Expert, independent workplace investigations

Independent Workplace Investigator for Complex and Sensitive HR Investigations: London and Nationwide

Independent Workplace Investigations: Complex, Sensitive and High-Stakes Matters

I conduct independent, external workplace investigations for organisations that need a thorough, impartial and legally rigorous investigation into serious or sensitive allegations. My work regularly involves the most complex and high-stakes investigations: allegations against CEOs, board members, directors and senior executives, matters involving sexual misconduct, bullying and harassment, whistleblowing, fraud and dishonesty, and cases where the reputational and legal consequences of getting the investigation wrong are significant.

I am based in London but conduct investigations throughout the United Kingdom and will travel wherever the work requires.

Why Instruct an External Independent Investigator?

When a serious allegation arises, the instinct of many organisations is to handle it internally. In straightforward cases, that may be appropriate. In complex, sensitive or high-profile matters, it carries real risk.

Internal investigators, however capable and well-intentioned, may be perceived as conflicted. They may be subject to organisational pressure, conscious or otherwise, that affects their conclusions. They may lack the specialist skills needed to conduct a rigorous investigation into a serious allegation. And if the investigation is later challenged in an employment tribunal or regulatory proceeding, the quality of the process will be scrutinised closely.

An experienced, independent external investigator removes those risks. The process is visibly impartial. The conclusions are grounded in evidence rather than organisational expectation. And the report is defensible under the kind of scrutiny that follows when matters escalate.

A thorough investigation also gives you something equally valuable: an accurate picture of what actually happened. That gives you the opportunity to address any shortcomings, correct any failures, and make properly informed strategic decisions, rather than having the truth emerge for the first time in a tribunal hearing.

What Makes My Approach Different

I tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear

Some investigators deliver the conclusions an organisation is hoping for. I do not work that way. My commitment is to the facts. That means reporting findings accurately, however uncomfortable they may be, and making conclusions that are grounded in evidence rather than expectation. Organisations that instruct me get an honest picture of their situation, which is the only basis on which sound strategic decisions can be made.

I bring a decision-maker’s perspective to the evidence

I have sat as a judge, arbitrator and decision-maker across more than 1,000 cases in various forums over more than twenty years. That experience fundamentally shapes the way I approach an investigation. I know how evidence is assessed by tribunals and courts. I know what arguments will succeed and what will fail. I know how credibility is evaluated and what inconsistencies matter. I approach every investigation with that perspective from the outset, building a report that is designed to withstand exactly the kind of scrutiny it may face if matters proceed further.

Fixed fees protect you from escalating costs

I usually agree a fixed fee for workplace investigations. This gives you cost certainty from the outset and protects you from the open-ended billing that can make complex investigations financially unpredictable. All my proposals include audio recordings and verbatim transcripts of interviews as standard.

Genuine breadth of experience across sectors and allegations

I have conducted investigations for some of the UK’s largest and most prominent organisations, with particular experience in the academic, healthcare, financial services, technology and construction sectors. The allegations I have investigated range from sexual misconduct and bullying at board level to whistleblowing, fraud, unauthorised leaks to the press and covert recordings of board meetings. That breadth of experience means I am rarely surprised by what an investigation reveals, and I am well placed to handle whatever emerges with the appropriate skill and judgment.

Commercial and organisational understanding

Before qualifying as a lawyer, I had a career in commerce, including as a money market trader and as the founder of three businesses. That background gives me a practical understanding of how organisations work, how pressures operate at leadership level, and how to build effective working relationships with the people I interview, whatever their seniority or background.

Who I Investigate For

I am instructed by HR directors, general counsel, chief executives, boards and trustees across a wide range of organisations, including private companies, public sector bodies, charities, non-governmental organisations, academic institutions, healthcare organisations and financial services firms. I am also instructed by employment law firms to conduct investigations on behalf of their clients.

I can be engaged directly or through your solicitor. If you would like to discuss training for your HR team or managers in how to conduct investigations internally, I also offer workplace investigation training.

Types of Allegations and Complaints I Investigate

The allegations and complaints I have investigated include sexual misconduct, sexual harassment and obscene imagery, bullying and harassment at all levels including board and CEO level, whistleblowing and protected disclosures, fraud, theft and financial misconduct, dishonesty and breach of trust, unauthorised leaks to the press, covert recordings of board and senior leadership meetings, exposing the organisation to significant financial or reputational risk, misconduct connected to mental health issues or substance dependencies, running a personal business from an employer’s premises, bringing the employer into disrepute, unfair or procedurally flawed grievance processes, and breach of confidentiality and data protection obligations.

Case Studies

Case Study 1: Investigation into a CEO facing 68 allegations

I was instructed by the board of a high-profile campaigning organisation to investigate a series of allegations against the CEO. The allegations had been received from multiple sources and covered a wide range of conduct.

The CEO was alleged to have promoted or permitted a culture of parties and heavy alcohol consumption, to have possessed and consumed illegal drugs and supplied them to staff and interns, to have acted in a dominant and aggressive manner, creating a culture of fear, using public criticism and humiliation, and reacting disproportionately to minor issues. Further allegations concerned his treatment of specific individuals and a serious incident in which he was alleged to have supplied drugs to an employee of the board and to have subsequently sought to influence members of the senior leadership team in their handling of that incident.

The investigation involved 29 interviews. The investigation report ran to 211 pages and the evidence bundle to 671 pages.

Case Study 2: Grievance investigation for a global NGO involving 32 allegations spanning seven years

I was instructed by a high-profile global non-governmental organisation to investigate a grievance brought by a member of staff against the divisional equivalent of a CEO. The allegations spanned the period from 2012 to 2019 and covered a wide range of conduct.

The allegations included that the subject had pursued the complainant for a sexual relationship and had sexually assaulted and harassed her over the full period, attended her home uninvited, offered her money and bought her gifts, made inappropriate comments about her clothing and appearance, discriminated against her religion, denied her work opportunities, wrongly refused flexible working and compensatory time off, and made offensive comments about her personal characteristics.

I was asked to examine, evaluate and determine the veracity of each allegation and whether the conduct found proved amounted to misconduct under the organisation’s staff rules and regulations. 23 allegations were found factually proved and amounted to misconduct. Four were found not to amount to misconduct. Five were not proved. The investigation involved two key witnesses and 14 additional witnesses. The investigation report ran to 200 pages and the evidence bundle to just over 1,000 pages.

Further Examples

Other investigations I have conducted include allegations of sexual harassment against the managing director of a global investment bank, allegations that a CEO and director conspired to remove another director unfairly, a three-way grievance and cross-grievances by a senior manager against the chair of the regional board of a national sporting body involving bullying and aggressive behaviour, a 14-element bullying and harassment grievance by a sales director against the managing director of a local authority commercial subsidiary, and bullying and harassment grievances by multiple staff members against the managing director of a trade union subsidiary, followed by cover-up and dishonesty allegations arising from the investigation itself.

Grievance, Disciplinary and Appeal Chairing

In addition to conducting investigations, I act as an independent chair for grievance hearings, disciplinary hearings and appeals. This is a related but distinct service, particularly valuable where an investigation has been completed and the organisation needs an independent chair to conduct the subsequent hearing with the same rigour and impartiality.

You can find full details of this service on my Grievance and Disciplinary Chair page.

A relevant case study involving my role as independent appeal chair for a long-established academic institution, covering allegations of breach of confidentiality, GDPR and bullying and harassment, is available here.

Training for HR Teams and Managers

If your organisation wants to build internal investigation capability, I offer workplace and corporate investigation training for HR professionals, managers and internal investigators. The training covers planning investigations, drafting allegations, interviewing witnesses, assessing evidence and credibility, and producing clear and defensible investigation reports.

What My Clients Say

“Your diligence in thoroughly analysing and interrogating all the allegations, the very high quality of the investigation report and the overall investigative process were worlds apart from a previous investigation I had a different external consultant carry out earlier in the year. You will be the first person I come to. Very many thanks.” Client for whom I conducted a board-level workplace investigation

“Very impressed with how well you handled the case. Clear, focused and patient as a fact-finder dealing with a wide range of evidence. I feel the participants trusted that you were fair and open. In the later discussions you helped people to reach a clear understanding of the issues involved. That led to a resolution of issues that worked for all parties. It was a masterclass.” Annie Conboy, party representative at a disciplinary hearing

“Professional and courteous. We could not recommend Robin highly enough.”

“Highly recommended. Truly appreciated his professionalism.”

“Goes way above and beyond the norm.”

“Up to speed amazingly quickly.”