Investigative due diligence
Examine ownership, track record, commercial interests and relevant reputational concerns before a transaction or relationship proceeds.
OPEN-SOURCE INTELLIGENCE / DUE DILIGENCE
Corporate intelligence
Our researchers bring together corporate records, open sources, reporting and appropriately conducted human-source enquiries. The objective is a fuller understanding of the people and organisations involved in a decision or dispute.
Know who you are dealing with.
Subjects and relationships
Identify relevant people and entities, resolve ambiguous identities and map connections with attention to source quality and context.
Human intelligence
Develop information through people with relevant knowledge. Assess provenance and corroborate accounts against independent material.
What you receive
A source-referenced intelligence assessment, relationship mapping and a focused account of the questions that matter to your decision.
Common questions
What people ask first.
What is investigative due diligence?
Research into the ownership, track record, reputation and relationships of a company or person before a transaction, investment or appointment, going beyond database checks to test what the records do not show.
How is this different from a standard background check?
A standard check confirms basic records. Investigative due diligence examines undisclosed interests, litigation, reputation and relationships, and uses source enquiries where appropriate.
How long does due diligence take?
A focused report usually takes one to two weeks. Urgent reports can be faster. Scope and fees are agreed first.
How do you find the real owners behind a company?
Start with Companies House filings, including the register of people with significant control (PSC), then test them against shareholder records, overseas registries, court filings and open sources. Registered owners can be nominees, so investigators follow the money and relationships to establish who actually controls the company.
Can one firm coordinate investigators in several countries?
Yes, if one person stays responsible for the whole investigation. We run international matters from London with offices in Dubai, Hong Kong, Mumbai and Sofia and local investigators in other jurisdictions, so registry searches, field enquiries and source interviews in each country feed one agreed question and one report. Local rules on privacy, records access and evidence differ, and we plan the work around them before it starts.
A confidential first conversation
Who is behind the business you are dealing with?
Discuss the counterparty, proposed transaction or relationship. We can scope the ownership, background and source enquiries relevant to your decision.
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