Start with the question, not the service name.
You may know something does not add up without knowing what kind of investigation is appropriate. Tell us what you need to establish, what decision it affects and any important deadline. We will discuss the scope that makes sense for the matter.
What is a corporate investigation?
A corporate investigation is a structured, lawful enquiry into a commercial matter, carried out to establish facts that ordinary business checks cannot reach. It might mean understanding who is behind a company before you commit, building a clearer picture of assets relevant to a dispute, establishing the facts behind suspected fraud, or observing activity that records alone cannot show. The work is scoped around the decision it will inform, and the findings are reported with their limitations.
Our core services
Due diligence and background enquiries
Understand more about the people and businesses behind a proposed investment, partnership or important commercial relationship.
Explore due diligenceAsset tracing
Build a clearer picture of relevant assets and ownership when considering a commercial dispute or potential recovery action.
Explore asset tracingCorporate fraud investigations
Investigate concerns about misuse of funds, undisclosed relationships or suspected dishonesty affecting your business.
Explore corporate fraud investigationsSurveillance
Discreet observation where an agreed commercial investigation requires information that records alone cannot provide.
Explore surveillanceBug sweeping
Discuss concerns about unauthorised listening or transmitting devices in a confidential business setting.
Explore bug sweepingOther commercial instructions
We also consider the following work where the requirement fits ASE's available support and agreed scope.
Insurance fraud investigations
Investigative support for a specific, unresolved concern about an insurance claim, without assuming that the claim is dishonest.
Explore insurance investigationsEmployee theft investigations
Establish relevant facts about suspected losses from your business before deciding how to respond.
Explore employee theft investigationsMatters involving more than one country
An enquiry may involve people, businesses or assets in different locations. We assess the countries involved, the available information and the appropriate support before agreeing what can be undertaken.
What to expect before work begins
We discuss the objective, suitability and limitations first. Where ASE can help, the proposal sets out the scope, reporting, costs and payment terms. No particular finding or outcome is guaranteed.
Who can contact ASE?
Business leaders, entrepreneurs, private clients with commercial interests and their authorised representatives are welcome to enquire. Solicitors, insurers and business teams can also discuss a suitable instruction.
What falls outside your scope?
We do not offer matrimonial investigations or personal relationship investigations. An initial enquiry does not mean that an instruction has been accepted.
What does a corporate investigator do?
A corporate investigator is a private investigator who focuses on commercial matters. The work involves gathering and verifying information for a client: researching companies and the people behind them, tracing assets and ownership, looking into suspected fraud or losses, and carrying out surveillance where it is justified and proportionate. The findings are reported in writing, separating what has been established from what remains uncertain.
Is it legal to use a corporate investigator in the UK?
Yes, provided the investigation itself is carried out lawfully. Investigators must work within the law, including data protection and privacy legislation, and any surveillance must be proportionate to what is being investigated.
ASE does not offer unauthorised access to private banking or other confidential records, and does not take on work that would require it. We report findings, not legal conclusions: what the findings mean in law is a matter for your legal adviser.
How is the cost of a corporate investigation worked out?
Cost depends on the scope of the work, the time it is likely to take and the resources it needs. A focused check on a single company or individual usually involves less work than wider asset tracing or a sustained period of surveillance. Fees are set out in an agreed proposal before any work begins.
Start with a conversation.
You do not need to know which service to ask for. Tell us, in general terms, what you need to establish. We will discuss whether ASE is the right fit and what a suitable next step could look like.
Speak to PaulPlease keep your first enquiry brief. Detailed case information can be discussed once the appropriate next steps have been agreed.