In today’s complex world, business and private matters often cross state lines and sometimes even reach into other countries. The same can be true for private investigations. A corporate investigation may involve a number of businesses in different locales. Even investigations involving domestic matters can traipse across state lines.
Most large cases these days involve multiple witnesses and different states, if not multiple countries. Extra care needs to be taken in cases involving different states and countries to ensure that the investigations are conducted properly and the evidence is gathered lawfully.
When it comes to cases involving more than one state or country, there are key advantages to having an attorney-led investigation. Attorneys who are investigators are able to cross state lines with authority. Attorney-led investigations provide the experience and expertise necessary to understanding how to legally conduct inquiries in other states and countries. Attorneys understand what is discoverable and admissible in courts in different states. Attorneys know how to handle witnesses appropriately and ethically.
A lawyer/private investigator also adds additional protections to a case in terms of confidentiality. An attorney-led private investigation that crosses into other states also is exempt from a number of private investigator licensing rules, which enables the investigation to progress more quickly – an important issue in many of these cases.
Bearden Investigative Agency definitely has a distinct advantage because our investigations are led by attorneys, including myself. We have worked in all 50 states and some 42 countries, and we have handled significant matters in Texas, Louisiana, California, New York, New Jersey, Florida, Atlanta and Chicago. Our national and international clients have included royal families, monarchs, Fortune 500 companies and officials, sports figures and celebrities.
We are also the flagship agency for The Investigative Solutions Network, an alliance of professional former employees and associates who enhance our investigative reach.
I also am general counsel for the Texas Association of Licensed Investigators (TALI), and being part of this organization is an asset on national and international cases.
In September of 2016, I visited Bucharest, Romania for a meeting of the World Association of Detectives (WAD), one of the oldest such agencies in the world. I met with people from all over the world and discussed jurisdictional issues in investigations.
So if you find that you need a private investigator on a case that involves different states or foreign countries, consider the merits of hiring an investigator who is an attorney.