Due Diligence

GCI’s experienced, practitioner-led team provides investigative due diligence services to discerning clients. 

As an independent boutique, we treat each engagement as a distinct investigative project, not a routine aggregation of database results. Our work is tailored to each client’s priorities. 

Fundamentally, due diligence is about managing risk. Surface-level vetting tends to reveal only basic findings, like a criminal history or adverse media coverage, while failing to unearth and address more subtle risk indicators, such as conflicts of interest, discrepancies, or inflated biographical claims. Such a cursory diligence review can actually be dangerous, creating a false sense of security that invariably leads to problems down the road.

GCI excels on high-stakes and complex projects where basic due diligence may fall short. By staffing our team with experienced investigators who are dedicated to producing thorough and thoughtful research, we ensure that all material risks are captured and deliver results that you can trust.

GCI combines public records and online research with human source interviews, conducted by our in-house team in most situations. This is a key differentiator, because many other firms rely on external contractors to gather human intelligence, creating silos. GCI’s combined and holistic approach leads to deeper insights and more valuable intelligence than other providers can offer.

Pre-Transaction / M&A Due Diligence

Investors, attorneys, corporations, and family offices depend on GCI to provide comprehensive due diligence research related to significant corporate transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, public offerings, and strategic partnerships.

GCI’s pre-transaction due diligence focuses on:

  • The integrity and track record of key individuals

  • Verification of credentials

  • Legal history and financial distress indicators

  • Network mapping

  • Conflicts of interests

  • Regulatory, political or reputational risk exposure. 

The scope of research and focus areas for each report can be tailored to each engagement to ensure alignment with the risks that matter most, and delivery of truly actionable insights. GCI’s typical scope includes thorough research of public records and traditional media; social media and digital investigation; and confidential interviews with human sources. 

Anti-Corruption (FCPA) and Sanctions Due Diligence

An effective and risk-based approach to due diligence is necessary for compliance with anti-corruption laws like the FCPA and the U.K. Bribery Act, as well as sanctions regimes, trade restrictions, and other laws and regulations. With an increased regulatory focus on Transnational Crime Organizations (TCOs) and Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), due diligence has become both more important and more challenging. 

GCI’s team combines investigative rigor with deep expertise in international business and politics to deliver sophisticated and thorough due diligence services. We are focused on high-stakes, high-risk matters that require a bespoke project plan and a deep level of investigation.

Can you move forward with a third party, or do you have to end an otherwise beneficial relationship due to compliance risks? That is often a fraught decision that requires a nuanced understanding of the facts on the ground. Along with our research reports, GCI provides an open line of communication to the specific investigator leading the engagement, for seamless coordination and ongoing support. 

GCI has a special regional focus on the Americas and the Middle East, with additional global capabilities. Our full-time, in-house team, works with a highly effective international partner network that provides local, on-the-ground support to deliver in-depth research. 

Executive and Board Director Vetting

GCI supports investors, corporations, and attorneys with deep background research on executives and board candidates. We work closely with clients’ counsel or human resources team to ensure all vetting is done thoroughly and in compliance with applicable regulations.

GCI excels in situations where a client needs a deep and nuanced understanding of an individual’s true strengths, weaknesses, and risks before making a critical appointment.

GCI’s team conducts both desktop-based research and confidential human source interviews in-house, rather than separating these functions into silos. The result is actionable intelligence and reliable answers to the most essential questions.

Case Studies - Scrubbed Online Presence 

GCI examined a financial industry professional who had major integrity red flags in his background, but who had also hired a reputation management firm to scrub these results from the internet. Standard court searches and open web searches found no mentions of the severe personal conduct allegations. GCI used advanced commercial research databases and web archives to uncover the facts and peel back the façade that had obscured the truth.

Case Studies - Subtle Weaknesses in Leadership Style 

GCI conducted in-depth human source interviews focused on a highly successful and well-respected startup founder. While no integrity risks were discovered, multiple sources noted that the founder tended to be overly loyal to their longtime business associates, potentially holding back the company’s future evolution and growth. These insights, unavailable in the public record, were material to a prospective investor.