Stephen M. Kohn
Founding Partner
Since 1984, Kohn has been celebrated as a world-renowned whistleblower attorney and pioneer of whistleblower law and advocacy.
Contact Stephen
stephen.kohn@kkc.com
Stephen M. Kohn, with 38 years of experience, was peer-review rated by the National Law Journal as one of the 50-top Plaintiff’s Lawyers in the United States, the only whistleblower rights lawyer to achieve this distinction.
In 1988 he helped found the National Whistleblower Center, where is currently serves, pro bono, as Chairman of the Board. He is the author of the first legal treatise on whistleblowing and is the world’s most published author on whistleblower protection. His most recent book is Rules for Whistleblowers: A Handbook for Doing What’s Right (Lyons Press 2023).
Kohn has spearheaded several of the largest whistleblower cases in the U.S. and internationally. He is known for his successful strategies, leveraging whistleblower protection and reward laws, many of which he played a significant role in authoring.
Key Whistleblower Legislation
Steve helped draft key whistleblower legislation and regulatory rules, including those incorporated into the following:
In addition to being added to the inaugural list of Top 50 White Collar Crime Trailblazers, Kohn has been a major contributor to whistleblower law, including the following:
- Chief attorney in Dodd-Frank Act whistleblower case finding restrictive nondisclosure agreements illegal under U.S. securities laws.
- Successfully represented key Swiss banking whistleblowers who triggered the historic prosecutions of Swiss banks (resulting in over $15 billion in sanctions, fines and settlements).
- Successfully represented first nationally recognized FBI whistleblower, causing President Clinton to order the Attorney General to establish whistleblower protections for all FBI employees.
- Argued case establishing nationwide precedent under the First Amendment recognizing the right of federal employees to publicly blow the whistle on their employing agencies.
Watch how Stephen and his client Bradley Birkenfeld brought Swiss banking giant UBS to it’s knees, landing them one of the largest whistleblower rewards in history of $104 million.
Notable Cases
$2 Billion Recovered for Victims
Wilkinson confidentially blew the whistle on a $230 billion Russian money-laundering scandal that moved rubles out of Russia, converted them to dollars at the Estonian branch of Danske Bank, and then moved the dollars to New York.
$300 Million in Sanctions
Our client exposed a foreign corruption and illegal drug marketing bribery scheme, requiring Novartis to pay over $300 million in sanctions and fines to the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ).
$17.4 Million Joint Award
This case set the national precedent covering tax whistleblowers whose work with the Justice Department resulted in criminal convictions. After two significant victories in Tax Court, the whistleblowers obtained $17.4 million in rewards.
“Stephen Kohn has dedicated his life to supporting whistleblowers and uncovering wrongdoers. I admire his tireless efforts…”
“The only lawyer on my side was Steve Kohn. He was as smart as they come and feisty as a pit bull. Steve was convinced the government owed me a fat reward, and he was going to get it, or die trying.”
“An absolutely first rate lawyer. . . keenly interested in utilizing the law as a rational instrument of social change and improving the quality of life for the weak, the poor and the unpowerful.”
“[Steve Kohn] is an outstanding person, with a very keen mind, a true gift for research, an extremely capable writer, and an eloquent speaker.”
“I want to try to express my feelings of gratitude for what you are doing for me, but I’m not sure that words will do the job . . . The bureaucrats almost won; not because they were legally right, but rather, because they have the power and influence to be able to crush any resistance . . . You are rendering a great service, not only to individuals like myself, but to our country a well.”
“Steve Kohn is the nation’s outstanding whistleblower lawyer.”
“I couldn’t have navigated the shark invested waters whistleblower face without the passion, dedication, determination, and brilliance of my incredible attorneys.”
“…the three co-founders of the National Whistleblower Center, these are important names, Stephen Kohn, Michael Kohn, and David Colapinto, thank you so much for all that you do, they broke the mold with these visionaries and we are all better for it.” – National Whistleblower Day, 2018
“When I had to blow the whistle it was very very difficult. I was lucky I had my daughter and I was lucky I had Stephen Kohn in my life. . .he [Stephen Kohn] dragged me across the finish line . . . he stayed with me, he kept me going . . .”
40 Years of Accomplishment
Kohn is one of the most actively involved whistleblower attorneys in the world, focusing on issues of serious public importance.
Media Appearances
ABC World News Tonight, BBC World News Tonight, BBC, “Burden of Proof” on CNN, “Capital Gains” on Bloomberg TV, CBS Evening News, CNN World News, “Crosstalk” on MSNBC, CSNBC, “The Early Show” on CBS, “Good Morning America” on ABC, “The Jack Ford Show” on MSNBC, “Hannity & Colmes” on FOXNEWS, “Hardball” on MSNBC, “The Johnnie Cochran Show” on Court-TV, “Larry King Live” on CNN, “Miller’s Law” on Court-TV, NBC Nightly News, “Nightline” on ABC, “The O’Reilly Factor” on FOXNEWS, “Primetime Live” on ABC, “Rivera Live” on MSNBC, “The Today Show” on NBC, “Close-Up” on C-SPAN, “60 Minutes” on CBS, “Washington Journal,” “HuffPost Live,” KATU 2 ABC, and on CSPAN.
Stephen’s Areas of Practice
Latest Thinking
March 27, 2024
March 27, 2024