Interviews

Birthday for firm of investigators

by Mark Rowe

The West Midland-based commercial detective agency Expert Investigations Ltd is celebrating 15 years in business. Pictured are Fred Wilkins, Senior Investigating Officer, and David Kearns.

Having seen off the recession, the company recently reported a tenfold increase in profits.

The agency carries out investigations for small, medium and large companies across all sectors. Investigations include Trojan Horse – an organised campaign to target schools by Islamists, to Shakespeare Classic Line – narrow boat fraudulent timeshare, and the Julie Nickerson fraud – where an employee stole over £2m from the company.

The company was established in 2000 by former Warwickshire police intelligence officer David Kearns. Employing two others, the firm offered surveillance and observations, computer data forensics, undercover investigations, covert vehicle tracking, and debugging for the commercial, public, legal, and housing sectors.

The company within weeks were appointed to carry out work for a solicitor’s firm who, 15 years later they still work closely with. Expert was appointed to work on multiple high profile covert operations and the business by 2003 grew to ten people. Cutbacks in the manufacturing and commercial sector led to lean times for the firm, but between 2012-2014 Expert soon reported a tenfold increase in net profit.

With two offices based in the West Midlands (Birmingham and Coventry), Expert specialises in confidential investigations into issues such as fraud, theft and employment issues, including breach of contracts and restricted covenants. The firm now has further offices in London and Leeds. Some 38 investigators include an former police detectives from the National Crime Squad, Special Branch and Economic Crime Teams and former military officers from the Special Air Service and Royal Marines.

Expert is looking to expand its UK footprint with the opening of an office in Bristol next year. Eileen Schofield, Principal Solicitor of Schofield & Associates and former President of the Birmingham Law Society, said: “Schofield & Associates was one of the first to call upon the services of Expert Investigations Ltd and over the years, we have continued to work together. The nature of the investigations undertaken by Expert Investigations Ltd is highly confidential and sensitive and the company always applies the highest integrity in their work. I have always found the team to be consummate professionals; they simply get the job done with the least amount of fuss.”

David Kearns, MD of Expert Investigations Ltd said: “I am immensely proud of what my team has achieved through dedication and hard work. We’ve been through tough times but we have managed to come out the other side in a very strong position and we’re looking forward to the next 15 years with just as much enthusiasm. Expert Investigations Ltd prides itself on its customer focussed, professional approach. The company’s extensive knowledge comes from using investigators who have only come from a police and military background, so are well versed in the law and how best to tackle an investigation in the strictest of confidentiality.” Visit www.expert-investigations.co.uk.

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