Case Studies: Business Services

A Software Pirate Located and Litigation Targets Identified

An attorney for DCW Data contacted Trace Investigations to locate a former sales representative, Jason A. Blair. DCW believed he was now operating his own business using DCW’s proprietary management and marketing software that he had pirated when he left the company. In addition to the name, we had a former residential address, now vacated. A neighborhood canvas, background investigation and property record research led us to a major metropolitan area where Jason Blair had relocated and established a new business venture, JAB & Associates. Trace Investigations identified two business partners who were heading the new company’s sales and marketing; and we identified a partial vendor and client list. Further investigation and interviews established that the new venture was indeed using DCW’s proprietary software. DCW was now able to seek redress in court for the theft of their intellectual property.

Result: JAB & Associates was forced to settle with DCW Data and cease all use of DCW’s proprietary software. DCW recovered all attorney and investigation fees.

 


 

Counterfeit Products Seized and Litigation Targets Identified

A valuable client, the legal department of a major U.S. manufacturer of designer accessories for women and men, contacted Trace Investigations with another tip: an indoor flea market near the state border had a display cabinet with several knock-offs of their designer handbags, athletic shoes and sunglasses. We dispatched an investigation team and confirmed the presence of the items. The flea market was a large warehouse style building offering spaces to vendors to display their wares. The display cabinet we were interested in was locked and the vendor was not present. We convinced the manager on duty to provide us with contact information for the vendor and we phoned him. After several minutes on the phone we told him if he did not grant permission for us to confiscate the counterfeit merchandise, we would phone the sheriff’s office and file a criminal complaint. He relented and we confiscated all the items. In our subsequent report, we provided the client with full details on not only the vendor’s identity but the owner of the flea market and the building.

Result: Dilution of a famous brand was prevented by the destruction of inferior counterfeit merchandise. Investigation and litigation expenses were recovered in settlement.

 


 

A Spurious Job Reference Exposed; A Sexual Predator’s Past Uncovered

Trace Investigations was recommended to a law firm representing an out-of-state school district. The district was investigating allegations of sexual misconduct by a new coach for one of their girls’ ball teams. The teacher had a good reference from a school district in Indiana, but the attorney suspected that he had been promised a favorable job reference if he would resign and leave the state, in order to avoid a sexual misconduct scandal. We were asked to investigate. After several days of investigation and with the assistance of local confidential sources, several victims of the former teacher were identified. Most of these young women were now in college and they – and some of their parents – were willing to testify that when the girls were in high school, their former coach had sexually molested them. They all had lived to regret the agreement with the school district to cover-up the scandal and to allow the teacher to resign without prosecution. We obtained notarized statements from the young women and forwarded an in-depth investigation report of the teacher’s local history.

Result: Our client proved they had been deceived before hiring the teacher, mitigating their financial liability. The teacher was prosecuted and convicted as a sex offender. His former victims in Indiana obtained satisfaction that he was finally held accountable.

 

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All names have been changed for privacy concerns.