— TIER III · SPECIALIZED COUNSEL

Drawing directly on the U.S. Secret Service Office of Professional Responsibility.

Privileged advisory on the design and conduct of internal misconduct, integrity, and fact-finding inquiries — by an advisor who personally led the federal division responsible for this work.

A federal-grade investigator's desk with case files, witness sequencing notes, and legal-pad annotations.

— I.

What this is

Privileged advisory on the design and conduct of internal misconduct inquiries, integrity investigations, fact-finding reviews, and senior-level employee inquiries. Scope spans investigative posture, witness sequencing, interview discipline, evidence handling, suicide-prevention and welfare-of-subject protocols, documentation standards, and the legal coordination that determines whether findings will hold up under subsequent review.

Most engagements proceed under attorney-client privilege from the first call — structured through the client's general counsel or outside counsel. The objective is an inquiry that produces an honest result, conducted in a manner that survives audit, litigation, or board scrutiny.

General counsel and a chief compliance officer conferring on the design of a sensitive internal matter.

— II.

Who this serves

General counsel managing a sensitive internal matter where in-house capability is the wrong fit — for reasons of seniority, neutrality, or specialization. Boards or audit committees facing a matter that touches the C-suite. CHROs and chief compliance officers navigating an inquiry that crosses HR, security, and legal jurisdictions. Outside counsel retained on the underlying matter who require an experienced investigations posture as part of the broader engagement.

The firm does not conduct the underlying investigation as a hired investigator. It advises on how to conduct it correctly. That distinction is intentional, and it preserves the privilege of the client's counsel.

What is delivered

Deliverables:

Investigation framework, interview protocols, written advisory or final report

Briefing:

Private briefing for counsel, board, or executive sponsors

Timeline:

Variable by matter; structured engagements typically 4 – 12 weeks

Fee structure:

Hourly or fixed-scope; retainer available for ongoing programs

Privilege:

Engagement structured under attorney-client privilege through counsel

Privacy:

No record retained beyond engagement; document destruction on request

Mr. Deetz at his desk with the advisory playbook and case notes.

The qualification

Mr. Deetz personally led the U.S. Secret Service's Inspection Division within the Office of Professional Responsibility — a thirty-person federal division conducting sensitive internal investigations, integrity inquiries, mission assurance reviews, and background investigations of the agency's senior executives. Few private advisors in the National Capital Region carry the direct discipline of this work.

Adjacent counsel where privilege and discretion are operating conditions.

— i.
Insider Threat Program Development
Programs built on three decades of conducting the inquiries themselves.
— ii.
Security Expert Witness
Standard-of-care opinions from a former federal Special Agent in Charge.
— iii.
Workplace Violence Prevention
Threat assessment teams trained on the early signals.

For matters where the cost of error is not measured in dollars.

Schedule a confidential consultation