Our Team of Former Senior Federal Investigators Provides Comprehensive Internal Audit Services to Law Firms and Their Clients
Law Firm Consulting Lead – Timothy E. Allen | Former Special Agent (U.S. Secret Service & DOJ-OIG)
Internal audits serve two critical functions for law firms and their clients: (i) they allow for the identification and resolution of issues before they lead to litigation or enforcement action; and, (ii) when faced with litigation or enforcement action, they allow law firms to develop informed and targeted defense strategies to protect their clients (or themselves). At Corporate Investigation Consulting, we assist law firms with conducting internal audits, and we work with law firms to manage their clients’ internal audits as well.
Our internal audit team is comprised of former high-ranking agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), various Offices of Inspector General (OIG), and other federal agencies. We also have digital forensics specialists whose past experience includes working for the U.S. Secret Service. The senior members of our team work directly with law firms’ compliance officers and managing partners during firms’ internal audits, and we collaborate with firms’ attorneys to seamlessly conduct internal audits for law firm clients.
Our Areas of Focus for Internal Audits
As a result of our senior agents’ and consultants’ federal backgrounds, we are able to effectively assist with internal audits targeting an extremely broad array of issues. We have direct hands-on experience on both sides of federal enforcement matters involving virtually all areas of compliance, and we have significant experience in cybersecurity, physical security, digital forensics, and other related fields.
We provide our internal auditing services for the examination of compliance and risk exposure in areas including (but not limited to):
- Contract Compliance – We assist with the evaluation of contract compliance both on the part of clients and their counterparties.
- Cybersecurity – We assist with comprehensive internal cybersecurity audits both as a means of proactive compliance assessment and risk management and as a means of uncovering the source of intrusions.
- Physical Security – In addition to cybersecurity, we have significant experience in all aspects of physical security for law firms and companies in a broad array of industries.
- Regulatory Compliance – Our senior agents and consultants are knowledgeable about regulatory compliance in fields ranging from healthcare to the marketing of consumer goods.
- Statutory Compliance – Our experience in the area of statutory compliance extends from the Securities and Exchange Act to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and our agents and consultants are knowledgeable about many industry-specific areas of statutory compliance as well.
Put our highly experienced team on your side
Roger Bach
Former Special Agent (OIG)
Timothy E. Allen
Former Senior Special Agent U.S. Secret Service
Chris J. Quick
Former Special Agent (FBI & IRS-CI)
Maura Kelley
Former Special Agent (FBI)
Ray Yuen
Former Supervisory Special Agent (FBI)
Michael S. Koslow
Former Supervisory Special Agent (DOD-OIG)
Marquis D. Pickett
Special Agent U.S. Secret Service (ret.)
Circumstances in Which an Internal Audit May Be Required
We work with law firms and their clients to conduct both regularly-scheduled internal audits and internal audits triggered by discrete events. This includes planned events (i.e. mergers and acquisitions) as well as events that are beyond the firm’s or company’s control (i.e. data security breaches and federal law enforcement investigations). Some specific examples of circumstances in which an internal audit may be required (and in which our senior attorneys and consultants can help) include:
- Allegations of IP misappropriation or theft
- Annual compliance reviews
- Compliance failures
- Contract disputes
- Cybersecurity breaches
- Pursuit of financing, a corporate transaction, or new business operation
- Service of subpoenas and complaints
FAQs: Internal Audit Processes, Procedures, and Confidentiality
Q: When is it necessary to conduct an internal audit?
Law firms and their clients should conduct internal audits both (i) as a matter of course, and (ii) when called for by the circumstances at hand. Routine internal audits allow firms and companies to ensure that their compliance and cybersecurity efforts remain adequate, while ad hoc internal audits can be used to assess specific threats or to prepare for potential litigation.
Q: What is involved in conducting an internal audit?
The processes and procedures involved in conducting an internal audit depend, in part, on the scope and nature of the inquiry that is required. We custom-tailor our internal audit services to each particular firm, each particular client, and each particular scenario. Broadly speaking, however, the steps involved in conducting an internal audit include:
- Pre-audit planning and preparation
- Identification of appropriate members of the internal audit team
- Digital forensics and data collection
- Employee interviews
- Records review
- Assessment of all information and data obtained
Q: How does Corporate Investigation Consulting ensure the confidentiality of all information and data it collects?
We follow strict protocols for ensuring the confidentiality of all information and data collected during the internal audit process. We also utilize state-of-the-art technology to ensure both logical and physical security. We can integrate our data collection and security applications with law firms’ and clients’ IT platforms as necessary or desired, and we can help to assuage any client concerns about malicious intrusions.
Q: What should law firms and their clients do with the information obtained during an internal audit?
The purpose of conducting an internal audit is not simply to audit for auditing’s sake, but rather to gather the intelligence needed to make informed and strategic decisions. Following an internal audit, we provide our consulting recommendations, and we help law firms and their clients evaluate their options. Depending on the circumstances at hand, this could involve everything from developing new compliance policies and procedures to implementing a litigation hold and taking other preliminary steps to prepare for large-scale litigation.
Q: Can Corporate Investigation Consulting assist with utilizing the information obtained during an internal audit?
Yes, in addition to providing internal auditing services, we provide a full suite of compliance, cybersecurity, and litigation consulting services as well. Once the internal audit process is complete, our senior agents and consultants can work with your firm’s lawyers and clients’ key stakeholders to formulate next steps and develop a targeted strategy for moving forward.
Discuss Your Firm’s or Client’s Needs with a Senior Agent at Corporate Investigation Consulting
If your law firm needs to conduct an internal audit, or if your firm is seeking assistance with conducting internal audits for its clients, we encourage you to get in touch. To speak with a senior agent at Corporate Investigation Consulting, please call 866-352-9324 or contact us online today.