Discreet Observation. Clear Reporting. Better Information.
There are situations where an attorney, corporation, insurer or private client needs objective information about activity that can lawfully be observed.
Conflict International USA provides professional surveillance services for corporate, litigation, insurance and private matters across the United States.
Assignments are developed around a defined objective. That may involve documenting a person's movements, establishing patterns of activity, identifying meetings or locations, or obtaining factual observations relevant to an ongoing dispute.
Our role is to document what is observed and report it clearly.
Surveillance does not automatically prove fraud, dishonesty, medical capacity, misconduct or any other legal conclusion. The wider facts must always be considered alongside the observations obtained.
Mobile surveillance involves maintaining discreet observation while a subject moves between locations, whether by vehicle or on foot.
Depending on the assignment, reporting may document:
Effective mobile surveillance requires planning, situational awareness and the ability to adapt when circumstances change.
The aim is not simply to follow a subject. It is to gather information relevant to the client's specific question.
Static surveillance may be appropriate where relevant activity is expected around a particular location.
This may include:
Static observation can be used independently or alongside mobile surveillance depending on the objective.
The duration and method should remain proportionate to the information being sought.
Attorneys may require factual observations in support of civil litigation.
Surveillance can potentially assist matters involving:
The purpose is to provide factual documentation for counsel to assess alongside medical, documentary, financial or other evidence.
Where surveillance forms only one part of a broader legal matter, our Litigation Support Services can provide coordinated research and intelligence support.
Insurers, claims professionals and attorneys may consider surveillance where there is a legitimate need to understand activity relevant to an insurance claim.
For example, observation may document whether a claimant:
Surveillance should not be treated as a medical assessment.
Seeing someone perform an activity on one occasion does not establish the extent of an injury or determine whether a claim is fraudulent.
The observations form one part of the broader evidentiary picture.
Businesses may also require surveillance in certain situations involving suspected misconduct.
Potential use cases include:
Surveillance is not always the correct first step.
Where a concern involves corporate ownership, undeclared business interests or connected entities, public-record and corporate research may be more effective.
Where digital activity is central to the concern, technical evidence may be more relevant.
The method should follow the question rather than the other way around.
Employee surveillance can create legal, privacy and employment issues that vary between states and circumstances.
Before surveillance is considered, the organization should have a legitimate purpose and assess whether observation is proportionate to the concern.
Conflict International USA provides factual surveillance support. Employment decisions should remain with the employer and its appropriate legal or HR advisors.
Private clients may require factual information concerning sensitive personal circumstances.
Assignments may involve:
Where physical observation is appropriate, surveillance can provide information that is often difficult to establish through public records alone.
Private matters are handled discreetly and according to the requirements of the jurisdiction in which work is conducted.
Surveillance is a specialist method rather than a complete answer to every private-investigation matter.
Some cases are better addressed through:
Where the requirement is broader than physical observation, our Private Investigation Services may provide the more appropriate starting point.
Surveillance and private-investigation licensing requirements are not uniform across the United States.
An assignment conducted in New York may be subject to different requirements from one undertaken in California, Florida or another state.
Conflict International USA coordinates surveillance according to the jurisdiction involved and the applicable legal and licensing requirements.
This is particularly important for matters involving several states.
Some US matters extend overseas.
An executive, business partner, litigation subject or other relevant individual may travel internationally or have significant activity outside the United States.
Where appropriate, Conflict International USA can coordinate surveillance and related enquiries through the wider Conflict International network, subject to local laws and operational requirements.
A professional report should make a clear distinction between observation and interpretation.
Our reporting can include:
We avoid presenting assumptions as facts.
If an individual cannot be reliably identified, the report should say so. If an activity is ambiguous, it should not be overstated.
We establish exactly what the client needs to understand.
We consider the location, practical issues, applicable requirements and whether surveillance is proportionate.
The surveillance approach is designed around the subject, locations and likely activity.
Observation is carried out discreetly and adapted as circumstances develop.
Relevant observations are documented clearly, together with supporting material where available.
Surveillance is most effective when it starts with a clear question.
If you require discreet surveillance in connection with litigation, an insurance claim, a corporate concern or a private matter, contact Conflict International USA to discuss an appropriate scope.
