A fraud and tracing engagement moves through 5 steps, from the conflict check to testimony. Each step ends in something counsel can review, and the typical timeline shows how long each phase runs.
Engagement process
Retention and conflict check: We confirm conflicts, identify the suspected conduct, the entities involved, and the period at issue, establish the retainer, and agree on the sequence of work.
Records and data request: We request bank and credit card statements, general ledger and subledger detail, payroll and vendor files, corporate and personal tax returns, and the access and authorization records that show who controlled each account.
Analysis and tracing: We reconstruct the funds flow, identify the transactions that fall outside authorized activity, trace the diverted funds to their destination, and quantify the loss by scheme and period.
Draft report and counsel review: We deliver a draft with the tracing schedules, the supporting documents indexed to each transaction, and the loss by scheme, and review it with counsel before finalizing.
Final report and testimony support: We issue the final report and provide deposition and trial testimony, support for insurance or restitution claims, and rebuttal of opposing accounting analyses.