Practice Areas
Click on the subject below for more detailed information
on our services
Asset Search and Recovery
Business Development
Court Appointed Receiverships
Customer Audits
Due Diligence Investigations
Fraud and White Collar Crime
Investigations
High Profile Personalities
Litigation Support
Mergers and Acquisitions
Sourcing Deals
Strategic Planning
Turnarounds and Workouts
When
others are
depending
on your
decisions,
it’s reassuring
to know that
you’ll get
meaningful
facts and
empowering
insights
We track money and other holdings, and discover the people behind various schemes to hide them. Mapping the players and their relationship with hidden assets, we develop targeted recovery plans.
Perhaps the court has awarded you a judgment. Now what? How do you collect the funds?
Or, maybe you’re trying to negotiate with the party that owes you money. They’re telling you that they don’t have the funds you believe them to have. Before you settle, it might be helpful to know if they’re lying.
Knowing that they have unpaid tax liens, unpaid judgments or have recently filed for bankruptcy might help in your decision-making. Alternatively, you may find that they have significant funds in their bank account. That changes the plan.
Exploring a new market? Repositioning an existing product? Or, perhaps you’re launching a new one.
Then, timely information is critical to your success. Details about your competitors and their relative position in the market. Information about their growth strategies.
An understanding of why people buy from your competitors and not you. An overview of where the market is going,and why.
You’ll be able to make an informed decision about whether your sales approach is on target. You’ll understand how your company is perceived in the marketplace…and how it stacks up against your competitors.
You’ll understand your competitors’ weaknesses and how to capitalize on them.
If you’re appointed as a receiver, there are usually a lot of unknowns at the outset, such as: is there any money left in the estate? And, where is it?
Our best work is done immediately after the court appointment. Because our work is so foundational, most of our investigations are conducted before any subpoenas are issued or other professionals are brought in. We quickly:
- determine the interrelationships of the various parties. How many players are involved? We identify the perpetrators. Do they have a history of working on other schemes? Who are the victims?
- find the assets. Have properties recently been quick claim deeded to others? Where are the bank and brokerage accounts, and what are the current balances?
We identify competing and conflicting business interests, fraud, and Ponzi schemes. We examine lifestyles, such as affairs, drug habits and gambling.
And, all importantly, we determine obstacles that may hinder asset collection.
Customer audits are typically done to understand levels of customer satisfaction.
But, what if you are a prospective buyer of a company and you don’t have access to the customer lists? What if you’re a competitor, trying to get the company you’re buying to part with customer information?
We offer a solution that protects the sellers’ relationship with their customers, while providing the buyer with current, accurate information on the integrity and stability of the customer base, and details on customer preferences, perceptions, and buying patterns.
Revenues are directly linked to customers. Customer performance is directly linked to satisfaction. And revenue projections are worthless, unless there is a clear, unbiased way to understand what motivates the customer.
Whether it’s due diligence on a potential business partner, prospective acquisition, new product or supplier, you can never know too much.
People and deals are often not what they appear. We specialize in conducting prudent pre-contract investigations to help clients save time, money, relationships and reputations.
Most of our work is done “blind”, without the subject’s knowledge, and can include reputation checks, compliance verification, relationship mapping, litigation history and executive vetting.
Fraud and White Collar Crime Investigations
We’ve untangled hundreds of complex fraud schemes and other white collar cases for businesses, investors, medical groups, boards of directors, cities and individuals. None of them ever anticipated the situation.
Our work has been used to unveil scams, break crime rings and supply evidence to help recoup clients’ losses.
In addition to corporate and investor fraud (Ponzi schemes), our cases have included industrywide fraud (the mortgage industry), insider trading, and global cybercrime.
Wealth makes you a target. The greater your assets, the more important it is to vet and monitor every deal and every person who handles your money, even those you trust the most.
Our wealthy high-visibility clients have a unique set of vulnerabilities. Discretion is critical as we vet offers, investments and advice, identifying those, including friends and family, whose aim is exploitation.
We also discreetly investigate family and personal matters.
Before filing your lawsuit, do you know whether the defendants have adequate assets to make your case worthwhile?
Or, let’s say that you’re well into your case and are getting subpoena results that leave you with unanswered questions.
Whether you’re considering initiating a legal action or are immersed in a case, we uncover missing details, and discover links to resources and witnesses. We dig deep into the situation, providing independent confirmation and analysis of events, relationships and financial activity.
We look for patterns of behavior, motivation, and we follow the money.
Thinking about acquiring? Talking to acquisition candidates? Or maybe, you’re trying to get the attention of potential sellers.
Whether you have a target company in mind or are just starting to evaluate potential markets; whether you have signed a Letter of Intent or are just starting discussions with a prospect, you need details about the target company and its relative position in the market to help negotiate the deal (or walk away if the deal isn’t right for you).
You need an understanding of where the market is going, and why; information about competitors and their growth strategies; and an understanding of the customers and why they buy.
Perhaps the financials look good. But you can never know too much about the company you’re buying…and it’s dangerous to know too little. Knowledge is power. And that’s what you’ll get from Background Intelligence…a special edge that will help you negotiate from a more favorable position.
You’ll be able to make a more informed decision about whether this acquisition is right for you. You’ll understand why the target’s customers buy from them, and why their competitors’ customers don’t. You’ll know how the company is perceived in the marketplace. And, you’ll discover factors that may influence their future profits.
Whether you’re looking for one acquisition or are doing a roll up, we offer a way for you to target industries and companies that fit precisely within your investment criteria.
You’ve identified that you need additional manufacturing capacity, you need well- trained employees, and you need to find complementary products to add to your existing line. And, you need to find a company with owners who are interested in selling.
You have the names of companies that you’ve known for years, but the list is small and you aren’t sure how suitable they are…or, what other opportunities are out there.
Through our research, buyers are able to selectively target only those companies that truly make sense. Rather than sending out masses of solicitation letters in the hope of getting a prospect, we “pre-qualify” the companies before any approach.
The result: you are able to concentrate on approaching, negotiating and acquiring companies that meet your stated objectives.
How do you plan in this era of wildly changing and erratic business? Is your business model tumbling or prevailing?
When trying to plan in this environment… when quick, decisive action is required, critical decisions made, and there is no time or room for error… that’s when you need solid information about fast-changing market dynamics, competitors and their growth strategies, and changing customer perceptions and buying patterns.
Strategic assumptions need to be tested before launching new campaigns or defensive actions on-the-fly.
We provide perspective. And, support for making a move (or not).
Sometimes investments don’t pan out the way they’re supposed to.
They’re affected by industry consolidation. Technological breakthroughs that hadn’t been anticipated. Customers now deal only with “preferred providers,” and you’re left out. Global markets are in constant flux. And, customers now shop exclusively online, which effectively cut your profit margins.
When you’re trying to come to grips with the realities of an under-performing company…investors are questioning future financial projections; customers are leaving in droves; and the Internet is raising havoc with the supply chain…you need verification that the business has a future.
With millions of dollars at stake, careers on the line, and the long-term viability of the company at risk, you need bankable facts, not hunches and assumptions. Information is power…that’s what we offer.