Internal Ethics & White Collar Investigations

There may come a time in an organization’s existence when something goes wrong — sometimes really wrong. If an employee, executive, director, contractor, or other affiliate commits misconduct, the incident may expose the organization to financial or criminal liability. The event may become a breaking news story for every news outlet and social media feed.

Internal Investigations

Adverse events happen, no matter how careful, complete, or rigorous a company’s oversight, handbooks, and operating procedures. Commonplace examples include an employee using the company credit card for personal purchases, a supervisor harassing a subordinate, an employee hurt on a construction site, an executive committing insider trading, or someone violating OSHA, FDA, FDIC, FEC, FAR, FINRA, or any of the hundreds of other federal, state, and local agency regulations.

If something goes wrong, your company, brand, livelihood, and future are on the line. You need to know what happened and be on top of the events, so when the world knocks on your door, you have answers. Having the most complete and accurate answers mitigates criminal, civil, and tort liabilities, as well as social pain and embarrassment.

Quickly recognizing and investigating the allegations before outside organizations (and government agencies) get involved allows you to take immediate and appropriate action, get “ahead of the narrative”, and avoid surprises. In the rare case the misconduct was egregious or criminal, having an independent, complete, and thorough investigation to provide to law enforcement or an oversight agency gives that agency evidence to support recommendations against organizational penalties, fines, and litigation.

Our Experience

The attorneys at MNB Meridian Law have defended against and prosecuted hundreds of internal investigations into employee misconduct, financial crimes, sexual assault and harassment allegations, and organizational-wide matters that were the focus of public attention for months.

The crucial key to successful investigations is taking proactive measures to understand what happened as quickly as possible. Using that information, your organization can take appropriate, legally defensible, and unbiased action based on established laws, regulations, and company policies and procedures. Only then can you have comfort in knowing your assets are protected and liability minimized. MNB Meridian Law attorneys can help you get there.

Contact Us for Internal Investigation Assistance

For assistance with an internal investigation, please contact us by calling 215-268-3003 or using the online contact form. With offices in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Alexandria, Virginia, MNB Meridian Law serves clients throughout the United States and around the globe.

What We've Done

Navy Sailor’s Other Than Honorable Discharge Upgraded

A former Army Soldier was discharged in 1986 with an other than honorable characterization after attacking a foreign civilian during a psychotic event. Despite 6-months of inpatient treatment for schizophrenia after the incident, the Army preferred charges for the attack. On the advice of and through counsel and despite of his debilitated mental st…

Navy Sailor Retained after Positive Urinalysis for Prescribed Medication

A Navy Sailor with 8-years of service tested positive for oxycodone after being prescribed and taking hydrocodone after surgery. He went before the Mast, was reduced one rank, and placed on restriction and extra duty for 45-days. Due to “Big Navy” policy to process all positive urinalysis for administrative separation, and given his time in ser…

Former Navy Seaman from Korean War with PTSD

In 1953, while aboard ship, a former Navy Seaman with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) from a motor vehicle accident was repeatedly raped by his first line supervisor. The Sailor admitted to heroin use to deal with the stress of the rapes and developed what we now know to be Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). He was administratively separated and d…

Army Warrant Officer Receives Unanimous Decision from the ABCMR

Army Warrant Officer was accused of a sexual assault in a restaurant restroom. Army Criminal Investigation Division conducted a clumsy and partial investigation that substantiated the allegations against the Warrant Officer. As a result, the Warrant Officer was issued a Memorandum of Reprimand and had his security clearance suspended, which resulte…

Former Air Force Airman Punished because of Relationship

An Air Force Security Forces Airman received a General (under honorable conditions) discharge after being implicated through the “rumor mill” as having been a “friend with benefits” to the Airman arrested for leading a drug trafficking ring from within the base’s Security Forces office. MNB Attorneys successfully argued to the Air Force D…
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