Good Investigations: A Second Opinion on Most Everything
Good investigators are not necessarily smarter than the people they help. What often makes a good investigation is one in which "known" facts are independently evaluated once again. Just as we sometimes want a second opinion on a complex medical or legal matter, gathering and weighing the credibility of facts can also benefit from a fresh pair of eyes.
In Plain Sight: Corporations and Public Records
Clients are often surprised to learn how much corporate information is on the public record. Of course, public companies are forced to disclose a lot more data than private ones, but it's still possible to learn about private companies using smart and thorough public records searches. And there's more to learn than just what assets a company holds.
Scratching the Surface: Due Diligence and Public Record Searches
What does it really mean when an investigator says that they are going to do a background search on a person and track down all the relevant documents "on the public record"? Well, let's start with what it doesn't mean: bank documents and cell phone records are not public record. Any investigator who tells you he can track these down for you is ostensibly promising to break more than a couple of laws to get you that information. In addition, given that he's acting as your agent, odds are it could get you in a heap of trouble as well.
So what can you expect instead? Below is a list of the various public documents that you should expect from your investigator when investigating a person. Future blog posts will detail similar lists for background research on companies and for asset searches.
Foreign Due Diligence on U.S. Companies is a Must
We have had a number of recent cases involving foreign companies who entered into large-scale sale agreements with American-based corporations. These companies are run by sophisticated, experienced executives. In most instances, the agreements…
Due Diligence For Current Employees
Companies are saving recruiting and advertising costs by hiring from within. But they still need to invest in due diligence and make sure that internal promotions are vetted with the same rigor as external hires. We’ve written…
Staying Afloat in a Sea of Data
Adam Davidson recently wrote "Making Choices in the Age of Information Overload," for the New York Times magazine where he explained how consumer choices have changed in the Information Age. With so much data about a potential purchase—from…
JPM, Feynman and Investigations
A superb column over the weekend by the personal investing columnist in the Wall Street Journal, Jason Zweig, "Polishing the Dimon Principle," struck a chord or two with us because of what it said about human knowledge and the occasional lack…
The Hedge Fund Marketing Revolution: A Buyer’s Checklist
There are plenty of excited articles around these days about the new JOBS (Jumpstart Our Business Startups ) Act and the effect this new law will have on the marketing of hedge funds. In brief, it’s now going to be easier for hedge funds…
Sorting and Unsorting Facts
Context matters. We know this instinctively, and yet somehow we forget. We still tend to assume that facts live in their own separate bubbles. So when we research and analyze, we warily keep our findings in separate categories—information…
Using Social Security Numbers to Root Out Employee Fraud
One of our most closely-guarded pieces of personal information, we nonetheless are obliged to divulge our Social Security numbers several times a year. You want a job? Hand it over. A client once approached us to see whether we could run a quick…
