Expose Wrongdoing. Protect Your Future. Pursue Recovery.
I represent whistleblowers in selective high-value cases involving fraud, retaliation, and unlawful corporate conduct.
If you witnessed fraud, refused to participate in unlawful conduct, or were punished for speaking up, you are in the right place. This is a selective practice focused on three specific categories of whistleblower cases. I evaluate each matter carefully — and I will tell you honestly whether yours is one worth pursuing.
The Three Types of Whistleblower Cases I Handle
Government Fraud Cases
False Claims Act / Qui Tam
The Issue
You know a company is defrauding Medicare, Medicaid, or a federal contract program.
You have firsthand evidence.
The Recovery
You can share in the recovery – up to 30% of what the government receives.
The Next Step
Did you witness fraud against a government program?
Florida Employee Retaliation Cases
Private Sector Whistleblower Act
The Issue
You reported something illegal at work – or refused to participate – and your employer retaliated.
Private employer, 10+ employees
The Recovery
You may recover lost wages, reinstatement, and damages
The Next Step
Were you punished for speaking up or refusing to go along?
Federal Industry Whistleblower Claims
OSHA-Administered Statutes
The Issue
You were retaliated against for reporting in a regulated field.
Commonly involves: trucking,aviation, railroad, healthcare, finance, environmental, public company reporting
Act Now
Deadlines as short as 30 days. Act immediately.
The Next Step
Do you work in a federally regulated industry?
Why This Practice Is Different
Most whistleblower cases are won or lost before anything is filed.
The early decisions — about proof, timing, credibility, and which legal path fits the facts — determine whether a case succeeds, settles favorably, or quietly disappears. I approach these matters with the instincts of a trial lawyer and the discipline of someone who has spent years as a trial consultant helping other attorneys evaluate their cases before they reach a courtroom.
My job is not to file your claim. My job is to tell you whether it’s worth filing — and then to pursue it with everything that answer requires.
Whistleblower Case Studies
Florida Private Sector Whistleblower Act — Nearly $700,000 Recovery
A store manager with a decades-long career reported child labor law violations to her superiors. She was terminated shortly after.
A prior attorney had already worked the case and obtained only a nominal offer. When I came into the matter, I evaluated what had been left on the table and rebuilt the strategy from the ground up. We ultimately recovered nearly $700,000 in a Florida Private Sector Whistleblower Act case.
Federal Whistleblower Retaliation — Appellate Decision
An airline pilot was terminated after reporting flight safety issues to his employer. I took the case, evaluated the legal pathway, and pursued it through litigation.
The case became Pohl v. Southeast Airlines — a whistleblower decision that established precedent protecting airline industry employees who report safety violations.
Marcus Castillo has represented plaintiffs in employment and employee benefits cases for more than 30 years. He is also a recognized trial consultant.
Career Highlights
- Certified federal and state circuit civil mediator
- Taught substantive EEO law and ERISA segments of Florida Bar Certification Review course
- Lectured and taught at Florida Bar / Stetson Employment Law Trial Skills Seminar
- Author of multiple journal articles on employment law topics
- Former Chair, Clearwater Bar Employment and Labor Law section
- Founded TrialFocus: a trial consulting firm that conducts focus groups and mock trials and has consulted in a multitude of employment law cases for both plaintiffs and defendants.
Education
- Bachelor of Arts with Honors, University of Florida, 1979
- Juris Doctor, Stetson University College of Law, 1983 (Awarded U.S. Law Week Award)
Certifications
- Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Florida Bar
- Certified Florida Supreme Court Circuit Civil Mediator
- Certified Federal Court Mediator, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
Bar / Community Service
- Treasurer and Director, Clearwater Bar Association
- Director, Federal Bar Association (Tampa Bay Chapter)
- Chair and Member, Sixth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission (Appointed by the Governor of the State of Florida)
- Chair and Member, Sixth Circuit Grievance Committee #6A
Thought Leadership
- Numerous CLE presentations on employment law, ERISA cases and best practices at trial.
- Faculty member, Florida Bar Employment Law Trial Skills Program
Accolades
- Florida SuperLawyer continuously since 2007 (Top 5% of all lawyers in the state)
- Florida Trend’s Florida Legal Elite 2010-2011 (Top 2% of all lawyers in the state)
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you handle every kind of whistleblower case?
No. This is a selective practice focused on three categories only: qui tam / False Claims Act matters, Florida private sector whistleblower cases, and federal whistleblower retaliation claims administered by OSHA. I do not handle public sector whistleblower cases i.e. those involving government employees. I am happy to refer those cases to competent counsel.
Do I need documents to contact you?
No, but documents help. A credible timeline and specific facts are important even if you do not yet have complete documentation.
Can I submit information confidentially?
The site is intended to gather initial screening information only. More sensitive materials can be requested later through a more secure process.
What happens after I submit the intake form?
The intake form asks the threshold questions — what happened, when, what type of employer, what the adverse action was, and what documentation exists. From there the matter is reviewed to determine whether it fits one of the three practice categories and whether it warrants a deeper conversation. If it does, additional information may be requested before a final assessment is made. If the case is a fit, the next step — whether that’s an agency filing, confidential pre-suit analysis, or litigation planning — is determined together. If it isn’t, you’ll hear that honestly along with whatever guidance can be offered about where to turn next.
What makes a whistleblower case worth pursuing?
Strong cases are built on specific facts — not just a sense that something was wrong, but concrete details about what happened, when, and who was involved. Documentation helps: emails, texts, billing records, internal policies, anything that supports the timeline. There needs to be a clear connection between what you reported or refused to do and what happened to you afterward. And the legal theory needs to match the actual facts, not just the general situation.
That last point matters more than most people realize. Not every unfair termination is a whistleblower case. Not every regulatory concern rises to actionable retaliation. And not every fraud suspicion becomes a viable False Claims Act matter. The honest answer is that some situations that feel like strong cases aren’t — and some that seem uncertain turn out to have real legal traction once the facts are properly evaluated.
That’s exactly what early screening is for.
Am I protected from retaliation?
Potentially, yes. Many whistleblower statutes include protections against termination, demotion, harassment, threats, blacklisting, or other forms of retaliation. But those protections depend on the specific law involved, what you reported, how you reported it, and when the retaliation occurred. These questions are highly specific and should be evaluated as early as possible.
How quickly should I act?
Immediately. Some whistleblower claims are highly deadline sensitive.
Not Sure If You Have a Case?
We offer a confidential initial review to determine whether your situation qualifies and whether it can be developed into a viable case.