Corporate matters usually arrive as a question that cannot be asked internally. Whether a supplier relationship is what it appears to be. Whether a departing executive took more than their belongings. Whether a partner is trading against the business. The common thread is that asking the question inside the organisation would itself cause damage.
We provide business investigations in Sydney and throughout New South Wales, for private clients, law firms, insurers and employers.
How we run business investigations in Sydney
We scope tightly, because corporate investigations that sprawl become expensive without becoming conclusive. Due diligence on counterparties, examination of internal fraud and conflicts of interest, intellectual property and confidential information matters, and compliance investigations. Where employees are involved the workplace rules of the relevant jurisdiction apply in full, and we settle that position before beginning rather than discovering it afterwards.
What New South Wales law means for this work
Investigation work in New South Wales requires a Class 2E licence under the Security Industry Act 1997, administered by NSW Police through the Security Licensing and Enforcement Directorate. The old Commercial Agents and Private Inquiry Agents Act 2004 was repealed on 1 July 2022, so a licence issued under that Act is no longer the relevant authority. Ask any operator what they hold and when it was issued.
New South Wales has a dedicated Workplace Surveillance Act 2005 and it is strict. Employers must give notice before surveillance of workers begins. Surveillance in change rooms and bathrooms is prohibited outright. Critically, covert workplace surveillance requires a covert surveillance authority issued by a Magistrate, and conducting it without one is an offence regardless of what the surveillance uncovers.
Section 7 prohibits recording or monitoring a private conversation you are not a party to. There are exceptions where all principal parties consent, or where one principal party consents and the recording is reasonably necessary to protect that party’s lawful interests.
None of that is a formality. The rules differ genuinely between Australian jurisdictions, and evidence gathered outside them is frequently inadmissible and can expose the person who gathered it. Working inside the NSW framework is what makes the result usable.
The federal statutory tort of serious invasion of privacy, which commenced on 10 June 2025 under Schedule 2 of the Privacy Act 1988, applies on top of NSW law and contains no exemption for private investigators.
This is general information about how we operate, not legal advice. For advice on your circumstances, speak with your lawyer.
What you receive
You receive findings written for a board or a general counsel, with the evidence for each conclusion identified and the limits of the enquiry stated. Where a matter needs to move to litigation or to a regulator, the material is already in a form that supports it.
Where we work in New South Wales
Sydney divides operationally into the CBD and inner south, the inner west, the eastern suburbs, the lower and upper north shore, the northern beaches, the Hills district, Parramatta and the greater west through Blacktown and Penrith, the south west through Liverpool and Macarthur, and the south through St George and the Sutherland Shire. Beyond the metropolitan area we work Newcastle and the Hunter, Wollongong and the Illawarra, the Central Coast, the mid north coast, the northern rivers, New England, the central west and the Riverina.
Where the evidence ends up
- Local Court of New South Wales. Summary crime, apprehended violence orders and civil claims to $100,000.
- District Court of New South Wales. Indictable crime other than murder and treason, civil claims to $1.25 million, and unlimited jurisdiction for motor accident claims.
- Supreme Court of New South Wales. Unlimited civil jurisdiction and the most serious criminal matters.
- NCAT. Tenancy, consumer and commercial disputes, guardianship and occupational discipline.
- Personal Injury Commission. Motor accidents and workers compensation, where most insurer commissioned evidence in this state is tested.
- Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. Family law is federal, so a family matter runs under Commonwealth law even though the conduct investigated is governed by NSW rules.
Frequently asked questions
Can you investigate without staff knowing?
Frequently yes for counterparty and external matters. Where the subject is an employee, the position depends on the jurisdiction and can require a court authority before covert steps are taken. We establish that at the outset.
How do we keep this contained?
Narrow scope, a single point of contact, and reporting arrangements agreed in advance. Most leaks in corporate investigations come from the client side rather than the investigator, so containment is designed at the start.
Do you cover regional New South Wales as well as Sydney?
Yes. Sydney work can generally be mobilised faster and at lower cost. Regional work carries travel time and expense, and we will tell you honestly whether the likely result justifies it before you commit.
Talk to us about a NSW matter
Every enquiry starts with a confidential conversation about what you actually need, and sometimes that conversation ends with us saying an investigation is not warranted. Call 1300 792 283 or get in touch for a free consultation and a written quote before any work begins.
See also Business Investigations in Melbourne, our New South Wales coverage and our Sydney page.