He said/she said situations often put employers in difficult positions. Any way they act or do not act could lead to dissatisfaction and potential claims. Thorough and credible third party investigations can alleviate these problems. Frantz Ward’s Corporate Investigations Practice Group has extensive experience conducting internal investigations to help companies assess their most urgent and sensitive issues. Our lawyers have conducted effective investigations both for existing clients and on special assignments for businesses usually represented by other counsel.
Many of these cases involve allegations of harassment, bullying or retaliation, or economic harm such as fraud, theft of trade secrets, kickbacks and corruption, or allegations of civil or criminal liability made by third-parties or law enforcement agencies, but others cover illegal substance sale or use, union intimidation, theft, wage hour timekeeping abuse, workers compensation fraud and safety shortcuts. A discrete area of focus is the investigation of Title IX issues for higher education clients. Where appropriate, we work with other forensic examiners, such as private investigation firms, accountants and document/handwriting experts. Centering the investigation on a law firm preserves flexibility for the employer to utilize legal privilege and work product doctrines when and if needed. Our team of former prosecutors and experienced counsel brings its significant experience to conduct effective investigations with clear reports, resulting in fully informed decisions about how to proceed. Frantz Ward also provides training on when and how to conduct reliable investigations without outside counsel.
We further work to prevent or minimize the need for investigations by engaging with the client to assess, develop and implement effective internal controls and compliance systems. And for clients who become the subject of government inquiry or investigation, we will guide businesses and their employees through criminal and civil investigations; regulatory enforcement proceedings; responses to grand jury, criminal and civil subpoenas; and any subsequent legal proceedings.