Case Studies:

Chinatown Retail Canvas

On behalf of a global over-18 brand, our investigator spent four days methodically traversing through every block of Chinatown in New York City. Our investigator visited literally every retail store and any store that might offer a non-food/beverage product. The due diligence goal was to locate any products branded with the clients logo or name that might be construed as a toy or be of interest to children. None were found.

Restaurant Trade Dress Compliance

On behalf of a national chain with various registered trade dress marks, our investigator conducted court ordered visits of a half dozen infringing restaurants in the New York City area. The goal was to photo document the various trade dress infringements for attorneys to draft a list of modifications to be made for the infringers to comply with. Our investigator later returned to the same restaurants to photo document their compliance.

Competitive Intelligence

On behalf of a Florida-based provider of subscription maintenance services geared toward luxury yacht owner/operators, our investigator contacted a dozen competitors to obtain marketing materials, rate sheets, sample contracts, and sample invoices. The information obtained allowed our client to position themselves in a “sweet spot” of the market in terms of services offered and pricing.

Restoration of Stolen Funds

A client contacted us with an issue: a purchase of $100,000 worth of handheld gaming consoles they had ordered had not arrived. The consoles needed to be custom modified as marketing gimmicks to be given away in swag bags at a major televised awards show. In two weeks. The Internet-based electronics seller had become unresponsive. Additionally, our client had paid for the devices with a debit card triggering a direct withdrawal from their bank account. The bank had already informed them that while, yes, they were covered for any fraudulent activity on the card, the funds would not be returned until after a thorough investigation was conducted. Estimated time for the funds to be restored: six to eight months. Through our efforts we determined that the electronics seller was a known entity to federal law enforcement who was in the process of conducting an undercover investigation into the entity. We were able to put senior managers at our client’s bank in communication with the lead federal investigator. Our client’s funds were returned in a matter of days and in enough time to purchase the game consoles from a different vendor, modify them, and get them distributed at the awards show.

Profile of a Regional Brand Name for Buyout

A Fintech startup was ramping up for a nationwide roll out of their web-based financial services. However, a pre-existing regional brick-and-mortar entity had already been using the Fintech’s brand name for several years at numerous locations. Using public records and proprietary databases, we developed profiles of each individual adverse-party location, including annual revenues, number of employees, and even when branded signage was permitted and installed. We then conducted discreet phone interviews to confirm details of business activities and coordinated boots-on-the-ground onsite investigations to verify branding activities. Our Fintech client used the evidence we gathered to value each location, some of which we discovered were no longer operating, or were in the process of rebranding, and was able to negotiate a buyout offer.