Lawdragon profiled Senior Counsel Allison Herren Lee and Of Counsel Andrew Feller for its Lawyer Limelights series, offering an in-depth look at their distinguished careers at the SEC and their leadership as co-chairs of Labaton Keller Sucharow’s newly launched Whistleblower Representation Practice.  Allison previously served as SEC Acting Chair and Commissioner, while Andrew served as Senior Counsel in the SEC’s Division of Enforcement.  The feature also explores their longstanding dedication to investor protection, the critical role whistleblowers play in uncovering corporate misconduct, and their vision for the new practice.

Allison and Andrew have worked together for nearly two decades.  Both were among the founders of the SEC’s Complex Financial Instruments Unit, which handled consequential enforcement matters arising from the 2008 financial crisis.  Their work together continued as their SEC careers advanced, with Allison becoming an SEC Commissioner and Acting Chair and Andrew serving as her Principal Enforcement Counsel and Senior Policy Advisor.

Drawing on their extensive regulatory and enforcement experience, Allison and Andrew discuss the critical role whistleblowers play in advancing investor protection as “partners in law enforcement.”  By providing timely, firsthand information about misconduct that might otherwise remain concealed, whistleblowers can help investigators limit harm, establish individual accountability, and strengthen the integrity of the financial markets.

The Lawdragon interview further highlights how Allison and Andrew’s SEC experience informs their approach to representing whistleblowers.  “The process is not a black box to us,” Andrew explains.  Having evaluated hundreds of enforcement matters from both investigative and policy perspectives, they understand what happens after information reaches an agency, how government officials assess it, and how enforcement priorities and resource considerations may affect a matter.  This perspective allows them to guide clients through an increasingly demanding process while protecting their interests and positioning their submissions effectively.

Allison and Andrew describe their transition to Labaton as a natural fit for the next chapter of their careers.  The Firm’s more than 60 years of experience championing the rights of investors, deep experience investigating financial misconduct, and sophisticated in-house capabilities provide a strong foundation for their work.  Together, they aim to build a world-class practice that complements the Firm’s securities litigation capabilities and offers clients a broader range of options for addressing corporate wrongdoing.  “It’s a unique moment in the history of law enforcement, when whistleblowers are more valuable than ever,” Allison explains.  “It’s more important than ever to provide a port in the storm for them. And that’s what we are at Labaton.”

Allison and Andrew also emphasize the considerable personal and professional risks individuals may face when reporting misconduct.  “There’s a lot of scrutiny on whistleblowers.  Having experienced counsel to navigate that is important because . . . people take big risks and they need to be best positioned to be protected and rewarded,” Andrew notes.

At Labaton, Allison and Andrew aim to provide whistleblowers with trusted guidance and steadfast protection throughout the reporting process.  “I appreciate the chance to help protect [whistleblowers] and guide them through a frightening process.  They are providing an important service, potentially at great personal cost, and we can make that process easier for them,” Allison explains.