Confirming what you know and finding what you don't
Whether you’re conducting pre-investment due diligence, vetting an expert witness, or tracing assets, online court records can be a powerful investigative tool—if you understand their limitations and know how to navigate the maze. Between jurisdictional differences, missing records, lack of identifiers, and complex court structures, it’s easy to become lost and overwhelmed. Here’s a breakdown […]
The Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) is a set of laws governing commercial transactions in the United States. While it may seem like a dry legal topic, UCC filings are public records, and they include a wealth of information about individuals and businesses that investigators can use in a variety of situations, including due diligence, asset […]
It’s vital that you learn all you can about a company when making business decisions, whether you’re considering a partnership, making an investment, or checking out a competitor. Business registration records offer a wealth of information, and–before getting started–it’s important to understand how what they are and how they work. What are Business Registration Records? […]
This post was originally published on March 28, 2022. Investigations involve working with clients from a variety of industries, and that means learning about the environment in which they operate. It’s the only way to get to the heart of client concerns. For example, when I started working with my hedge fund clients years ago, […]
Reposting from May 2022 When I first started in business, my research focused on market trends, the competitive landscape, and buyer preferences. I had little need for public records searching, especially online court documents, and chose to refer that kind of work to the experts. Fast forward several years and, after transitioning from market intelligence […]
In investigations and research, we often need information about companies and their owners, and one of the best places to look is in business registration records. Required by law, private and public companies register and file periodic reports that include names, addresses, dates, partnerships, and more. Registering a business adds legitimacy, protects the business name, […]
This post was originally published in February 2022. As business professionals, we often need to know the ins and outs of a new industry. Maybe you have a new client or a new job. Perhaps it’s a valuation case or a merger. Or maybe you just need to understand what’s going on now and in […]
News and social media searching is a big part of most of our investigations. Without the news, I wouldn’t have learned about a company’s legal issues that never made it to the courts. Without social media, I wouldn’t have seen what our due diligence subject did during a two-year gap in their work history. Without […]
Investigations involve working with clients from a variety of industries, and that means learning about the environment in which they operate. It’s the only way to get to the heart of client concerns. For example, when I started working with my hedge fund clients years ago, all I knew about alternative investments was the Madoff […]
As business professionals, we often need to know the ins and outs of a new industry. Maybe you have a new client or a new job. Perhaps it’s a valuation case or a merger. Or maybe you just need to understand what’s going on now and in the future within your own rapidly-changing business environment. […]