Wrongful Termination – Whistleblower-protection

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7^th Circuit Court of Appeals

Case Name: Neal R. Verfuerth v. Orion Energy Systems, Inc.

Case No.: 16-3502

Officials: WOOD, Chief Judge, and FLAUM and KANNE, Circuit Judges. 

Focus: Wrongful Termination – Whistleblower-protection

Neal Verfuerth is the founder and former CEO of Orion Energy Systems, a company that specializes in energy‐efficient lighting. Orion fired Verfuerth in November 2012, following several disputes between Verfuerth and Orion’s board of directors. These disputes involved a patchwork of issues, including the billing practices of outside counsel, the conduct of Orion’s board of directors, and a defamation suit filed by one of Orion’s former employees. Shortly after his departure from the company, Verfuerth brought this lawsuit. He argues that his complaints to the board about the board’s own managerial decisions amounted to “whistleblowing” and that, by firing him, Orion violated federal whistleblower‐protection laws. The district court resolved the case with a grant of summary judgment in Orion’s favor. Verfuerth appealed and now seeks to convince us that the district court was wrong.

Affirmed

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Attorney Derek A. Hawkins is the managing partner at Hawkins Law Offices LLC, where he heads up the firm’s startup law practice. He specializes in business formation, corporate governance, intellectual property protection, private equity and venture capital funding and mergers & acquisitions. Check out the website at www.hawkins-lawoffices.com or contact them at 262-737-8825.