WELCH v. CHAO

Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

ARGUED: David B. Shine, Donald Franklin Mason, Jr., Shine & Mason, Kingsport, Tennessee, for Petitioner. Barbara Eby Racine, United States Department of Labor, Washington, D.C., for Respondent. Joseph Michael Rainsbury, Leclair Ryan, PC, Roanoke, Virginia, for Intervenor. ON BRIEF: Gregory F. Jacob, Solicitor of Labor, Steven J. Mandel, Associate Solicitor, Ellen R. Edmond, Counsel for Whistleblower Programs, United States Department of Labor, Office of the Solicitor, Washington, D.C., for Respondent. Douglas W. Densmore, Leclair Ryan, PC, Roanoke, Virginia; Betty Southard Murphy, Marc A. Antonetti, Baker & Hostetler, LLP, Washington, D.C., for Intervenor. Paul Taylor, Taylor & Associates, Burnsville, Minnesota; Jason M. Zuckerman, The Employment Law Group, PC, Washington, D.C., for The Government Accountability Project, The National Whistleblower Center, and Taxpayers Against Fraud, Amici Supporting Petitioner. Arthur P. Strickland, Roanoke, Virginia, for American Association of Bank Directors, Amicus Supporting Respondent. A. Peter Brodell, Williams Mullen, PC, Richmond, Virginia; Joseph E. Spruill, III, Virginia Bankers Association, Glen Allen, Virginia, for Virginia Bankers Association and Virginia Association of Community Banks, Amici Supporting Respondent. Brian G. Cartwright, General Counsel, Andrew N. Vollmer, Deputy General Counsel, Jacob H. Stillman, Solicitor, Mark Pennington, Assistant General Counsel, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, D.C., for Securities and Exchange Commission, Amicus Curiae.

Affirmed by published opinion. Judge MOTZ wrote the opinion, in which Senior Judge HAMILTON and Senior Judge HILTON joined.