Defined scope · fixed timeline

Project investigations
with a defined board.

One question, a date, and a document someone can stand on. For the matter that should not become a standing team.

When a project is the right shape

  • A question with an end: a person, a company, a document, a weekend of events
  • A pre-deal or counterparty review that has to land before a decision
  • Crisis support that needs a senior team this week, not a hiring process
  • A written product for a board, a general counsel, or a principal

What defined means

Scope is the question and the sources that are in bounds. Timeline is a date both sides can see. Deliverable is the memo, the brief, or the other written record agreed at the start. If the question grows, the scope is rewritten. It is not quietly expanded.

Crisis tempo

Rapid-turn work is still scoped. The call is shorter and the first product is tighter. Sensitive facts stay off the web form. If you need an NDA before anyone hears the problem, say so in the form and keep the description general.

Project or retainer

Choose a project when the matter ends. Choose fractional OSINT when someone has to keep watching after the memo. A project can be the way a new client starts. It does not obligate a retainer, and a retainer is not required to get a senior team on a single problem.

The underlying work may be private investigation, due diligence, threat hunting, or a protective assessment. The commercial wrapper is what makes it a project.

Related

Private investigationLicensed DC private detective work for counsel and principals: public records, OSINT, and litigation support. Due diligenceAppointee-grade vetting of people, companies, and counterparties, past a standard background check. For law firmsHow Washington and New York counsel retain the practice, and what the firm will not do.

Know the board before you move.

Confidential 30-minute scoping call. An NDA is available before it. We reply within one business day.

Request a briefing

FAQ

Questions counsel ask first.

When a project fits, and how it differs from a retainer.

What is a project investigation?

A single engagement with a defined scope, timeline, and deliverable. It suits one-time investigations, pre-deal reviews, rapid-turn crisis support, and board-ready written products.

How fast can a project start?

The contact form asks whether the need is this week, within 30 days, or exploratory. Rook replies within one business day to schedule a 30-minute scoping call. Urgent matters should say so, and should still leave sensitive details off the form.

How is a project priced?

By the project, after the scoping call. Rates are not published. The alternative commercial model is a fractional monthly retainer for ongoing work.

Can counsel direct a project?

Yes. Law firms in Washington, DC and New York regularly direct scoped investigations. Privilege and work product are questions for that firm. Rook can sign an NDA before the call.