A clear account of how Imperial PI delivers remote investigative intelligence to US clients — from overnight report turnaround and US admissibility standards through to chain-of-custody protocols and sworn declarations for American legal proceedings.
Each section below explains a core element of Imperial PI's operational model for US clients. Together, they define why our intelligence is trusted, legally defensible, and practically useful — whether for a law firm, a corporation, or a private individual navigating a sensitive matter.
One of the most practical and frequently underappreciated advantages of instructing a UK-based intelligence firm for US work is the time-zone differential. When your US-based legal team, corporate client, or individual contact ends their working day on the East Coast, our team in the United Kingdom is beginning a full overnight research cycle. Intelligence commissioned by 5pm Eastern Time can be in your inbox before 9am the following morning — fully documented, evidenced, and ready to act upon.
For law firms with urgent pre-filing research requirements, for corporate clients responding to fast-moving compliance events, or for individuals in time-sensitive personal matters, overnight delivery is not a luxury — it is often the difference between being ahead of a situation and being reactive to it. Imperial PI structures every engagement with this operational advantage firmly in mind. Where overnight turnaround is a stated requirement, we confirm feasibility in writing at the scoping stage so expectations are set clearly from the outset.
The overnight model applies across our full range of remote services: background checks, skip tracing, OSINT research packages, entity due diligence, litigation support research, and digital evidence preservation. Work that requires multi-day compilation — such as comprehensive corporate intelligence reports or complex asset tracing — is broken into deliverable phases, with interim intelligence packages provided overnight where the instruction allows it. Our clients never wait longer than necessary for actionable intelligence.
A common and entirely reasonable question from US attorneys and corporate clients is whether intelligence gathered by a UK-based firm will be usable in American legal proceedings. The short answer is yes — subject to proper documentation and your attorney's review of the specific forum — but the longer answer is important. Admissibility in US courts depends primarily on how evidence was gathered, how it was documented, and whether it can be authenticated. It does not depend on the geographic location of the investigator.
Imperial PI structures every report and evidence package with US admissibility considerations built in from the start. All research is conducted using lawful, open-source, and publicly accessible methods. We do not use deceptive pretexting, we do not intercept private communications, and we do not access private systems or data without authorisation. Every piece of intelligence in a delivered report is traceable to a lawful source, and we document that source at the time of collection — not retrospectively. This approach means that when your attorney reviews our product, they are looking at intelligence that was gathered in a manner consistent with US rules governing third-party investigators.
For matters before US federal or state courts, our evidence packages are formatted to support attorney authentication. Where a declaration of the investigator is required to accompany the evidence — as is the case in many civil proceedings and motions — we are able to provide a signed written declaration (see the Sworn Declaration section below). We also comply with the requirements of the Federal Rules of Evidence in terms of how we preserve, timestamp, and document electronically stored information gathered during investigations. For family law proceedings, our evidence packages are structured with the specific disclosure and authentication requirements of the relevant state court in mind, where those requirements are communicated to us at the scoping stage.
On data compliance: as a UK-based firm, we operate under the UK Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR. We are registered with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). When we collect personal data about US subjects as part of an engagement, we do so in compliance with our UK legal obligations — and we take care to ensure that the data we collect is limited to what is necessary for the stated investigative purpose. We do not sell data, we do not repurpose client data, and we maintain strict records of what we hold and why. US clients can request a data summary or deletion in line with our privacy policy at any time.
Every engagement conducted by Imperial PI follows a structured, intelligence-led methodology that ensures consistency of output, legal defensibility of process, and maximum evidential value for the client. We do not operate on instinct or improvise our approach to each case. We apply a defined research framework that begins with scoping, proceeds through structured open-source intelligence gathering, incorporates regular quality review at each stage, and concludes with a formally written intelligence report supported by the evidence gathered.
Our research methodology for US engagements draws on open-source intelligence (OSINT) — the systematic collection and analysis of information from publicly available sources including public records, court documents, corporate filings, property records, social media platforms, online databases, digital archives, and the wider open web. We also utilise specialist commercial databases accessible to licensed investigators and professional research services where the content is lawful to access and proportionate to the purpose. All methods are legal. All sources are documentable. None of our work involves accessing systems, accounts, or data without authorisation — activities that are not only unlawful but would render any intelligence gathered in that manner inadmissible and professionally indefensible.
Before any research begins, a written scope of work is agreed with the client and confirmed in the client agreement. This sets out what we are looking for, the specific methods to be deployed, the time frame, and the format of deliverables. Scope changes during an engagement are always agreed in writing before additional work commences. We do not expand beyond the agreed scope without client consent, and we do not pursue avenues of inquiry that were not authorised — regardless of what tangential material we may encounter. This rigour protects the client as much as it protects us. Intelligence gathered outside an authorised scope can create legal and compliance risk for the client themselves, particularly in US litigation contexts where opposing parties may challenge the basis of how evidence was obtained.
At the conclusion of each engagement, the client receives a professionally written intelligence report — not raw data, not a spreadsheet, and not an unstructured email. Reports are structured with an executive summary, a findings section organised by subject matter, source references for each key finding, a methodology section, and a chain-of-custody declaration. This format ensures the report can be reviewed, understood, and actioned by attorneys, executives, and courts without supplementary explanation.
Chain of custody is the documented, unbroken record of how evidence was collected, handled, stored, and transferred from the point of creation to its use in legal or business proceedings. In the context of digital intelligence and OSINT-based investigations, a properly maintained chain of custody is what separates useful intelligence from inadmissible or contestable evidence. Imperial PI applies chain-of-custody principles as standard on every instruction — not selectively, and not only when litigation is anticipated.
For US legal proceedings, the chain-of-custody requirement is well-established. Under the Federal Rules of Evidence, electronically stored information (ESI) must be authentic — meaning a party must be able to demonstrate that the evidence is what it purports to be, and that it has not been altered since collection. For digital evidence gathered during an investigation, this means capturing information in a manner that preserves its original state, recording the time and method of collection, documenting who accessed the material, and ensuring its secure storage until it is delivered to the client and their attorney. We meet all of these requirements as a matter of operational standard.
In practice, our chain-of-custody documentation for each piece of digital evidence includes: the date and time of collection (UTC and converted to the relevant US time zone); the source URL, database, or record set from which it was obtained; the method of preservation (screenshot, archive capture, or document download with metadata preserved); the name and role of the team member who collected it; and a log of every occasion on which the evidence was accessed or transferred from collection to delivery. Where screenshots are used, we capture the full URL and timestamp visible in the browser. Where documents are downloaded, we preserve the original file metadata. Where social media content is captured, we use archiving tools that record the live state of the page at the moment of collection.
The chain-of-custody record is included in the final intelligence report as a standalone section and is also available as a separate document for use as an exhibit in legal proceedings. If your matter requires the chain-of-custody documentation to be presented in a specific format mandated by a US court or arbitral tribunal, we ask that you provide us with that template at the scoping stage and we will comply with it. We have previously structured chain-of-custody documentation to meet the requirements of federal civil proceedings, state court disclosure rules, and arbitration proceedings administered under AAA and JAMS rules.
In many US legal proceedings — particularly in federal civil litigation, state court filings, and motions requiring the authentication of third-party evidence — attorneys are required to submit a supporting declaration from the individual who gathered or can authenticate the evidence in question. As the investigators who collected, preserved, and documented the intelligence in our reports, Imperial PI is in a position to provide a written sworn declaration on request as a supplementary deliverable to any completed engagement.
Our sworn declarations are prepared in compliance with 28 U.S.C. § 1746, which governs unsworn declarations under penalty of perjury for use in US federal proceedings. A declaration prepared under this provision carries the same legal weight as a notarised affidavit — without requiring a notary public — provided it contains the statutory declaration of truthfulness and is signed by the declarant. For state court proceedings where a notarised affidavit is specifically required rather than an unsworn declaration, we are able to arrange notarisation of the declaration through established UK notarial procedures, producing a document that can be apostilled under the Hague Convention for use in US state proceedings.
The declaration covers: the identity and professional credentials of the investigator; the nature of the engagement and the scope of the research conducted; the specific methods used to gather each category of evidence; the dates on which evidence was collected; the chain-of-custody record for each item of evidence being authenticated; and a statement that the evidence was gathered lawfully, using open-source and publicly accessible methods, without interception of private communications or unauthorised access to any system or account. Where the declaration accompanies a specific exhibit — for example, a screenshot of social media content or a preserved digital document — it will include a direct reference to that exhibit and confirm the manner and timing of its capture.
Sworn declarations are provided as a standalone document formatted for filing as an exhibit or annexure to the relevant court document or motion. We ask that your instructing attorney advises us of the specific court, the nature of the proceeding, and any prescribed format or content requirements at the time the declaration is requested. Where a declaration is required urgently to meet a filing deadline, we will prioritise its preparation and aim to deliver within 24 hours of receiving the full briefing from your legal team. There is an additional fee for sworn declaration preparation, confirmed in writing at the time of instruction.
Every engagement is underpinned by formal accreditation, regulatory compliance, and independently verified professional standards. Our credentials are not decorative — they define the framework within which every instruction is handled.
Imperial PI operates in full compliance with the Association of British Investigators Code of Conduct — the UK's foremost professional standard governing lawful methods, data handling, and ethical investigative conduct.
theabi.org.uk →Registered with the UK Information Commissioner's Office under the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018. All personal data processed during engagements is handled lawfully, securely, and proportionately.
ico.org.uk →Full Professional Indemnity Insurance and Public Liability Insurance held and maintained on all active engagements. Certificate of insurance available on request.
View Certificate →All reports and evidence are gathered, preserved, and documented to civil and criminal admissibility standards. Full chain-of-custody provided on every instruction, regardless of whether legal proceedings are anticipated.
Our Chain of Custody →All engagements are conducted in strict compliance with the UK Data Protection Act 2018. Case records retained for six years then securely destroyed. Your data is never shared with third parties.
Privacy Policy →A published formal complaints policy with clear escalation procedures. All complaints acknowledged within two working days and resolved in writing. Our commitment to accountability is unconditional.
Complaints Policy →-Mar-02-2026-08-47-56-2690-PM.jpg?width=120&height=50&name=imperial_pi_logo%20(1)-Mar-02-2026-08-47-56-2690-PM.jpg)