Consulting
Internal Investigations
Employee misconduct can tarnish a company's reputation, cause financial losses, and negatively impact employee morale. Internal investigations can be an effective means of deterring and uncovering these risks. Done right, internal investigations improve regulatory compliance, deter regulatory intervention, and reduce the risk of lawsuits against the company. The Heekin Law Firm's lawyers include a Certified Fraud Examiner and are well-versed in the ways in which electronic evidence can be altered, hidden, and recovered. The firm has experience investigating theft of trade secrets, fraud, financial improprieties, unfair competition, intentional interference with prospective economic advantage and other business torts.
Electronic Evidence Management
The Heekin Law Firm has led the way in Oregon with electronic evidence management. We consult with business owners and in-house counsel to help them decide when they have to save electronic records, what they have to save, and for how long. We work with IT, HR, department heads, records managers, in-house counsel, and outside counsel to establish a streamlined communication system to avoid losing track of employees who have relevant evidence and to ensure that all the right people receive notices to preserve evidence. We recommend legally defensible processes and establish methods for collecting electronic evidence that maintain a complete and uncompromised chain of custody. We evaluate, recommend, and negotiate with electronic discovery service providers, computer forensic experts, hosting services, and electronic discovery software vendors. In the end, we recommend the most cost-effective tools, methods, providers, and experts based upon the size and value of the case and our client's resources. Ultimately, we protect companies from unwanted attention and fines due to electronic document litigation disasters.