Over the past few years, we have successfully investigated numerous challenging cases:
• Due diligence / Background research: A client in the venture capital industry contemplated a relationship with a well-known individual. Research revealed possible business entities associated with that individual in a distant state. Further research confirmed that the individual controlled those businesses, which were facing numerous lawsuits alleging embezzlement and fraud. Moreover, the individual’s real property holdings were burdened with heavy debt. Armed with those insights, the client decided to forgo the relationship.
• Domain name disputes (UDRP & ACPA) : Our client operated a personal services company in the western USA, and sought to promote its trademark via a new website. The trademark domain name was registered to a cybersquatter. We obtained evidence showing bad faith on the part of a cybersquatter by tracing various physical addresses and expired licenses linked to the business, and demonstrating that there was never a legitimate business operation.
• Trade secret theft: A client in the software industry noticed that its customers were receiving calls from a competitor who seemed armed with the client's cost data and project specifications. A former employee was found to be working for the competitor. He was interviewed and confessed that he had revealed proprietary information that belonged to his former employer. The confidential material was recovered, and customer relationships were mended.
• Broker fraud: A stockbroker was charged with negligent management of assets and unauthorized trading by a plaintiff, who presented himself as a naïve investor. An exhaustive investigation revealed the plaintiff to be well-known among brokers in New York City as a speculative investor. Specific trades were tied to discussions he had engaged in with high-level investment managers just hours before executing trades. The multi-million dollar claim was dropped by the plaintiff.
• Medical malpractice: The plaintiff sued the client, a well-regarded doctor, alleging negligence in the treatment of a spinal condition. Interviews with former associates revealed that, despite claims of inactivity, the plaintiff was actively engaged in a business. Records research also revealed a case where a federal judge questioned the veracity of an earlier civil claim filed by the plaintiff. Faced with overwhelming impeachment evidence, the plaintiff dropped the malpractice claim.
• RICO: In a closely-watched racketeering case involving an alleged criminal gang, a thorough investigation (involving background research and witness interviews) impeached the credibility of two government witnesses by exposing numerous inconsistencies in their testimony. The jury acquitted our client of all charges.
• Criminal defense : Our client was attending a university function when he was charged with assault and battery. There were no witnesses the event. An exhaustive review of the complainant’s pre-event remarks and behavior showed numerous inconsistencies in her testimony. Moreover, several witnesses contested her version of events and testified that she had sustained injuries due to her own inebriated state. The charges were dismissed.
• Embezzlement: A Fortune 500 firm filed for bankruptcy after a decades-long embezzlement scheme left the firm buried in debt. An investigation revealed numerous real property holdings and cash flow opportunities being held by business entities set up by the embezzlers. The firm was able to recover cash and property assets, avoid shareholder suits, and resume business with a new operating team.
• Sexual harassment: The CEO of a client company was named a defendant in a sexual harassment lawsuit. Research revealed the plaintiff had filed numerous similar lawsuits against former employers. Interviews with various witnesses revealed that, in the past, the plaintiff had praised the defendant CEO even while openly discussing a plan to file suit in hopes of a quick settlement. The case was later dismissed.
• Cigarette trafficking: A major trucking firm faced criminal penalties for allegedly trafficking unstamped cigarettes to Indian reservations. A thorough investigation of the prosecution witnesses revealed strong-arm tactics used by federal marshals had influenced testimony of a key witness. After numerous interviews, the witness eventually recanted and provided true details of the trafficking matter. The jury came back after two hours of deliberations with a not guilty finding.
• Patent infringement: A client in the electronics industry suspected that a rival was conducting operations of a particular type at its Florida lab. Research of public records revealed maps and diagrams that outlined the rival firm’s operations. Interviews with former employees and vendors provided detailed explanations of several industrial processes that proved the rival was infringing upon our client’s patent.
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