Private Investigators & Corporate Lawsuit Investigations
When it comes to finding the truth in a corporate lawsuit investigation, attorneys might want to consider a private investigator to supplement their fact-finding. COVID-19 prevention and social distancing are continuing to affect the way employees and consumers imagine the workplace landscape. With many business-to-consumer operations remaining limited or shut down completely, more leadership and employees are finding the mental space to consider their jobs and the corporate culture of the companies they serve. This has led to a new wave of calls for accountability when it comes to toxic corporate culture and how it effects employees. This means more litigation between employer and employee over issues such as discrimination, harassment, nepotism, and hostile work environments. With many corporate attorneys facing a higher caseload, they have been searching for ways to mitigate the footwork involved with quality, comprehensive investigations.
Private investigators are the perfect multi-tool for attorneys looking to lighten the load while they focus on caselaw. Many attorneys use private investigators for precisely this reason, as their diverse experience gives them valuable insight into many types of investigations, including fraud, non-compete violations, violence and threat assessments, and white-collar crime. Such diverse experience means that private investigators are less likely to leave a lead unexplored, giving the investigation the full benefit of comprehension and transparency.
Private investigators have access to verified databases comparable to that of law enforcement to get the best cross-referenced intelligence on relevant subjects in a corporate lawsuit. Private investigators have access to the most intimate details of a person’s life and contextualize those details in the framework of the lawsuit. This intelligence is not limited to the opposition, however. Attorneys rely on a degree of trust in their contract with their client—meaning that the client is transparent with the attorney so they can anticipate factors that might complicate the lawsuit. Private investigators can run background checks on the client and persons related to them and attorneys can prepare for any unpleasant surprises lurking around the corner.
The same due diligence that private investigators apply to background checks can be applied to witness location and rapport. Attorneys can often find themselves at a loss because a crucial witness cannot be located to assist in the court proceedings. When attorneys utilize a private investigator for their corporate lawsuit investigation, they have access to comprehensive witness location services. Private investigators view background checks, identify individuals close to the witness, interview them, and develop a strategy for locating and contacting that witness. No attorney wants to subpoena a crucial witness, and sometimes it takes the Because private investigators are independent, have no powers of arrest, and no dog in the fight, witnesses in a corporate lawsuit investigation might be more willing to open up to them about relevant facts in the case.
Hiring a private investigator for corporate lawsuit investigation may seem counterintuitive. One of the greatest advantages of conducting an internal investigation is just that—it’s internal. Internal investigations allow the corporation to keep vital intelligence in-house and those stakes are often never higher than when a legal judgement is at stake. However, private investigators can deliver the same brand of due-diligence and discretion as any in-house corporate investigator.
When facing the judgement of a civil court, facts in evidence are often called into question and subjected to a high degree of scrutiny on behalf of the court. Attorneys must do their best to mitigate this scrutiny by providing mountains of documentation and full transparency to the court. Internal investigators are typically employed directly by the corporation or nonprofit, rather than contracted for their services. This means that they have an indirect stake in the outcome of that investigation, and their findings might be called into question by the court.
Even if the corporation’s legal representation is in-house, that does not mean the investigator must be. Because a private investigator is typically independent of any corporation or law firm, their findings are viewed as more objective by civil courts. In a corporate lawsuit investigation, corporate attorneys can reap the benefits of placing a private investigator on the case and then having them serve as an expert witness to the court, because their independence from implicit bias adds another layer of integrity to their testimony.
If you’re an attorney in search of a private investigator for your corporate lawsuit investigation, consider Lauth Investigations International as your multi-tool. Our private investigators are comprised of former military and law enforcement personnel with seasoned experience in intelligence-gathering operations. We provide detailed reports, expert recommendations, and are prepared to give expert testimony in civil court. We regularly received glowing recommendations from former clients and carry an outstanding A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. For more information on our attorney support services, please visit us online at lauthinveststg.wpengine.com.