Attorney Jack Blum’s law practice focuses on whistleblower representation, anti-money laundering compliance, international tax evasion and the representation of victims of financial crime and fraud.  He has been an expert witness for the U.S. Department of Justice and the Internal Revenue Service.  Mr. Blum additionally served as associate counsel, or assistant counsel, or special counsel to three U.S. Senate committees or subcommittees; and been quoted by or mentioned in thousands of newspaper and magazine articles around the world.

Since he resigned at the end of 2008,  as “Of Counsel” to Baker & Hostetler’s Washington, DC office, Mr. Blum practices part-time for a select group of clients.  Two of Mr. Blum’s clients are whistleblowers Rudolf Elmer and Heinrich Kieber.  As described by “Swiss Banker Blows Whistle on Tax Evasion”, Mr. Elmer provided tips to the IRS, a U.S. Senate subcommittee and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, about suspected tax cheats with offshore bank accounts.  At a January 17, 2011 Frontline Club Press Conference, Mr. Elmer also supplied WikiLeaks with this same kind of information.

Mr. Elmer’s whistleblowing ultimately led to his criminal prosecution by Swiss authorities, on charges that he violated Swiss bank secrecy law.  Although not a Swiss banker like Mr. Elmer, Heinrich Kieber was a computer specialist for Liechtenstein’s private banking and asset management firm, the LGT Group.  Mr. Kieber became a whistleblower by handing domestic tax authorities data concerning suspected tax cheats who maintained offshore bank accounts at LGT.  As mentioned by the 2008 article “ Tax Whistleblower Sold Data to the US ”, German authorities paid Mr. Kieber nearly $7.4 million for this data and put him in a witness protection program.

At the same time, authorities in Liechtenstein accused Mr. Kieber of stealing the data from LGT Group and Interpol issued a red notice, (i.e. an international arrest warrant), for him.  A Time.com post even reported that some said there was a $10 million bounty on Mr. Kieber’s head.  Mr. Blum will be discussing these cases at the September 27th NYC Bar Association program “The Ins & Outs Of Recovering Assets Via Whistleblowers & Other Tipsters”.  During the  program, Mr. Blum will emphasize that attorneys must counsel their whistleblower clients of the risks of blowing the whistle.

(Last Edited September 2, 2012)

Copyright 2012 Fred L. Abrams