Investigative Due Diligence
Seek out an information advantage.
Effective due diligence requires discovering what lies beneath the surface so as to identify both risks and opportunities.
Forward Risk cuts through obfuscation and exaggerations to uncover what has been buried. We provide our clients with a nuanced understanding of relevant companies and individuals, so that business decisions are informed by actionable intelligence.
While many investigative firms claim to offer comprehensive due diligence services, they often rely on “check-the-box” formulas and outdated methods. Forward Risk rejects this approach and applies investigative rigor, critical thinking, and hard-won analytical skills to each engagement.
How We Help
Open-source research and human intelligence gathering.
Forward Risk conducts meticulous research leveraging data sources in the public domain, including traditional and social media, civil and criminal litigation records, financial distress indicators, assets, regulatory sanctions, and data from the dark web.
Where appropriate, Forward Risk supplements the public record with independent source interviews with knowledgeable parties, such as a company’s former employees, customers, and vendors.
Taking nothing at face value.
Our investigators scrutinize a target’s claims about their professional history, track record, and credentials.
We highlight risks related to corporate strategy, performance, reputation, culture, operational infrastructure, human capital, and internal controls. We uncover potential deal breakers such as fraud, corruption, conflicts of interest, undisclosed relationships, and other adverse information.
Looking at the whole person.
We build a nuanced portrait of an individual, their character, management and communication style, and performance as a business leader.
We scrutinize personal and professional affiliations and associations, uncovering any indicators of misconduct, impropriety, or reputational risk.
Tailoring our approach for each client.
Forward Risk maintains an open channel of communication with our clients to align our offerings with their needs.
Our services can be applied to numerous scenarios, including due diligence for investors, shareholder activism, litigation support, pre-transaction / M&A situations, IPOs, vetting executive hires, defensive (self) due diligence, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and anti-money laundering (AML) investigations, other background checks, and more.
Our Experience
A Secret Name Revealed During Due Diligence
Forward Risk’s investigation of an individual accused of fraud additionally revealed a second name – and a previous identity – for the subject.
By searching with the previous name, Forward Risk found that the subject had faced fraud allegations, and furthermore had taken a plea deal with federal authorities related to a corruption scandal. These crucial facts had been unknown to the client prior to Forward Risk’s investigation.
Due Diligence Unearths Undisclosed Ties between a Company and its Auditors
Forward Risk, in the course of investigating a US- and Middle East-based biopharmaceutical company, identified previously undisclosed links to the company’s auditors that had not yet been publicly discussed in news media or by other investment analysts.
The finding demonstrated to the client the need for a new, truly independent audit of the company.