Service Line · 06 / 07 · Case · Retainer
Investigations & Due Diligence
Kestralis Group conducts workplace investigations through a licensed private detective agency. Every investigation is designed from the outset with the assumption that it may need to withstand scrutiny — from HR, from Legal, or from a courtroom. We also conduct pre-hire, pre-transaction, and ongoing due diligence for organizations that need to know more than a background check tells them.
— The difference
Most internal HR investigations are conducted by people trained to manage people, not to conduct investigations. We are trained investigators, licensed to do the work, operating with methodologies that hold up when someone's attorney reviews the file.
— Overview
There are two categories of workplace investigation failure. The first is reaching the wrong conclusion — missing evidence, failing to interview the right people, or misinterpreting what the evidence means. The second is reaching the right conclusion in a way that cannot be defended — an investigation that was poorly documented, methodologically unsound, or conducted by someone without the standing to conduct it. Both failures carry serious organizational and legal risk.
Kestralis Group investigates through a licensed private detective agency, which means our investigators have the legal standing to conduct background research, surveillance, and records review that would be procedurally problematic for an unlicensed internal team. Every investigation is structured from the intake call with legal defensibility in mind — interview methodology, evidence documentation, chain of custody, and report format are all designed for the possibility that the file will be reviewed by opposing counsel.
Our due diligence capability extends beyond workplace investigations. For organizations considering a significant hire, a business partnership, or a transaction involving individuals whose background matters, we conduct structured due diligence that goes well beyond a consumer background check — public records research, source-based inquiries, OSINT analysis, and corporate record review. We tell clients what they actually need to know, not just what is easy to find.
— How we work
The engagement from first call to final deliverable.
Four phases · scoped individually to the client
- Phase 01
Scoping & Engagement Structure
We structure the engagement with privilege protection, conflict of interest, and evidentiary considerations in mind from the first call. For matters with litigation potential, we are frequently engaged through outside counsel to preserve work product protections. We define scope, timeline, and deliverables in writing before the investigation begins.
- Phase 02
Evidence Gathering
Structured witness interviews using established methodology — not conversational — are the foundation of most workplace investigations. We supplement with document review, electronic records, public records, and where warranted, licensed PI capabilities including background research and surveillance. Every step is documented to support the final report.
- Phase 03
Analysis & Findings
We evaluate the gathered evidence against the relevant standard — policy violation, legal standard, or threat risk level — and document the findings with the care that reflects the likely audience. For investigations involving behavioral risk, we apply the WAVR-21 framework as a structured annex to the factual investigation.
- Phase 04
Report & Handoff
We produce a formal investigative report and executive summary. We brief the responsible parties — typically GC, outside counsel, or HR leadership — directly, and remain available for questions as the organization decides how to act on the findings. For matters that proceed to litigation, we are available for continued engagement.
— Investment
Transparent pricing. Scope drives the number.
Ranges shown reflect single-location mid-market engagements. Multi-site, complex, or urgent engagements are scoped individually. A thirty-minute consultation is the fastest path to a written proposal.
Workplace Investigation
Scope and complexity dependent; most single-site matters are $5,000–$8,000
$3,500 – $12,000+
Executive / Pre-Hire Due Diligence
Depth and geography dependent; domestic senior executive typically $2,500–$3,500
$1,500 – $4,500
Pre-Transaction Due Diligence (per individual)
Structured source-based inquiry; scope defined by transaction risk level
$2,500 – $7,500
Ongoing Monitoring Retainer
Active behavioral monitoring, public records review, PI field work as warranted
$1,500 – $3,500 / month
— Common questions
What clients ask before they engage.
Why does it matter that your investigators are licensed?
A licensed private detective agency has legal standing to conduct certain forms of investigation — background research, surveillance, records access — that an unlicensed internal HR team does not. More importantly, investigations conducted through a licensed agency carry professional accountability and methodological standards that protect the organization when the results are reviewed by outside counsel or used in a legal proceeding. The license is evidence of standards, not just a regulatory formality.
Our HR team already started the investigation. Can you take it over?
Depending on what has been done and how, sometimes yes. We frequently assess the current state of an investigation and determine whether and how a corrective investigation can address the gaps without further damaging the organization's position. The sooner we are engaged after a problem is identified, the more options exist.
What is the difference between your due diligence and a standard background check?
A standard background check queries databases — criminal records, credit, employment verification. Our due diligence conducts source-based inquiries, OSINT research, corporate records review, and where appropriate, direct field investigation. We find things that don't appear in databases — civil litigation history, reputational information, undisclosed affiliations, and behavioral patterns that a database search would never surface.
When should we engage outside counsel before calling you?
If there is any likelihood that the matter will result in litigation — termination of a senior employee, a complaint involving protected class allegations, a hostile workplace matter, or any situation involving a formal legal threat — engage outside counsel first, then have them retain us. That structure preserves privilege protections that cannot be retroactively created.
Can you conduct surveillance?
Yes, where legally and factually appropriate. Surveillance is conducted in accordance with applicable state law through our licensed PI agency. We advise on the legal parameters before any surveillance is conducted and document the engagement in a manner appropriate for the intended use of the results.
— Related capability
Often engaged alongside investigations & due diligence.
— Engage
Let's talk about scope.
Pricing and timeline vary with the size of your organization, the maturity of the existing program, and the outcome you're engineering toward. A thirty-minute consultation is usually the fastest way to a written proposal.