Increased legal obligations, operational and financial risks, and scrutiny in the #MeToo era make it critical that employers select qualified and experienced investigators to investigate harassment claims and other workplace issues. Effective and defensible investigations are also critical to meeting an employer’s legal obligations and often have the added benefit of shedding light on best (or worst) practices, systemic problems, and opportunities for improvement in personnel management and overall operations.
LCW has a statewide team of expert investigators that conduct workplace investigations for a wide array of California agencies and other organizations and entities, including large and small private companies, non-profits, cities, counties, special districts, entities, public and private colleges and universities, and K-12 schools. Our attorneys have conducted and overseen hundreds of confidential and independent investigations involving the full range of workplace and student-related issues, including allegations of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, whistleblowing, misconduct, financial improprieties, as well as personnel policy, rules, and code of conduct violations. Our investigators are trained in areas that require special knowledge such as interviewing sworn peace officer rights under the Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights (POBR) and Firefighters Procedural Bill of Rights (FOBR), conducting Title IX investigations and other student misconduct investigations. We also specialize in complex, sensitive and high-profile investigations, including investigations involving executive management and high-ranking officials.
All of our investigators are seasoned employment-law attorneys, and their knowledge in this complex area of the law provides added understanding, depth, and expertise in conducting workplace investigations. Our investigators are well versed in the new laws, regulations, and guidelines on harassment investigations (including the January 1, 2019 FEHA amendments, amended FEHA regulations, and DFEH Workplace Guide) and conduct investigations that adhere to these legal requirements and guidelines.
Our Investigations Practice Team is comprised of attorneys with experience and skill in conducting interviews, establishing rapport with witnesses, making credibility assessments, factual analyses, evidence gathering, and report writing, skills that are necessary to conduct accurate, effective and defensible investigations. Several of our investigators are also experienced litigators who bring their skills and talent in gathering facts, interviewing witnesses, and analyzing evidence to their work conducting investigations. When required to testify at deposition, hearing or trial, our qualifications, experience, neutral and unbiased approach to investigations supports our credibility and the credibility of the investigations we conduct.
In addition to conducting investigations, our team of investigators also provides support to a wide variety of employers, when they use internal or other investigators to conduct investigations. We can provide support throughout the process, including defining the scope of investigation, investigations notice letters, interview outline preparation, analysis of the evidence and reaching findings, and drafting the report.
