Jordan A. Thomas
Jordan built the nation’s first SEC-focused whistleblower practice, delivering precedent-setting awards and accountability at the highest levels.
Jordan built the nation’s first SEC-focused whistleblower practice, delivering precedent-setting awards and accountability at the highest levels.
Jordan Thomas is a trailblazing whistleblower advocate whose practice is dedicated to representing individuals reporting violations of federal securities laws. Jordan established the nation’s first whistleblower practice exclusively focused on securities law violations, securing precedent-setting whistleblower awards and launching many of the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission’s most high-profile cases. He was one of the principal architects of the SEC Whistleblower Program, and his pioneering work in private practice has been profiled in leading publications such as The New Yorker, The New York Times, and NPR.
Jordan’s clients won one of the largest single-case SEC whistleblower awards in history—more than $83 million—for reporting misconduct at Merrill Lynch, which led to a $415 million settlement with the commission. In addition to significant monetary recoveries, Jordan has represented clients in landmark matters, including the first officer of a public company to win an SEC whistleblower award, the first SEC whistleblower to receive criminal immunity, and the first SEC whistleblower to receive a whistleblower award based on retaliation by his company.
A longtime public servant and seasoned trial lawyer, Jordan entered private practice from the SEC, where he served as an assistant director and, previously, as an assistant chief litigation counsel in the Division of Enforcement. In helping create the SEC Whistleblower Program, he led fact-finding visits to other federal agencies with whistleblower programs, drafted proposed legislation and implemented rules, and briefed House and Senate staffs on proposed legislation. Throughout his tenure at the SEC, he investigated, litigated, and supervised a wide variety of enforcement matters and was assigned to many of the commission’s highest-profile actions, including those involving Enron, Fannie Mae, UBS, and Citigroup. His SEC enforcement cases have resulted in more than $35 billion in monetary sanctions and relief for harmed investors.
Before joining the SEC, Jordan was a trial attorney at the Department of Justice, specializing in complex financial services litigation involving the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and Office of Thrift Supervision. He began his legal career as a Navy judge advocate on active duty and recently retired as a captain in the Navy’s Reserve Law Program. While in law school, he worked as a stockbroker.
Jordan has held leadership roles in the legal community, including serving as chair of the Investor Rights Committee of the District of Columbia Bar and as a board member of the City Bar Fund, the pro bono affiliate of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York. He is also a nationally recognized writer, speaker, and media commentator on securities enforcement, corporate ethics, and whistleblower issues.
Jordan understands the importance of client anonymity. With this in mind, he gives clients and potential clients the option to communicate with him through secure and encrypted applications such as Signal and Telegram.
