Licensed in Oregon & Washington Serving the Pacific Northwest since 2007
503.289.0659 · HSNYDER@PETTUSINV.COM
I
— Intake

The first conversation.

A confidential consultation to understand what you need to know, what's been tried, and what success looks like. Scope is set — and questioned. Sometimes the matter as described isn't the one that needs investigating; we say so when we see it.

  • Define the question — the engagement must answer.
  • Identify legal constraints — FCRA, GLBA, jurisdictional rules, privilege.
  • Establish realistic objectives — what's findable, what isn't.
  • Confirm the engagement — scope, timeline, communication, deliverable.
II
— Investigation

The work itself.

Field work, public records, interviews, and database research — performed lawfully and contemporaneously documented as it happens.

  • Lawfully sourced — every method documented and defensible.
  • Multi-source — no single database, witness, or document treated as authoritative.
  • Contemporaneous — notes made at the time.
  • Chain of custody — preserved for any physical evidence or original document.
III
— Verification

Stress-testing the findings.

Before findings reach the report, they're tested. Cross-checked against alternative sources. Examined for the holes a cross-examiner would look for. A confident-sounding statement that won't hold up under questioning is worse than no statement at all.

  • Independently verified — no material finding rests on a single source.
  • Pressure-tested — could a reasonable opposing party challenge this? On what basis?
  • Confidence flagged — high, moderate, or limited, with reasons.
IV
— Report

The deliverable.

A clear, defensible written report — sourced, organized, and prepared with the courtroom in mind. Plain language where it can be plain; precise terminology where precision matters. Helena is available to provide expert testimony where the matter calls for it. What we wrote is what we'll say.

  • Findings stated explicitly — what we determined, and how.
  • Sources cited — every finding traceable.
  • Meticulously organized — chronologies, indexes, and attachments.
  • Limitations noted — what the investigation could not establish, and why.
  • Strictly confidential — what we learn for you stays with you.
Begin a matter

The first conversation is confidential.

Tell us what you need to know. We'll tell you, candidly, whether we can help.