We work with businesses, directors, shareholders, solicitors, HR teams, compliance professionals and other advisers where an allegation, transaction, dispute or commercial risk needs independent investigation.
You do not need to decide which investigative technique you need before contacting us. Tell us what has happened, what you need to establish and any immediate deadline or risk. We will explain what can realistically and lawfully be done.
Fraud & Internal Theft
Independent fact-finding around money, assets, invoices, expenses & stockEmployee & Director Concerns
Misconduct, conflicts, outside interests & disputed activityDue Diligence
Companies, directors, ownership, reputation & connected interestsDisputes & Litigation
Tracing, evidence, timelines, verification & solicitor supportConfidential Corporate Investigation Enquiry
You do not need to know which investigative service you need. Start with what has happened, what you already know, the people or organisations involved and the decision you are trying to make.
We will consider the information, identify the questions that can realistically and lawfully be tested, and explain the most useful next step before any work begins.
Corporate Investigation & Business Intelligence
Businesses often contact us when the information available internally is incomplete, contradictory or too sensitive to test openly.
There may be unexplained losses, unusual invoices, missing stock, a concern about an employee or director, a proposed acquisition that does not feel right, an undeclared conflict, a supplier relationship that needs closer examination, or a dispute in which one side's account does not fit the evidence.
Our job is not to begin with a preferred theory. We begin with the question that needs answering. We review what is already known, identify what can be checked lawfully and proportionately, and then use the most appropriate combination of research, tracing, company intelligence, online investigation, interviews or enquiries, surveillance and evidence analysis.
Some matters can be answered through focused research. Others need operational work over time. Complex instructions may combine several disciplines. In every case, we aim to give the client a clearer factual position from which to make a commercial, employment or legal decision.
Typical Instructions
We are commonly asked to investigate a concern that sits behind a decision: whether money or assets are being diverted, whether a person has an undisclosed interest, whether representations made before a transaction are accurate, whether activity observed internally is part of a wider pattern, or whether evidence exists to support or challenge a commercial allegation.
Our focus is evidence, not activity for its own sake. If a simpler method is likely to answer the question, we will say so. If an instruction needs surveillance, digital intelligence, tracing or specialist support, we explain why and how that work connects to the objective.
Business-Critical Investigation
We can provide one focused line of enquiry or combine several investigative disciplines around the same commercial problem.
We investigate suspected theft, dishonest expense claims, false invoices, diversion of funds, misuse of company property, missing stock and other circumstances where financial or physical assets may be leaving the business improperly.
We help establish facts where there are concerns about dishonesty, undisclosed outside work, conflicts of interest, competing businesses, misuse of confidential information, disputed attendance or other serious conduct issues.
We investigate companies, directors, owners, senior individuals and connected businesses before transactions, investments, appointments, partnerships and other decisions where the cost of relying on incomplete information may be high.
We carry out lawful enquiries into property interests, companies, connected entities, business relationships and other indicators that may help establish where assets or economic interests sit.
Where competing versions of events exist, we can trace people, verify representations, develop timelines, investigate connected businesses or activity and organise findings for a solicitor or decision-maker.
Where observation is justified and proportionate, our investigators can carry out discreet mobile or static surveillance to record activity or movements relevant to a legitimate commercial, employment or legal concern.
Fraud, Theft & Dishonesty
A fraud concern rarely arrives as a complete picture. It usually begins with an anomaly: money does not reconcile, a supplier appears too close to an employee, stock disappears, expenses change, documents conflict, or a transaction makes sense only if an undisclosed relationship exists.
We can help turn those fragments into a structured enquiry. Depending on the matter, that may mean reviewing publicly available company information, identifying connected entities and directorships, tracing individuals or addresses, checking timelines, examining open-source information, testing claims against independent sources, carrying out discreet enquiries or using surveillance where justified.
We distinguish between what is known, what is alleged, what has been independently verified and what remains uncertain. That distinction matters when a company is deciding whether to suspend an employee, challenge a supplier, begin civil proceedings, refer a matter to the police, notify insurers or take legal advice.
| Business concern | Questions we may help answer | Possible investigative work |
|---|---|---|
| Internal theft or diversion | Is stock, cash, equipment or other property being removed or redirected? Is the activity isolated or repeated? | Timeline analysis, relevant background research, connected-party enquiries, surveillance where justified, evidence collation. |
| False invoices or procurement concerns | Is a supplier genuine? Is there an undeclared link between the supplier and someone inside the business? | Company/director research, ownership and connected-business analysis, address/identity checks, open-source research. |
| Expense or mileage abuse | Do claimed journeys, meetings or business activities appear consistent with independent evidence? | Document and timeline review, public-source checks, surveillance or activity verification where proportionate. |
| Conflict of interest | Does an employee, director or adviser have an undeclared commercial interest that could affect decisions? | Company and director checks, connected entities, online intelligence, business relationships and historical research. |
| False representations | Are claims about experience, ownership, trading history, assets, relationships or activity accurate? | Background verification, public records, company intelligence, tracing and corroboration. |
We establish and report facts. Whether conduct amounts to fraud, breach of contract, gross misconduct or a criminal offence is ultimately a legal or employment question. Where the matter may lead to disciplinary action, litigation or criminal referral, we encourage clients to involve the appropriate HR or legal adviser early so the investigation supports rather than undermines the wider process.
Employees, Directors & Commercial Relationships
Where a company has a legitimate concern about someone's conduct, the objective is to establish relevant facts without turning an enquiry into unnecessary intrusion.
We can help where there are credible concerns about undeclared outside work, competing business interests, misuse of company time or assets, false sickness or attendance representations, undisclosed relationships with suppliers or customers, or activity that conflicts with contractual or fiduciary responsibilities.
Before recommending operational work, we consider what is already known and whether the question can be answered through less intrusive research. If observation is needed, we consider whether surveillance is justified, what specific activity needs to be established and how the findings will be used.
Where digital or online evidence is relevant, our online and digital investigation capability can support the enquiry using lawful open-source information. We do not obtain passwords, break into accounts or bypass security controls.
Examples of Concerns
Due Diligence & Commercial Intelligence
Public filings are valuable, but due diligence should not stop at a company name and a Companies House page.
We use public corporate data as one part of a wider picture. Depending on the objective, we may examine directors and former directors, company histories, previous names, registered addresses, charges, insolvency indicators, connected companies, public litigation or regulatory information, adverse media, websites, online presence and other relevant open sources.
We then look for inconsistencies and relationships that deserve closer examination. A company may be genuine but commercially weak. A director may have a history that is relevant to the transaction. An ownership or control structure may be more complicated than it first appears. Claims made in a pitch deck, tender, acquisition discussion or partnership proposal may not align with independently available evidence.
Enhanced Due Diligence
The right checks depend on what is at risk. We do not use a generic checklist simply to produce a long report.
Formation, status, registered offices, officers, previous names, filing patterns, charges and other public corporate information that helps explain the entity's history.
Relevant business history, connected appointments, public professional information, adverse material and inconsistencies in claims made about experience or relationships.
Relationships between companies and individuals, overlapping addresses, directorships, trading connections and other indicators that may show a wider commercial network.
Relevant public information concerning insolvency, disputes, judgments, regulatory action or other matters that may affect how a transaction or relationship is assessed.
Adverse media, historical websites, public social-media material, domain and online information, and other open sources that may corroborate or challenge representations.
Focused checks on the claims that matter most to your decision: ownership, career history, trading experience, assets, locations, relationships or stated commercial activity.
Companies House itself warns that information filed on the register is not verified for accuracy. That is one reason our due diligence is not limited to copying registry data. We use corporate records as evidence to be understood in context and, where needed, tested against other reliable sources.
Assets, Recovery & Commercial Exposure
Where a debt, dispute, fraud or enforcement decision depends on understanding what a person or business may be connected to, we can investigate lawful indicators of assets and economic interests.
Asset tracing is not a promise that every asset can be found, nor does it give a private investigator a right to access confidential bank data. Our work focuses on lawful sources and investigative connections: property information, corporate interests, directorships, related businesses, trading addresses, public documents, historical associations and other evidence that may indicate where value or control sits.
For recovery or litigation work, the important question is often not simply “does this person own something?” but whether the evidence is sufficiently reliable to justify the next legal or commercial step. We therefore separate confirmed records from indicators and explain the limitations of the information.
Where the task involves locating an individual or confirming a current address, we can also draw on our tracing and background investigation capability.
Important Boundary
We do not offer unlawful access to bank accounts, credit files, tax records, private communications or protected databases. If a matter requires compulsory disclosure, freezing orders or formal financial disclosure, that is a legal process for your solicitor or the relevant authority.
Commercial Disputes & Litigation Support
Commercial disputes are often won or lost on detail: who knew what, when an event occurred, whether a person or company can be found, whether a representation was true, and whether independent evidence supports the account being advanced.
We can assist legal teams and commercial clients by tracing individuals, confirming addresses, investigating companies and directors, researching relevant relationships, checking public claims, developing timelines, identifying public-source evidence and carrying out surveillance where a legitimate objective cannot reasonably be answered another way.
Our evidence and litigation support service explains how we organise findings, source material, logs and reporting for matters that may be reviewed by solicitors or used to inform proceedings.
We do not write reports to make a client's preferred theory look stronger. We report what the investigation actually establishes.
Supporting Investigation Capabilities
A corporate investigation can require several disciplines. We bring them together around the same question rather than treating each technique as a separate product.
Discreet observation where movements or activity need to be independently verified and surveillance is justified by the circumstances.
Public-source and appropriately accessible digital research into people, companies, usernames, websites, domains, social-media activity and online connections.
Locate people and addresses, verify identity and career claims, research directors and companies, and establish relevant background information.
Clear organisation of findings, source material, observations, chronology and relevant limitations for commercial and legal decision-making.
Technical checks for offices, boardrooms and authorised premises where there is a credible concern about covert listening or surveillance devices.
Tell us what has happened, what you need to establish and any immediate commercial or legal deadline. We will explain the most appropriate next step.
How We Work
We work backwards from the question that matters, rather than starting with a technique and looking for a reason to use it.
Explain what has happened, what evidence already exists, who is involved, what decision is approaching and anything that makes the matter urgent or sensitive.
We identify the factual questions that can realistically be tested, consider legal and privacy boundaries, and explain which lines of enquiry are likely to be useful.
We explain the proposed research, tracing, surveillance or specialist work, the likely cost, reporting arrangements and any assumptions or limitations before work begins.
Investigators carry out the agreed work, corroborate important findings where possible and keep sensitive information controlled throughout the instruction.
You receive findings in a form appropriate to the matter, with factual chronology, supporting material and relevant limitations rather than an exaggerated conclusion.
The evidence can then inform internal action, further due diligence, negotiation, disciplinary procedure, solicitor advice, litigation strategy or referral to the appropriate authority.
Lawful & Proportionate Investigation
A serious commercial concern can justify careful investigation. It does not justify obtaining information by any means available.
We begin by identifying the legitimate business, legal or protective purpose behind the instruction and the facts that actually need to be established. We then choose methods that are relevant to that purpose and avoid unnecessary intrusion.
We do not offer hacking, password acquisition, unlawful interception, illegal access to bank or phone records, impersonation of police or public officials, unlawful tracking, harassment, pretexting that would be improper, or access to protected records without authority.
Where personal information is involved, we consider why the information is needed, whether the same objective can be achieved in a less intrusive way and how the findings will be used. If a proposed line of enquiry is not appropriate, we will say so and recommend a different route where one exists.
Corporate investigations can sit alongside HR procedures, solicitor-led disputes, fraud prevention, insurance matters, regulatory obligations or internal governance. Where another professional process is already under way, we encourage the client to coordinate the investigation appropriately so evidence is gathered and handled in a way that supports rather than undermines the next step.
London Specialist
Our operational focus is London, with our office at Salisbury House, 29 Finsbury Circus in the City of London.
London creates its own investigative challenges. A single enquiry can involve a City office, a director living elsewhere in Greater London, meetings in Mayfair or Canary Wharf, multiple transport routes, serviced offices, temporary workspaces and companies registered at professional addresses that reveal little about where day-to-day activity actually occurs.
We work across the City of London, Westminster, Mayfair, Canary Wharf, Kensington, Chelsea, Shoreditch and the wider Greater London area. Location is not treated as a keyword exercise; it matters operationally. Travel patterns, access, observation points, business districts, building security and the density of people and transport can all affect how a lawful investigation is carried out.
Where a London-led matter has connected companies, records or people elsewhere in the UK, we can discuss what research or support is appropriate while remaining a London specialist rather than presenting ourselves as a generic nationwide investigator.
Corporate Investigation FAQs
These answers explain how we approach common corporate and commercial enquiries. Every instruction is assessed on its own facts.
For us, a corporate investigation is an independent enquiry into a business concern where a client needs facts rather than assumption. That may involve suspected fraud, internal theft, misconduct, conflicts of interest, due diligence, asset concerns, disputed commercial activity or evidence for litigation.
Usually when an important decision depends on facts that cannot be established reliably through routine internal checks, where independence matters, where the subject should not be alerted prematurely, or where research, tracing, surveillance or other specialist investigation is required.
Yes. We can investigate concerns involving company money, stock, equipment, invoices, expenses, supplier relationships, undisclosed interests and other potential insider activity. We agree the factual questions first and use only methods that are relevant, lawful and proportionate.
Where the business has a legitimate reason to establish the facts, yes. The issue may be a competing business, a conflict of interest, misuse of company time or assets, or a disputed representation about work activity. We consider the employment context and the precise question before recommending research or surveillance.
Yes, where there is a legitimate commercial or legal purpose. We can examine public corporate history, connected companies, relevant business interests, online information, litigation or insolvency context and specific representations that need independent verification.
Yes. We provide focused and enhanced due diligence before investments, acquisitions, partnerships, supplier relationships, senior appointments and other material decisions. We tailor the work to the risk rather than simply producing a generic background report.
Public Companies House data can show matters such as company status, registered office, current and former officers, filing history, document images, previous names and charges. It is an important starting point, but Companies House itself states that filed information is not verified for accuracy, so we often test relevant points against other sources.
We can investigate lawful indicators of assets and economic interests, including property and company connections, associated businesses and other relevant records. We cannot lawfully obtain private bank balances, confidential tax data or protected financial records simply because a client wants them.
Yes. Concerns may include false suppliers, inflated invoices, collusion, undisclosed relationships, conflicts of interest or services that were not supplied as represented. We can investigate the companies and people involved, test relationships and representations, and help build a factual chronology.
Yes, where there is a legitimate objective and surveillance is a lawful and proportionate way to address it. Commercial surveillance may help verify activity, movements or conduct, but we do not use it merely because it is available.
Yes. Our digital investigation work can examine relevant public and appropriately accessible online information, including websites, social media, usernames, domains, historic web content and connected accounts. We do not hack accounts or bypass access controls.
No. We do not offer unlawful access to private accounts, communications or protected records. If a dispute requires compulsory financial or communications disclosure, your solicitor can advise on the appropriate legal route.
Our reports and evidence can assist solicitors, employers and decision-makers, but the admissibility, relevance and weight of evidence depend on the circumstances and the procedure involved. We therefore recommend legal or HR advice where an investigation may lead to litigation or disciplinary action.
Yes. We can take instructions from businesses or their professional advisers and can structure communication and reporting around the needs of the matter. Where legal privilege may be relevant, the client's solicitor should advise on the instruction structure.
We treat commercial investigations as sensitive by default. We agree who should receive updates, how communication should take place and how findings will be delivered. No investigator can promise that every operational step will remain invisible in every circumstance, but discretion and information control are central to how we work.
It depends on the question, complexity, time, investigator numbers, research sources, travel, surveillance or technical resources and the reporting required. We explain the proposed work and likely cost before starting. For a broader explanation of investigation pricing, see our private investigator cost guide.
That depends on investigator availability and the work required. If there is a deadline, a planned meeting, suspected asset movement, an imminent disciplinary decision or another time-sensitive issue, tell us at first contact so we can assess what is realistic.
Start with the business concern, the decision you need to make, the people or entities involved, what is already known, key dates and the evidence you already hold. Do not send passwords, unlawfully obtained material or large volumes of sensitive data before we have confirmed what is actually needed.
Yes. We would rather explain a limitation at the outset than charge for activity that is unlikely to provide a useful answer. Some questions cannot lawfully or reliably be resolved by a private investigator, and where that is the case we will say so.
We are a London specialist. Our operational focus is Central and Greater London. Where a London-led instruction has connected businesses, records or people elsewhere, we can discuss what research or support is appropriate without presenting London Confidential as a generic nationwide investigation firm.
Confidential Corporate Investigation Enquiry
Tell us the concern, the decision you need to make and the evidence already available. We will explain what may be possible, what we would recommend, any important limitations and the likely cost before work begins.
Central London Investigation Office
Corporate, commercial and legal investigation support across Central and Greater London, with consultations by prior arrangement from our City of London office.
You do not need to choose a service before contacting us. Explain the commercial concern and the question you need answered. We will identify which combination of research, tracing, surveillance, digital investigation or evidential work is appropriate.
Send a confidential enquiry or call us directly.
City of London