Smith & Carson has conducted high-level and complex investigations all across the continental U.S. as well as internationally. Our corporate investigations capabilities have been employed by both large global organizations as well as small local proprietorships. We employ a team of highly experienced professionals whose backgrounds in law, accounting, finance, government intelligence and business processes allow us to provide the following specialized services:
|
|
|
|
Due diligence
Smith & Carson has a long history of profiling and researching the backgrounds of corporations and individuals. Whether in the context of a business transaction, hiring decision or litigation, we are expert in making sure that our clients have a complete and thorough understanding of all information relevant to the decision or strategy development. Our due diligence services include:
|
|
|
|
 Pre-transactional due diligence
|
|
 Executive background checks
|
|
Pre-screening of vendors
|
|
Intellectual property history and research
|
|
|
|
|
Internal investigations
Unfortunately, some of the most prevalent risks faced by corporations today are created by their own employees. Executives and managers are often surprised by lapses in integrity and criminal conduct from within their organizations that expose their companies to enormous liability. Smith & Carson is well-versed in conducting discrete and effective investigations within an organization without disrupting critical business processes. Our expansive industry knowledge is bolstered by a concrete understanding of the law, thereby allowing us to effectively and efficiently resolve internal employee misconduct issues. We have extensive experience in:
|
|
|
|
Harassment and discrimination investigations
|
|
Business disruption activity
|
|
Employee interviews
|
|
Vendor integrity issues
|
|
Theft of inventory, cash and intellectual property
|
|
Computer forensics and examination
|
|
|
|
|
Intellectual property protection
Constant advances in technology create an increasing number of vulnerabilities for organizations. The ease of transmission of data and the portability of information, combined with decreases in employee loyalty, create a greater and greater need to safeguard critical assets that are sometimes intangible but crucial to success in a given market. Our intellectual property protection efforts allow our clients to effectively address numerous such issues, including:
|
|
|
|
Patent, trademark and copyright infringement
|
|
Theft of trade secrets
|
|
Anti-counterfeiting measures
|
|
Competitor analysis and market positioning
|
|
Violations of non-compete and non-solicit agreements
|
|
Illegal import/export and supply chain tracking
|
|
|
|
|
Environmental investigations and historical research
Polluted sites, toxic torts, product liability and other historic liabilities are a key cause of corporate risk, disputes and litigation. Often arising from past merger and acquisition activity, these “legacy” liabilities create tough challenges for legal counsel and senior management. More than 6,000 American businesses today find themselves victimized by asbestos and silica litigation, and the plaintiff’s bar constantly develops new causes of action. Smith & Carson’s team of environmental and financial experts are uniquely skilled in supporting clients with investigations and analyses including:
|
|
|
|
Investigation of past merger and acquisition history
|
|
Insurance archaeology and coverage allocation
|
|
Product and corporate history development
|
|
Procurement and testing of historical product samples
|
|
Economic estimation of ultimate liabilities
|
|
Financial analysis for SEC-required disclosures
|
|
top
