Whistleblowers in the Workplace Have Changed Laws

Edward Snowden is perhaps the most famous whistleblower in the world today. But what exactly is a whistleblower? A whistleblower is someone who publicly exposes illegal or unethical activities within a corporation. This person can bring allegations to light by contacting a third party outside of an accused organization. Usually that third party is media, police or government, or an anonymous party such as Wikileaks, and in many cases can add a certain layer of protection to the whistleblower as the whistleblowers often face backlash from companies and even from fellow citizens.

Legal protection for whistleblowing varies from country to country and is dependent on how the issues and wrongdoings eventually became publicized. Many countries have now adopted whistleblower protection laws which are tools for reporting wrongdoing and provide legal protections to the people who reported them. Over 50 countries have adopted more limited protections as part of their anti-corruption, freedom of information, or employment laws. In the United States, legal protections vary according to the subject matter of the whistleblowing, and sometimes the state in which the case originated. Federal and state laws protect employees who call attention to violations, help with enforcement proceedings, or refuse to obey unlawful directions.

Galit Kierkut of the law firm Sills Cummis & Gross (Newark, Princeton and New York), who focuses on  employment litigation and counseling, attributes the increase in whistleblowing in the healthcare industry to a strong desire of employees to protect  patient health and safety. The public opinion of whistleblowers varies from selfless martyrs to traitors and even defectors. Even while doing what they strongly believe is ethically correct, whistleblowers can be ostracized by their co-workers, discriminated against by future potential employers, or even fired from their organization. More and more companies have implemented reporting hotlines, which allow employees to anonymously report violations without fear of retribution. Employers can benefit from this by reacting to and rectifying issues which, if came to light, could be wholly destructive.

Sills Cummis & Gross P.C. is a full-service corporate law firm with over 140 attorneys in New Jersey and New York.  The Firm’s work is diversified among industries such as pharmaceutical and medical device, health care, life sciences, banking and finance, retail and commercial real estate, manufacturing and technology.   Recently,  over 40 attorneys were named to the 2017 edition of Best Lawyers in America

Sills Cummis & Gross Focus on Clients and Women

Sills Cummis & Gross, located in the New York and New Jersey, is a full service law firm serving the northeast of the United States. Their expertise, professionalism and depth of experience offers expert advice to clients of any size, from Fortune 500 to smaller, locally owned businesses in need of attorneys across a wide field of specialties. Founded in 1971, the privately held company is one of the most respected Princeton law firms in the north east United States.

The law firm’s operation is centered on fair cost to the client, no matter the size. Determined to change the way practices are perceived, the firm decided as a whole to focus on cost and service, giving outstanding service to clients and working within their preset and predetermined budgets,

Second only to client services is Sills Cummis & Gross’s commitment to diversity within the workplace. According to the American Bar Association, women represent only 36% of persons in the legal profession. Less than 10% of attorneys are represented by minorities, and Sills Cummis & Gross has remained a strong advocate of hiring and retaining minorities and women. The firm remains committed to this initiative by encouraging its staff to participate in women’s groups and minority bar associations.

Marcia Jeffers, who has been with the firm for over 15 year, and Galit Kierkut are examples of Sills Cummis & Gross’ commitment to women. The firm’s reputation and stellar client service was recently recognized in the 2017 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Compiled from over 7.3 million votes, Sills Cummins & Gross was extremely proud to have 40 of their attorneys’ recognized by the publication.

In a press release recently issued by Chief Marketing Officer Marcia Jeffers, the firm publicly recognized all 40 of their colleagues. Among those named was Galit Kierkut , Litigation Attorney specializing in Labor and Employment and Commercial Litigation.  Kierkut adds the recognition of the Best Lawyers in America to her growing list of accolades and awards.

The commitment from Sills Cummis & Gross to the community, their clients, and women and minorities give them the ability to stand out from the crowd, and change the way the public think of law firms. With leaders and exemplary attorneys like Marcia Jeffers and Galit Kierkut, the firm will continue to serve their clients with upstanding and outstanding service for many years to come.