The licensure, compliance, confidentiality, and conduct policies that govern engagements with Pettus Investigations, LLC ("Pettus Investigations").
Pettus Investigations, LLC is a private investigation firm licensed and in good standing in the states in which it conducts licensed investigative work:
Helena Snyder, the firm's principal investigator, is a Certified Fraud Examiner (Association of Certified Fraud Examiners) and a member of the Association of Certified Background Investigators. License and certification status can be verified through the issuing authorities.
Pettus treats every engagement as confidential. We do not discuss the existence or substance of an engagement with anyone other than the client, those the client has authorized, and persons to whom disclosure is required by law.
The firm declines to publish client testimonials, case studies, or other promotional material that would identify a client or matter. Where we discuss the type of work the firm has performed, we do so in general categories that cannot be tied to any specific engagement.
Confidentiality continues after the engagement ends.
When Pettus conducts a background investigation that constitutes a "consumer report" under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the engagement is structured to comply with applicable FCRA provisions. This includes:
Clients commissioning background work for employment or other regulated purposes are responsible for ensuring their own internal compliance with FCRA, including disclosure to applicants and adverse-action notice requirements. We work with clients to support those obligations but cannot assume them on the client's behalf.
Asset investigations and other financial-records inquiries are conducted in compliance with the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) and the financial privacy provisions that govern access to nonpublic personal financial information.
Where a permissible purpose under GLBA is required for a particular investigative method, Pettus documents that purpose at the time of the engagement and proceeds only when one exists. Methods that would require a permissible purpose Pettus does not have are not used.
Pettus provides the investigative services described elsewhere on this site. The firm specifically does not provide certain services, including:
Background investigations and asset searches are conducted nationwide. Other licensed investigative services are conducted within Oregon and Washington, with partner coordination outside those states where appropriate.
Every method used in the course of an engagement is both lawful and ethical, and is documented as such. Pettus does not engage in pretexting where pretexting would be unlawful, does not access information through unauthorized channels, does not impersonate licensed professionals, and does not violate court orders, restraining orders, or other lawful restrictions on contact or proximity.
Beyond what the law requires, the firm holds itself to professional ethical standards: methods are not used simply because they are technically permitted, but because they are appropriate to the matter and respectful of the people involved. Where a lawful and ethical method is unavailable or inadequate to answer a question, the engagement may not be able to deliver a definitive answer to that question. We tell clients when that is the case.
The initial consultation is confidential and does not require a retainer. Engagements are confirmed in writing, with scope, fee structure, and deliverables defined before work begins.
Fees vary by engagement type and scope. Pettus is transparent about expected costs and notifies the client when an engagement is approaching its budgeted scope so the client can decide whether to expand the budget, adjust the scope, or close the engagement.
Pettus does not contingency-fee its work. Investigative findings are reported as the evidence supports them, regardless of which finding favors which party.
Pettus uses reasonable professional care in the conduct of every engagement. The firm cannot guarantee that an investigation will produce a particular finding, that information available through one method will be available through another, or that records held by third parties will be accurate, current, or complete.
Investigative findings reflect what the engagement could lawfully determine within the scope and budget defined. The firm's liability for any matter is limited to the fees paid for that matter, except where applicable law provides otherwise. Clients are encouraged to discuss any specific liability concerns at the time of engagement.
For questions about these policies, the firm's licensure or compliance practices, or any aspect of an engagement, contact us at the phone number or email shown in the site footer.