Conducting corporate investigations and due diligence is an increasingly important aspect of today’s business climate, and not just for the most obvious reasons.

Due diligence, when properly and thoroughly conducted, can unearth problematic issues that could derail a planned merger or acquisition, corporate expansion or capital investment. And corporate investigations can identify early the scope of potential damage in cases of whistleblower allegations, executive misconduct and accounting deception.

But beyond those clearly vital reasons, there is the growing issue of government regulators and resulting enforcement action or potential litigation. These agents are getting very good at finding fault with companies for not doing enough to identify or mitigate problems before they impact the company and its shareholders.

Indeed, the US Justice Department recently issued new guidelines for how it will now approach potential criminal activity in corporations, making it clear that the company itself had a duty to uncover and produce evidence against their own executives in the case of wrongdoing. The US Securities and Exchange Commission too has shown new aggressiveness in pursuing enforcement action against companies that don’t act to identify and fix fraud-related problems internally before the issues come to light publicly.

While some companies have realized the importance of conducting proper due diligence and corporate investigations, many others have not, and are unlikely to learn their lesson until it’s taught in the harshest way possible.

Of course, not too far behind are litigators who sue companies, often on behalf of a shareholder class, for failing to detect and mitigate internal issues like fraud, executive misconduct or other malfeasance, especially if it results in shareholder losses.

While some companies have realized the importance of conducting proper due diligence and corporate investigations, many others have not, and are unlikely to learn their lesson until it’s taught in the harshest way possible.

Before that happens, however, those companies would be wise to examine their own internal diligence and investigative capabilities and either invest time and resources to improve those efforts internally, or outsource those tasks to high-quality investigative and due diligence research firms.

At Ardella Research, we conduct detailed, proprietary research on behalf of clients that includes fraud and whistleblower investigation, investment and acquisition analysis, executive vetting and litigation research and support.

We have access to proprietary, customized databases and advanced search techniques that can identify hidden red flags or unanticipated problems. We couple this technology with personal interviews, site investigations and background examinations that can uncover even deeply hidden issues.

I am Gregg Wirth, president of Ardella Research, Inc., a corporate investigation and due diligence firm. I will be using this space to highlight certain vital aspects of due diligence and corporate investigations as well as discuss the landscape for regulation, compliance and litigation issues, so please check back occasionally on this page.

If you would like to discuss further any due diligence or corporate investigation our team look into for you, please contact me at gregg@gwirth.com.