Crisis Response &
Investigations
Protect the integrity of your business. investigate workplace complaints and cultivate a safe, equitable, harassment-free culture.
Investigating workplace complaints is required as a matter of law
FAILING TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION IS COSTLY:
- Your business may be exposed to subsequent legal action.
- You won’t be fostering a safe, harassment-free workplace.
- Employee trust, morale, and productivity will drop.
- Your business reputation will be jeopardized.
- You’ll miss the opportunity to identify and prevent future problems.
We don’t want that to happen to you. Our proven process and in-depth investigation expertise can be a critical step in avoiding a costly situation. A complaint doesn’t have to become a crisis.
Your business should be a harassment-free workplace
Our investigations are anchored in four critical principles:
TImely
There is a moral duty and legal obligation to prevent harassment. Workplace investigations must be conducted promptly to determine what happened and prevent future problems.
Impartial
Investigations are fact-finding missions. No advice is provided during the investigation because it must be impartial. Everyone in your organization is treated equally and fairly throughout the whole process.
Thorough
Investigations focus on neutral fact-finding and include a full, unbiased report. Everything we do during an investigation is a confidential record of the actions that occurred so you can make the best decision to maintain the integrity of your business.
KnowledgEable
Experienced investigators and crisis response specialists provide the skills, knowledge, and expertise you need in a crisis. Additionally, our trauma-informed investigators will identify deeper problems and communicate with empathy and compassion.
An investigation performed by the licensed attorneys at Medina McKelvey will provide you with the security, confidence, and freedom to focus on the rest of your business.
“Complaints can be scary, but employers MUST investigate them early to protect the integrity of their business and follow through on the promise they’ve made to their employees to provide a safe, harassment-free workplace.”
Chantelle Egan
Lead Investigator, Head of the Advice and Counsel Practice Group at Medina McKelvey
Former Head of Crisis Management and Investigations at National Law Firm
Your Plan to investigate complaints, find clarity, and restore confidence
Engage Medina McKelvey
1
You get access to a dedicated team of professionals who will provide a timely, neutral, and thorough investigation.
Participate in the Investigation
2
The results of our investigation will give you an impartial, detailed assessment of the incident and whether the claims have been substantiated or not.
Move Forward With Confidence
3
With the evidence presented in your impartial and detailed report, your confidence will be renewed with a strong sense of clarity and direction.
SOLUTIONS
Investigations
Experiencing a crisis? Struggling to keep up with complaints? We are here to provide support and expertise. We will work with you to determine what happened and provide you with a full, impartial report.
Training
Receive training for HR and investigative teams to make sure everyone is properly informed and able to perform quality investigations. We also provide simultaneous crisis-management counseling to facilitate internal investigations conducted by your HR team.
Audits
Work with us to conduct a privileged audit of your current investigation process to make sure it is impartial, confidential, and focused on fact finding. An audit provides the clarity you need to make the right decisions, create a strong workplace culture, and foster a harassment free workplace.
Our collective experience as litigators helps us provide a defensible investigative process and outcome. We are committed to providing knowledgeable and comprehensive investigative solutions to reveal areas of conflict and help our clients foster a safe, equitable, and harassment-free workplace.
Meet the leaders of OUr
Investigations Team
Chantelle
Egan
Partner, Lead Investigator
Chantelle Egan is the lead investigator and founding attorney of MM Investigations. While Chantelle approaches each investigation with fresh eyes and a strong commitment to each witness to understand their unique personal experience, Chantelle brings years of experience as an investigator across a wide range of industries, ranging from tech start-ups to trucking, with many of the investigations involving senior executives and board members. Chantelle applies trauma-informed investigative techniques, which builds trust between her and the witnesses, as well as enhances her ability to meaningfully weigh the nuances in each witness’s portrayal of the facts. Additionally, her prior experience litigating the adequacy of investigations and related privilege issues informs her process to ensure the investigations she conducts are neutral, thorough, and defensible. Her expertise expands into engaging, individualized training on investigations for HR teams, which emphasizes not only process but also culture building and witness connection. Leveraging her pre-law school life as an educator and actor, Chantelle provides a level of depth and engagement too often lacking in workplace trainings.
MELISSA
WHITEHEAD
PARTNER, AWI-CH
Melissa Whitehead has extensive experience conducting impartial workplace investigations across a wide range of industries on matters such as claims of sexual harassment, hostile work environment, racial discrimination, and retaliation. Melissa completed the Association of Workplace Investigators’ Training Institute’s accredited certificate program, which focused on general investigation techniques and knowledge, as well as interview, analysis, and report writing skills. Melissa excels at building trust with witnesses and relies on her litigation experience to ensure that each investigation is thorough and defensible. Melissa is also a skilled educator and trainer, and provides engaging trainings on a variety of topics, including investigations for HR teams.
Rabi
DAvid
Senior Counsel
Rabi David is a skilled investigator, whose investigative practice started when serving as a Judge Advocate General (JAG) in the United States Air Force. As a JAG, Rabi learned to methodically approach each investigation and received specialized training, including Sexual Assault Investigations Training held at the well-known Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Glynco, Georgia. At FLETC, Rabi learned cutting-edge cognitive interviewing skills with memory-refreshing sensory techniques. As a civilian attorney, Rabi continues his investigative practice, focusing on employment allegations, as well as related white-collar misconduct. Combining this broad experience and training with his easygoing demeanor has allowed Rabi to meaningfully engage with witnesses during interviews and ultimately uncover the relevant investigative facts.
Asha
lopez
ASSOCIATE
Asha Lopez is skilled at developing immediate and natural connections with witnesses when handling workplace investigations. Her innate curiosity promotes openness during interviews, enabling her to conduct thorough investigations. Asha’s empathetic approach not only builds connection and helps elicit information, but it also promotes witnesses’ trust in the investigative process. Asha has a deep sense of fairness and when not performing investigations, is committed to promoting diversity, inclusion, and educational equity within her community.
Contact Our
Investigations Team
Fill out the form on the right to get in touch with the Medina McKelvey Investigations team.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are some of the most common questions we are asked about investigations:
Can my HR consultant perform an investigation for us? Why would I hire a third party?
The only people outside your business allowed to perform investigations in California are licensed attorneys and licensed private investigators. An HR consultant does not meet those criteria.
Can you perform investigations virtually, or do they have to be in person?
Both. We can perform investigations in person or virtually.
Do all workplace complaints need to be investigated?
Employment law requires an employer to conduct a prompt, neutral, and thorough investigation of any alleged unlawful conduct, including harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. Any complaint alleging unlawful conduct or policy violations should be investigated.
Do you apply trauma-informed skills to your investigations?
Yes. Traditional indicators of credibility and certain questioning styles can be ineffective with witnesses that have experienced trauma. Our team is trained to recognize whether prior or current trauma is impacting the witness and know how to appropriately respond. We practice empathy and take great care in the process to minimize any further trauma while continuing to conduct a thorough, neutral, and prompt investigation.
What’s the process? What can we expect?
Once engaged, we begin gathering facts. We speak with the complainant, the accused, and any relevant witnesses. We ask questions to uncover any missing details and to test credibility. In addition to interviews, we analyze relevant documents, communications, and data. Once the investigation is closed, we present our impartial, fact-based conclusions.
Do you accept referrals?
Yes, we welcome referrals from other law firms and appreciate the opportunity to complement the work of our referrers.