A New York client came to us during a contract dispute with three individuals, two of whom he suspect of being linked to organized crime in Russia. A press and database search revealed no direct evidence of this, but databases did indicate that one of the men had served time in prison two decades before on weapons charges. What did this mean?

We interviewed more than a dozen people, including the retired prosecutor in the case and the arresting police officer (also retired), as well as most of the many litigation opponents these men had had over the previous 20 years. While most such opponents had settled with the men and were reluctant to talk to us, one former employee of the men appeared unafraid of take the men on in court.

While we could never deliver an unqualified report about the existence of criminal links, the texture we were able to provide about the arrest and the relationships the men had had over 20 years helped our client make a much more informed decision about how to approach litigation involving his partnership.