Employee Workplace Investigations Service
The manner in which an employee workplace investigation is conducted plays a critical role in protecting the reputation and future viability of the company. It can also mean the difference between a quick resolution and an expensive lawsuit.
When a career or company viability may hang in the balance, you cannot afford to get it wrong.
Just as importantly, what signal does it send if you don’t act when it’s justified? After all, three reputations are at stake – the accused, the accuser, and the organization. All three must be protected.
Impartiality and Thoroughness are Key
By definition, any unbiased workplace investigation must not have a predetermined outcome. The result can range from exoneration, to a warning, suspension, dismissal, or even criminal action. For this reason, the investigative methods must lay the proper legal foundation to support and defend any resulting action – or inaction. As a law firm, the results of the investigation may be protected by the attorney-client privilege.
Don Brigham assists organizations in the investigation of all manner of allegations, including:
- Violations of internal policy and code of conduct
- Discrimination
- Sexual harassment
- Gender bias
- NCAA recruiting violations
- Larceny and embezzlement
- Accounting, payroll and reimbursement fraud
- Vendor and procurement schemes
- Health insurance, workers comp and commission fraud
- Asset misappropriation
The services Don Brigham provides in this practice area include:
- Attorney-client privilege protection for the client
- Identify, locate and preserve all evidence
- Witness interviews and credibility assessments
- Document examination
- Forensic examination of electronic media
- Polygraph examinations
Free Case Review
When your organization’s credibility and success depend on conducting a thorough, impartial, and legally sound employee workplace investigation, contact Attorney Donald Brigham for a confidential case review.
CASE STUDY: Revealing Loan Officer’s Conflict of Interest
THE CASE: A community bank approved a $2.5 million commercial loan to a customer to refinance his commercial building. Based upon the recommendation of the bank’s commercial loan officer, the bank’s loan committee approved and funded the loan. A second loan was also recommended by the bank officer and approved.
THE CHALLENGE: Eventually, both loans went into default. The bank’s real estate collateral was lost when a senior lienholder foreclosed and seized the property. This was a substantial loss for a small community bank.
OUR SOLUTION: My firm was retained to conduct an internal investigation of the circumstances surrounding both loans. My investigation determined the bank officer had a financial relationship to the borrower that was not revealed to the bank. It turned out the commercial loan customer had entered into a contract to purchase the loan officer’s house. The commercial loan proceeds had apparently been used to close escrow on the home purchase. The loan officer was fired and I began working on the surest approach to recover the funds.
THE OUTCOME: As an employee of a financial institution, the loan officer was of course bonded. My firm prepared and presented a claim with the bank’s fidelity bond company for the loss. When the bond company denied the bank’s claim I filed suit in federal court. The case was quickly settled through mediation, resulting in payments from the fidelity bond company and the former bank officer to the satisfaction of my client.
Qualifications
Combining 10 years as an FBI Special Agent and three decades as an investigative attorney makes Donald Brigham uniquely qualified to uncover the facts in highly-sensitive employee workplace investigations.
His methods and interview techniques ensure that the interests of each party are protected, all while establishing a framework of facts that will stand up to legal challenge.
When so much rides on uncovering the truth, shouldn’t your organization hire the best?