Forensic-Investigations

An FTI Consulting Report

Forensic Investigations

Clarity in High‑Pressure Situations

When allegations, regulatory proceedings or government interventions arise, we support companies worldwide in clarifying complex issues in a manner that is legally sound, data-driven, independent and resilient in the face of regulatory scrutiny. Within a matter of hours, our clients have access to an experienced team that guides them through the next steps with our deep expertise.

Our Added Value in Investigations

Our clients, including international corporations, private equity firms, banks, insurers and leading law firms, rely on us in critical situations:

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In which situations can we help?

Dr. Stefan Heissner

Senior Managing Director

germany

Renato Fazzone

Senior Managing Director

germany

Our services combine traditional investigative methods with modern data‑ and AI‑driven analytical techniques.  This enables complex, large‑scale and cross‑border matters to be clarified efficiently, in a legally sound manner and  with full transparency and traceability. By integrating relevant specialist disciplines, we uncover hidden patterns, support well‑informed decision‑making and help organizations effectively manage risks and sustainably meet  regulatory requirements.

Internal investigations into fraud, corruption, conflicts of interest or accounting fraud among others

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Sensitive whistleblower reports that require a quick and comprehensive investigation

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Regulatory investigations and enforcement proceedings

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Antitrust and merger control proceedings

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Cyber incidents and data leaks

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Mandates under high time and reputation pressure

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Independence & Credibility

Our work is conducted objectively and independently. Our methodologies and standards are recognized by regulators and supervisory bodies around the world, reinforcing the trust placed in our expertise and the credibility of our outcomes.

Data-Driven Investigations

Forensic data preservation, e‑discovery, and AI‑driven analytics enable rapid and reliable results — even when dealing with large, heterogeneous data volumes. We combine legally defensible data preservation with advanced analytics to identify relevant issues at an early stage and to strategically direct the focus of the investigation.

Regulatory Experience

Long‑standing, close support for companies in their interactions with national and international supervisory and law‑enforcement authorities — including the DOJ, SEC, BaFin, public prosecutors and EU authorities — from initial internal investigations and regulatory proceedings to complex monitorships.

Recognized Expert Witness Services

Our experts regularly serve as expert witnesses in court and arbitration proceedings. They prepare independent expert reports and explain complex economic, financial and technical matters in a clear, comprehensible and defensible manner to courts, arbitral tribunals and regulators.

In-Depth Industry and Specialist Knowledge

We have proven track record in numerous industries and specialist forensic domains. This depth of knowledge enables precise assessment of complex matters and significantly faster, well‑founded clarification than generalist approaches.

Sustainable Strengthening of Governance and Risk Management

We address root causes, improve process controls, and strengthen structures so that organizations can operate with resilience and integrity in the long term. We create clarity, mitigate risks, and build long-term integrity – so that your company emerges stronger from every challenge.

Forensic investigations rarely follow a clear pattern – but they do have one thing in common: time pressure, regulatory requirements and a high burden of proof. In such situations, companies need an investigation that is legally sound, fact-based and efficient. Our approach is clearly structured and modular:

Once an incident has been investigated, a remediation phase begins. The aim is to demonstrate in a comprehensible manner that the root causes have been understood and that the organization has emerged from the event structurally stronger. In certain cases, companies become subject to regulatory oversight and must show that they are responding in a sustainable and effective manner:

Roadmap for Forensic Investigations

Conducting a Forensic Investigation

Rapid Assessment of the Situation

We provide a precise and timely assessment of the initial situation – in close consultation with external legal advisors, if necessary. This enables us to lay the foundation for well-informed decisions under considerable time pressure and ensures that all relevant aspects are taken into account from the outset.

Forensic Accounting

We conduct detailed analyses of accounting data to uncover transaction patterns and irregularities. In doing so, we review policies and internal controls, identify weaknesses and potential manipulations. In this way, we establish facts and provide a sound basis for legal assessments.

Interviews & Fact Gathering

Through methodical interviews, in-depth background research, and careful reconstruction of processes, we create a precise picture of the facts. This allows us to bring together relevant information in a structured manner, clearly identify connections and create a solid basis for further legal and strategic steps.

Digital Forensics

We secure and reconstruct relevant data from mobile devices, cloud platforms, collaboration tools and enterprise systems in a legally compliant and fully traceable way. Our experts collect, preserve and analyse digital evidence to meet regulatory and court requirements, creating transparency and a reliable basis for internal investigations and regulatory proceedings.

E-Discovery & Managed Review

We enable efficient processing of large data volumes and streamlined document review. By combining technology‑assisted review (TAR), clustering and GenAI‑driven workflows, we identify relevant information quickly and reduce manual effort while maintaining regulatory and court‑ready accuracy and traceability. Our support spans the full e‑discovery lifecycle, from legal hold and preservation to forensic data collection, processing, document review and court-ready production.

Cyber Incident Response and Investigations

Our experienced cyber security experts know how to respond to all threat types and understand that cyber incident response capabilities must seamlessly integrate across existing mission-critical functions. Whether it’s ransomware, business email compromise or the actions of a trusted insider or a foreign actor, we provide complete cyber incident response solutions.

Support with Regulatory Communication

We support companies in the professional preparation of statements, document deliveries, interviews and presentations to national and international regulatory authorities. Our approach ensures that information is communicated clearly, consistently and in a legally sound manner. In this way, we build trust with authorities and reduce risks in the context of regulatory audits and proceedings.

Remediation & Transformation: Stabilization After Critical Events

Development of Comprehensive Remediation Plans

We support companies in designing and implementing improvement measures across controls, processes, governance structures and corporate culture. Through these measures, organizations can reduce risks in the long term, strengthen compliance and rebuild trust among employees, customers, regulators and other stakeholders.

Independent Monitorships

Conducting or supporting monitorships on behalf of regulators such as EU institutions or the DOJ, SEC and SFO. We ensure that all requirements are met, findings are communicated clearly and progress is documented in a transparent and defensible manner, helping organizations demonstrate sustained compliance and rebuild trust with regulators and stakeholders.

Cultural Transformation

We support executives in establishing a clear tone from the top and in building effective speak‑up structures that employees trust and use. In this way, we help create a culture of responsibility and transparency. By strengthening leadership behaviours, embedding shared values and ensuring that concerns can be raised safely and addressed appropriately, organisations foster responsibility, transparency and long‑term resilience.

Information Governance & AI Governance

We design and implement data‑retention policies, defensible deletion practices and forensically sound archiving frameworks, while establishing robust information‑governance and privacy‑by‑design structures. We help organisations build governance frameworks that ensure the secure and compliant use of data and AI across legal, compliance and investigation functions.

Crisis-Ready Playbooks

Crisis‑ready playbooks involve developing clear, practical guidelines that enable organisations to respond quickly and in a structured manner to regulatory inquiries or litigation. By establishing such frameworks in advance, companies remain prepared, act efficiently under pressure, as weel as minimise operational, legal and reputational risks.

CASE STUDY

Complexities Managed: Addressing Compliance Gaps at an African Telecom Facing National Scrutiny

Case Studies

CASE STUDY

Fighting Fraud: Inside the Madoff Ponzi Scheme With a Lead Investigator

CASE STUDY

Data Produced: Urgent Collection and Discovery for Cross-Jurisdictional Legal Matter in the Gulf Cooperation Council Region

CASE STUDY

Quality Oversight: Managed Review and Predictive Coding in High-Stakes Disclosures

Key Contacts

Our experts bring clarity to complex issues: quickly, objectively and using proven methods that stand up to intense regulatory scrutiny. Our interdisciplinary teams respond within hours, work in more than 30 countries, support clients in over 40 languages and have many years of experience with US, UK and EU regulators, including the DOJ, SEC, FCA, BaFin, SFO and European supervisory and antitrust authorities. Our reports provide the basis for informed, robust decisions at the executive and supervisory board level.