employment Law Department, where he is Head of the Restrictive Covenants, Trade Secrets & Unfair Competition Group and Co-Head of the Whistleblowing & Retaliation Group.

Employment, Whistleblower, Restrictive Covenant and Trade Secret Practice. Steven’s national practice focuses on defending companies in federal and state courts and arbitration against claims of: discrimination, retaliation and harassment, including claims brought by high-level executives; whistleblower retaliation; restrictive covenant violations; theft of trade secrets; and wage-and-hour violations (including class, collective and PAGA actions).

Illustrating his versatility, Steven has successfully handled bench and jury trials in multiple jurisdictions (e.g., Illinois, California, Florida and Texas); defended one of the largest Illinois-only class actions in the history of the federal courts in Chicago; and prevailed following his oral arguments before the Seventh Circuit and state appellate courts. Steven brings his litigation experience to bear in counseling clients to minimize risk and avoid or prepare for success in litigation.

Investigations. Reporting to boards of directors, their audit committees, CEOs and in-house counsel, Steven conducts sensitive investigations and has testified in federal court. His investigations have involved complaints of sexual harassment involving C-suite officers; systemic violations of employment laws and company policies; and fraud, compliance failures and unethical conduct.

Thought Leadership and Accolades. Steven was named Lawyer of the Year for Chicago Labor & Employment Litigation in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. He was also named as One of the Top 10 Impactful Labor & Employment Lawyers in Illinois for 2023 by Business Today. He is a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. Chambers describes Steven as an “outstanding lawyer” who is “very sharp and very responsive,” a “strong advocate,” and an “expert in his field.” Chambers also reports that “He is someone who can navigate the twists and turns of litigation without difficulty. Steven is great with brief-writing, crafting arguments, and making sure the client is always happy.”

Steven was 1 of 12 individuals selected by Compliance Week as a “Top Mind.” Earlier in his career, he was 1 of 5 U.S. lawyers selected by Law360 as a “Rising Star Under 40” in the area of employment law and 1 of “40 Illinois Attorneys Under Forty to Watch” selected by Law Bulletin Publishing Company. Steven is a Burton Award Winner (U.S. Library of Congress) for “Distinguished Legal Writing.”

Steven was appointed to Law360’s Employment Editorial Advisory Board and selected as a Contributor to Forbes.com. He has appeared on Bloomberg News (television and radio) and Yahoo! Finance, and is often quoted in leading publications such as The Wall Street Journal.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has engaged Steven to serve as lead counsel on amicus briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court and federal circuit courts of appeal. He was appointed to serve as a Special Assistant Attorney General for the State of Illinois in employment litigation matters. He has presented with the Solicitor of the DOL, the Acting Chair of the EEOC, an EEOC Commissioner, Legal Counsel to the EEOC, and heads of the SEC, CFTC and OSHA whistleblower programs. He is also a member of the Sedona Conference, focusing on trade secret matters.

In 2024, Steven received the Excellence in Pro Bono Service Award from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the Chicago Chapter of the Federal Bar Association.