A People
Intelligence
Company

Investigations

NO MATTER THE INDUSTRY, ORGANISATIONS ARE INCREASINGLY EXPECTED TO INITIATE PROMPT AND OBJECTIVE INVESTIGATIONS INTO CONDUCT, CULTURAL AND PEOPLE ISSUES.​

There are now higher stakes for all organisations with the tangled world of regulatory compliance, legal, reputation and people risk, and how these risks intersect with diversity, equality and inclusion.

We provide a broad range of investigation services. We conduct:​

  • Commissioned and public investigations (including inquiries)
  • Internal investigations
  • Investigative assessments.

Our work can be conducted on an independent, impartial or privileged basis.

Our experience in investigations is across multiple industries, sectors, jurisdictions and issues, working in the private, public and regulated sectors. We advise, manage, conduct and support investigations, mitigating any presumption of bias or a predetermined outcome.

At Howlett Brown, our work in investigations navigates complex and competing issues in complaint handling such as culture, diversity, equity, inclusion, anonymity, safety (physical, emotional and psychological), safeguarding, conduct, crisis and risk. ​

OUR EXPERIENCE INCLUDES CONDUCTING INVESTIGATIONS IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS AND ALLEGATIONS:​
  • Bullying​
  • Racism​
  • Harassment, assault and #MeToo (including sexual assault)​
  • Discrimination and microaggressions
  • Bias and gaslighting ​
  • Abuse of power, coercion and control​
  • Whistleblowing ​
  • Alleged criminal misconduct including fraud, financial crime and theft​
  • Regulatory misconduct​
  • Culture​
  • Workplace practices and processes
  • Modern Slavery​
  • Supply chains​
  • Environmental investigations​
  • Integrity investigations
  • Performance
  • Conduct​
  • Safeguarding and Wellbeing (including matters related to loss of life)​
  • Relationship breakdowns and loss of trust​
  • Board and Trustee conduct, disputes and crises​
  • Data and confidentiality breaches​
  • Health and Safety​
  • Franchise business​
  • Reputational investigations
  • Managing the strategic interplay between satisfying regulators and authorities, whilst also facing employee and thirdparty litigation.
  • Systems and controls issues, including data breaches, bribery, other regulatory breaches and forms of employee misconduct, including furlough fraud.
  • Market perception
Commissioned Investigations ​
As part of our service offering, we conduct ‘commissioned’ investigations on an independent or impartial basis. Commissioned investigations are conducted following a commitment by the instructor or client, that our findings and/or our report will be published on their website and/or the wider public domain. Such decisions are often made at the tendering process to appoint an investigator prior to our involvement and can also occur when there has been press coverage regarding the issues that require investigation. Commissioned investigations also include matters that involve formal inquiry.​ ​

We understand that conduct, cultural and internal investigations are often time consuming and can quickly become complex and multi-faceted. Without an integrated approach and the right expertise, issues can lead to irreparable breakdowns in client, shareholder and employment relationships, large-sum settlements and drawn out legal and regulatory battles.

We act with integrity, operating and upholding best practice, whilst supporting interviewee wellbeing and remediating issues sensitively, efficiently and in a measured manner, taking into account the organisation’s internal processes and practices.

We also conduct, manage and advise on a wide range of investigations and provide bespoke investigative support to organisations, including preparing reports that may need to be issued to regulators.

We have an extensive and practical understanding of the legal and regulatory framework and how they intersect with diversity, equity and inclusion within which investigations may need to operate.

Our expertise and agility means that we can provide a complete outsourced solution or seamlessly support an organisation’s own in-house team, from early case assessments to interviewing or general investigations guidance.

For more information:
email info@howlettbrown.com
or phone +44 (0) 208 012 8525

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