Investigations

Stout’s team of independent forensic experts includes accountants, valuation professionals, and finance specialists.

Investigations into suspected fraud, financial reporting irregularities, and regulatory compliance issues pose significant risk to companies and individuals, regardless of whether any actual misconduct is discovered.

The cost, business disruption, and impact on morale and reputation can create significant hardship for a company, and the penalties related to actual findings of fraud, errors, and irregularities can be devastating.

Because of this, the sophistication and experience of the forensic investigators is paramount for achieving the best possible outcome during an investigation.

Stout's Independent Forensic Experts

Our team comprises skilled accountants, valuation professionals, and finance specialists offering unmatched expertise across a wide range of forensic disciplines. Our team of professionals is certified, licensed, and trained to assist clients with deconstructing complex financial transactions.

• Expertise in Fraud and Misconduct Investigations: We excel in identifying, documenting, and quantifying the effects of alleged fraud, misconduct, and irregularities.
• Deep Understanding of Complex Challenges: Our team is well-versed in navigating corporate internal investigations, commercial litigation, regulatory actions, and criminal prosecutions.
• Proven Success in High-Stakes Cases: We specialize in highly sensitive and complex investigations, ensuring our forensic analyses withstand scrutiny from courts, regulators, opposing counsel, and experts.
• Rapid Access to Critical Data: We quickly locate and assess financial and operational data essential to the matters at hand.
• Qualitative Data Insights: Beyond numbers, we analyze data sources and uses, system flows, and contextual relevance to deliver meaningful insights aligned with case-specific issues.
• Efficiency with Large Data Sets: We rapidly acquire, organize, analyze, and report on extensive financial, operational, accounting, and transactional data, even when datasets exceed 200 terabytes.
• Unmatched Data Volume Experience: Our experience with massive data sets enables us to tackle cases where sheer volume could overwhelm other firms, providing efficient and effective support.

Stout's Deep Experience

We have been engaged by corporations and government agencies to perform large, complex, and sensitive forensic investigations, including:

Regulatory and Government Investigations

• Inquiries initiated by government regulators, such as the DOJ, SEC, and state attorneys general
• False Claims Act (FCA) and whistleblower matters

Internal and Corporate Governance Investigations

• Probes initiated by internal management and boards of directors
• Defending against activist shareholders

Financial and White-Collar Crime Investigations

• White-collar crime investigations (Examples: health care fraud, corporate fraud, falsification of financial information, self-dealing by corporate insiders, money laundering, securities and commodities fraud, etc.)
• Cryptocurrency, including investigating and tracing assets

Fraud, Corruption, and Misconduct

• Bribery and corruption (Foreign Corrupt Practices Act)
• Theft of trade secrets, intellectual property theft, and other employee misconduct
• Improper sales practices

Market and Supply Chain Integrity

• Counterfeit and grey market investigations
• Cryptocurrency and digital assets

Pre-Transaction and Risk Assessments

• Pre-investment investigative due diligence to assess track records, integrity, and undisclosed vulnerabilities

Our Services

Analyze

• Scoping the allegations
• Designing a detailed investigative strategy and forensic workplan
• Locating, preserving, and analyzing evidence, including accounting records, financial data, email and chat, and hard copy documents
• Experienced in investigations and disputes involving data sets exceeding 200 terabytes

Investigate

• Conducting interviews of accounting, finance, IT, fact witnesses, and third parties
• Performing intensive forensic accounting and transactional work
• Analyzing qualitative and quantitative data, including performing necessary analytics
• Performing background research on companies and individuals
• Providing interim progress reports
• Drafting detailed written deliverables, including our investigative findings and expert reports
• Interfacing with law enforcement and regulators
• Presenting to auditors

Remediate

• Making observations on process and controls to remediate based on our findings
• Conducting ongoing reviews and assessments
• Supporting companies and counsel with assessing employment decisions commensurate with investigative results
• Developing and presenting remediation plans to regulators
• Assisting counsel and companies with litigation strategies based on fact-finding and conclusions