The firm extended.

In 2023, Expert Investigations, Inc. — a Pacific Northwest investigative firm established in 2000 — became part of Pettus Investigations, LLC ("Pettus Investigations").

Expert was founded in 2000 and built its reputation, over more than twenty years of independent practice, on a wide range of investigative experience, special depth in insurance work, and a commitment to factual reporting and steady client communication.

That work — and the standards it was built on — now sits inside Pettus. The combined firm carries forward both lineages: nearly two decades of Pettus practice with eight years of Standard Insurance SIU experience behind it, joined to Expert's twenty-plus years of complex-investigation work.

What this means for clients

• Greater capacity — for carriers and law firms whose volume exceeds what a single-investigator practice can absorb.
• Continuity for legacy Expert clients — the relationships, standards, and people they relied on.
• A deeper bench — across SIU, litigation support, asset, and complex investigations.
• The same single point of contact — Helena Snyder remains the principal investigator and the person on the file.

Surveillance specialists

Pettus does not provide surveillance in-house. We refer to investigators with whom we have worked for years and whose methodology we trust.

Forensic specialists

Digital forensics, accident reconstruction, cause and origin (fire), handwriting analysis, and other technical disciplines — specialists who have testified in courts across the region.

Investigators in other jurisdictions

For matters that extend beyond Oregon and Washington, we maintain relationships with licensed investigators whose work meets the same standard.

Interpretation & translation

Certified interpreters and translators experienced in legal and insurance contexts.