Forensic Investigations: Due Diligence Done Correctly
What’s the difference between a forensic audit and a regular audit? We think we know the difference when we see it, but what is it? The issue came up before a short talk I was giving to some accountants last week, and the answer…
Low-Cost Background Checks Ruin Lives
An enraging story by the Associated Press spells it out: computers used by background checkers mix up two people with the same name. Blameless woman gets tagged with a criminal record that isn’t hers, can’t get work and ends up homeless.…
Thinking About Divorce? The Essential Checklist
It happens all the time. A divorce lawyer calls us and says his client is thinking of suing her husband for divorce, but knows very little about the family’s finances. What are the sources of income? Where is the money invested?…
World on a String
The world is getting smaller in many ways, including for fact finders looking to get information about companies. Sometimes, the company across the street will file more information about itself halfway around the world than it will in its own…
A Fact-Finding Test for Lawyers
Law schools have known for years that they turn out lawyers without training on how to gather facts. What’s changed recently is that law schools are starting to think this isn’t such a good idea. My colleague Peter Tillers, with…
Google and Human Memory
We’ve written before here and here about the limitations of Google. So much of what we think we can find on Google is not there because it was never on the internet, or can disappear from Google’s results from one hour to the next.…
Asset Searches for Grown-Ups
Memo to federal regulators: it’s not enough to impose fines; you have to make sure you collect them if you want people to be afraid of you. The same goes for private litigants thinking of suing to collect money they’re owed. Without…
Why the Greek Crisis Should Make you Think about Switzerland
One thing we always tell new clients: there is no such thing as a “local” investigation. A Russian guy in L.A. means you could be dealing with a Nevada corporation in addition to Russia and California. An apartment in Miami may be…
