Whistleblower Question of the Week: How Are Whistleblowers Protected After Deciding to Speak Out?
By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team Whistleblowers often take risks when they step forward. That is why Congress and federal agencies have built protections through a combination of laws, regulations, and policies designed to prevent retaliation, preserve confidentiality, and make it possible for individuals to report wrongdoing safely. While our firm does not typically handle standalone whistleblower employment or retaliation matters, those cases sometimes include issues that also fall under one...
Honoring Jimi Hendrix on His Birthday: Top 10 Songs That Sing To the Whistleblower Spirit
By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team Jimi Hendrix was a revolutionary guitarist, singer, songwriter, and artistic pioneer whose short yet ground-breaking career reshaped the sound and meaning of rock music. Emerging in the 1960s, he fused blues, R&B, psychedelia, raw rock, and improvisational power to virtually set a new standard for songwriting and the breadth of guitar playing with his extraordinary technical ability, bent notes, distorted tones, feedback, and emotive playing...
First-Place Winner of Constantine Cannon’s Fifth Whistleblower Essay Contest: Kem Chatfield, Jr.
By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team The Constantine Cannon whistleblower team is happy to announce the First-Place Winner of our Fifth Law School Scholarship Essay Contest. The award (and $1,000 prize) goes to Kem Chatfield, Jr. About Kem Chatfield, Jr. Kem was born and raised in Miami. After graduating from high school, Kem attended the University of Florida, where Kem graduated with honors in 2012 with a B.A. in Political Science...
Payments News Update – November 28, 2025
Legal and Regulatory Developments SPOTLIGHT: Visa Finds Even $200 Billion Can’t Resolve Battle With Merchants Bloomberg – November 21, 2025 (subscription may be required) Nine years ago, the $5.7 billion sticker price to settle one of the biggest class-action lawsuits ever was rejected. Last year, it climbed to $30 billion, just to be thrown out again. Now, it’s north of $200 billion, and there’s growing doubt even that will be...
DOJ Settles Flurry of False Claims Act Cases Following Government Reopening -- But Where Are the Whistleblowers?
By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team The Department of Justice (DOJ) wasted no time in getting back to business in fraud enforcement following the end of the longest Government Shutdown in history. In the two weeks following the Grand Reopening on November 12, DOJ settled close to 20 False Claims Act cases involving a wide array of defendants. What Has DOJ's Recent Burst of False Claims Act Settlements Involved? Here...
From Succession to The Dropout: Top 10 TV Shows with Whistleblower Themes
By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team It’s no surprise that our team enjoys TV shows that spotlight whistleblowers and the complex moral and personal choices they face. We’ve rounded up ten of our favorites that explore fraud, secrecy, and power through dramatized true stories, investigative documentaries, and fictional plots. Some feature traditional whistleblowers, while others highlight characters who challenge wrongdoing in unconventional ways. There have been countless TV shows shaped by...
Second-Place Winner of Constantine Cannon’s Fifth Whistleblower Essay Contest: James Huddleston
By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team The Constantine Cannon whistleblower team is delighted to announce the second-place winner of the firm’s Fifth Law School Scholarship Essay Contest. The award (and $500 prize) goes to James Huddleston. About James Huddleston James is a litigation consultant and independent fraud investigator with over a decade of experience uncovering complex financial misconduct. Through his firm, Litigative, LLC, he serves as a consulting expert providing analysis to assist attorneys in evaluating complex...
Payments News Update – November 21, 2025
Legal and Regulatory Developments SPOTLIGHT: ‘Not the Final Chapter:’ Questions Arise About the Latest Interchange Settlement Digital Transactions News – November 14, 2025 As the dust settles around the latest settlement agreement in Visa Inc.’s and Mastercard Inc.’s long running legal battle with merchants over card-acceptance fees, how the offer will impact the payments industry is coming into focus. Early reaction to the agreement from payments experts is that interchange...
Lawyers for Sutter Health Patients Will Receive Over $100M in Fees and Costs
By the Constantine Cannon Antitrust Team November 12, 2025 - On November 6, California U.S. magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler announced her intention to grant final approval for a $228.5 million settlement in a 13-year healthcare antitrust lawsuit. The case involved allegations that Sutter Health, one of the nation’s largest and most powerful hospital chains, increased costs by imposing all-or-nothing networks on insurers. The settlement includes $75.4 million for attorney fees...
Horizon Healthcare Pays Record $100M to Settle NJ False Claims Act Charges Brought By Whistleblowers
By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team Last Friday (November 14), New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin announced that Horizon Healthcare Services (known as Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey) agreed to pay $100 million to settle charges of violating the New Jersey False Claims Act.1 The settlement centers around allegations that Horizon systematically overcharged the State on its contract to administer the State’s employee benefit programs. It is...
