Stephen Kohn

Stephen M. Kohn, along with his partners are America's leading whistleblower attorneys. He successfully represented the most important tax whistleblower in U.S. history (Bradley Birkenfeld) and won the largest whistleblower reward ever paid to an individual whistleblower ($104 million). Since 1984 his practice has focused exclusively on advocating for whistleblowers, expanding laws that protect and reward whistleblowers and litigating many cutting-edge cases. He has successfully represented whistleblowers under numerous state and federal laws, including the False Claims Act/qui tam laws, and established important precedent protecting whistleblowers under the First Amendment. Since 2009 his practice has expanded to helping international whistleblowers file claims in the United States for securities fraud, tax fraud and violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Mr. Kohn has served as lead counsel and prevailed in major precedent setting whistleblower cases both at trial and in appeals court rulings. Mr. Kohn worked with Congressional staff in proposing language incorporated into major whistleblower laws, such as the Dodd-Frank Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the Whistleblower Protection Act. Many of his proposals were adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission during their historic whistleblower-rulemaking proceedings. Additionally, Mr. Kohn volunteers as the pro bono Executive Director of the National Whistleblower, where he has filed numerous amicus briefs on behalf of whistleblowers in key Supreme Court cases. Mr. Kohn wrote the first legal treatise on whistleblower law in 1985. His seventh book on whistleblowing, The Whistleblower’s Handbook was praised by the Wall Street Journal as essential reading for whistleblowers. In 2014 Mr. Kohn and his firm were recognized by the National Law Journal as among the top 50 plaintiffs law firms in the United States.

• Whistleblower Protections and Rewards under the False Claims Act
• Whistleblower Protections and Rewards under the Dodd-Frank Act
• Whistleblower Protections and Rewards under the Internal Revenue Code
• Whistleblower Protections and Rewards under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act

• Microsoft Teams

• Free Consultation
• Contingent Fees
• Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
  For information about the fee policies at Kohn, Kohn and Colapinto, see our Standard Billing Rates page, http://www.kkc.com/our-firm/standard-billing-rates/

District of Columbia

U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

U.S. Supreme Court

Various U.S. District Courts

Partner

Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto

1988 - Current

Partner in America's leading whistleblower rights law firm.

Director of Corporate Litigation

Government Accountability Project

1984 - 1988

Lead Supervisory Attorney on cutting-edge corporate whistleblower cases.

Supervisor of Whistleblower Advocacy Clinic

Antioch School of Law

1984 - 1988

Supervised 10 to 15 law students on whistleblower legal cases.

Judicial Intern, Hon. A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr. Circuit Judge

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

1982 - 1983

Wrote Bench-memos and draft opinions for Judge Higginbotham.

Northeastern University School of Law

J.D. (1984)

1984

Brown University

M.A. (1981) | Political Science

1981

Boston University

B.S. (1979) | Social Education

1979

Honors: Magna Cum Laude

Elite Trial Lawyers Recognition

National Law Journal

2014

Super Lawyers Recognition

Super Lawyers

2007

Top 800 lawyers

Washingtonian Magazine

2007

Daynard Public Interest Fellowship

Northeastern University School of Law

2006

Plaintiff's Hot List

National Law Journal

2003

District of Columbia Bar

Member

Current

National Employment Lawyers Association

Member

Current

American Association for Justice

Member

Current

Taxpayers Against Fraud

Member

Current

National Whistleblower Legal Defense and Education Fund

Trustee

Current

The Whistleblowers Handbook: A Step-By-Step Guide To Doing What’s Right and Protecting Yourself

Lyons Press