Corporate Investigation Companies in the UK: Guide to Providers (2026)
AC
Acumon Chartered Accountants·13 min read
Corporate investigations can involve anything from suspected employee fraud and accounting irregularities to bribery, whistleblower allegations, asset tracing and regulatory scrutiny. The firms below approach this work differently, with some centred on forensic accounting and others combining corporate intelligence, digital forensics, compliance and investigative research. This guide is a practical selection rather than a ranking.
Acumon
Acumon is a UK firm of chartered accountants providing expert forensic audit and corporate investigation services investigating financial discrepancies, fraud, and financial misconduct.
The firm works with investors, employers, businesses, and parties in disputes (including director and shareholder disputes) to establish what happened, where money or assets went, quantify losses, and support recovery, settlement, litigation, or regulatory action.
Forensic engagements are delivered discreetly to preserve confidentiality and minimise conflict, using structured techniques including extraction and interrogation of accounting data from ERP or ledger systems, funds-flow analysis, reconstruction of incomplete or manipulated records, review of contracts and approvals, and loss quantification.
Acumon combines the resources of a full-service mid-tier London audit practice (with a team of experienced professionals, more than half of whom previously worked at leading international accounting firms) with personalised senior attention. The firm’s experience as a company audit firm, charity audit firm, and holder of a Public Interest Entity (PIE) audit licence means the team recognises both sound controls and how fraud can be concealed. Findings are documented to a standard suitable for legal proceedings, regulatory actions, or insurance claims, and the firm works alongside clients’ solicitors throughout.
In addition to reactive investigations, Acumon provides anti-fraud services covering fraud risk assessment, prevention and detection controls, whistleblowing frameworks, and investigations. These support readiness for the failure-to-prevent-fraud offence under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (in force since September 2025).
Every forensic engagement concludes with practical recommendations on control weaknesses so the same issues cannot recur; as a full-service firm, Acumon’s audit and advisory teams can then help implement those improvements.
Corporate Investigation Capabilities:
Acumon provides forensic audit, fraud investigation, and related corporate investigation services across a range of situations involving financial discrepancies and misconduct.
These include:
Investigations supporting investors, employers, and parties in disputes (including divorce proceedings)
Asset recovery assistance
Tracing the flow of funds or assets to their ultimate destination
Determination of what occurred with assets and the mechanism of their movement
Identification of deficiencies in business controls and processes
Fraud investigation (employee, payroll, supplier, and management fraud)
Loss quantification for disputes, insurance claims, and recovery actions
Support for director and shareholder disputes
Evidence preparation for legal and regulatory proceedings
Fraud risk assessment, prevention/detection controls, whistleblowing frameworks, and ECCTA readiness
These capabilities allow the firm to support organisations requiring discreet, evidence-based investigation of financial irregularities while also strengthening controls and governance.
Regulatory Licences and Registrations:
Acumon holds several audit registrations that enable it to support organisations operating across multiple jurisdictions.
These include:
UK statutory audit registration
Public Interest Entity (PIE) audit licence
Jersey audit licence
Isle of Man audit licence
Cayman Islands audit licence
British Virgin Islands audit licence
These registrations allow the firm to provide audit services to groups that include entities in both the UK and key international financial centres.
Core Services:
In addition to statutory external audit, Acumon provides a range of services that support financial reporting and governance.
These include:
Statutory external audit
Group and subsidiary audits
Public Interest Entity (PIE) audits
Charity and not-for-profit audit
Audit of international group structures
Internal audit and governance reviews
Risk management and compliance support
Audit work is often delivered alongside discussions with management and boards regarding financial reporting processes and governance frameworks.
Many organisations initially encounter statutory audit requirements as they grow and exceed the audit exemption thresholds set out in the Companies Act.
Acumon works with businesses that are:
Approaching their first statutory audit
Preparing for external investment
Expanding into international markets
Operating within corporate group structures
Early engagement with an audit firm can help ensure that financial reporting systems and documentation are aligned with statutory audit requirements.
Address: 1-2 Craven Road, Ealing, London, W5 2UA, UK
Control Risks
Control Risks combines corporate investigations with strategic intelligence, digital forensics, data analytics and crisis response. Its teams investigate corruption, fraud, sanctions breaches, financial crime and other forms of corporate misconduct, including matters triggered by whistleblower reports, internal concerns and regulatory enforcement.
The firm is suited to cases where an investigation crosses borders or cannot be separated from wider political, regulatory or reputational issues. Its forensic investigation work can cover accounting improprieties, money laundering, conflicts of interest and industry regulation breaches, while its intelligence teams can map relationships, financial flows and relevant individuals or organisations.
Key Facts:
Ideal for: Multijurisdictional investigations and matters involving financial, political or regulatory risk
Kroll’s Investigations, Diligence and Compliance practice handles forensic and financial investigations for corporations, law firms, financial institutions, private equity firms and other organisations. Investigation capabilities include fraud and corruption matters, financial investigations, regulatory investigations, workplace misconduct and asset tracing and recovery.
Corporate intelligence is closely connected with this work. Kroll can investigate counterparties, ownership structures and reputational risks, while financial investigation specialists examine transactions and other evidence when fraud or misconduct is already suspected. The London team includes professionals working specifically in investigations, diligence, financial investigations and integrity due diligence.
Key Facts:
Ideal for: Complex corporate investigations that need intelligence, forensic accounting or cross-border support
Address: Central Square, Wellington St,Leeds LS1 4DL, United Kingdom
Facebook: www.facebook.com/wearekroll
Twitter: x.com/KrollWire
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/kroll
Instagram: www.instagram.com/wearekroll
Forensic Risk Alliance
Forensic Risk Alliance, usually known as FRA, works entirely in the forensic field. Its investigation practice supports international businesses and legal counsel dealing with internal investigations, regulatory inquiries, fraud, bribery and corruption, anti-money laundering concerns and sanctions matters.
FRA combines forensic accounting with data and technology capabilities, making it particularly suited to investigations involving large volumes of financial or electronic evidence. It also handles asset tracing and fund-flow analysis and has experience working alongside companies facing scrutiny from regulators and enforcement authorities in multiple jurisdictions.
Key Facts:
Ideal for: High-stakes regulatory and internal corporate investigations
S-RM has a dedicated corporate investigations practice within its broader corporate intelligence and cybersecurity business. It investigates sensitive internal issues including fraud, embezzlement and other financial misconduct, while also helping organisations deal with data theft, reputational risk and regulatory consequences.
Its disputes and investigations teams combine intelligence gathering with digital forensic work. Internal investigations can involve forensic imaging of devices, document and data review and interviews, while related services cover asset recovery and litigation support. With its headquarters in London, S-RM is particularly relevant to businesses that need intelligence and digital evidence handled alongside the core investigation.
Key Facts:
Ideal for: Internal corporate investigations requiring intelligence and digital forensics
Core services: Corporate investigations, internal fraud investigations, digital forensics, asset recovery, litigation support
Specialization: Combining corporate intelligence and cybersecurity capabilities
Location: London headquarters, plus a Manchester office and international locations
Contact Information:
Website: www.s-rminform.com
Phone: +44 (0)20 3763 9595
Address: The Rowe, 6th floor, 61 Whitechapel High St, London, E1 7PE
Twitter: x.com/SRMInform
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/s-rm
Nardello & Co.
Nardello & Co. concentrates specifically on investigations and intelligence rather than offering these capabilities as a small part of a broader professional services business. Its investigators work on corporate allegations using open-source research, background investigations, source and witness interviews, financial and digital forensics and analysis of relevant data.
The firm’s work extends to corruption investigations, litigation and arbitration support, asset tracing, reputational due diligence and strategic intelligence. Its London-based professionals handle assignments across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, including investigations connected with disputes and difficult cross-border asset recovery matters.
Key Facts:
Ideal for: Companies and legal teams needing specialist investigative intelligence
Core services: Corporate investigations, financial investigations, asset tracing, due diligence, litigation support
Specialization: Investigative research, interviews and intelligence gathering
Location: London presence within an international investigations network
FTI Consulting provides corporate investigations through its Forensic and Litigation Consulting work. Its UK investigation teams handle whistleblower allegations, fraud and financial investigations, asset tracing, market abuse investigations and anti-bribery and corruption matters. Investigative due diligence and third-party integrity screening are available for businesses trying to understand risks before a problem develops.
The service also brings together e-discovery, forensic accounting and other forms of structured and unstructured data analysis. This makes FTI relevant where a corporate investigation is tied to regulatory proceedings, litigation or a large electronic evidence set rather than a narrowly defined fact-finding exercise.
Key Facts:
Ideal for: Investigations connected with litigation, financial regulation or complex electronic evidence
Specialization: Forensic investigations and litigation support
Location: UK offices include London, Glasgow and Manchester
Contact Information:
Website: www.fticonsulting.com
Phone: +44 (20) 37271000
Address: 200 Aldersgate, Aldersgate Street, London EC1A 4HD, United Kingdom
Facebook: www.facebook.com/FTIConsultingInc
Twitter: x.com/FTIConsulting
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/fti-consulting
Instagram: www.instagram.com/lifeatfti
Ankura
Ankura’s forensic investigation work covers accounting fraud, financial misstatement, whistleblower matters and independent fact-finding investigations. Its wider Forensics and Investigations practice includes former prosecutors, enforcement professionals, regulators and compliance specialists who work on fraud schemes, regulatory violations and other sensitive corporate matters.
The company also provides asset tracing and investigative support for disputes, recovery strategies and enforcement. Its London team includes forensic accounting professionals whose work involves fraud, bribery and corruption, financial crime and disputes, giving Ankura a particularly strong fit where financial investigation overlaps with contentious legal proceedings.
RSM UK provides both dedicated corporate investigations and broader fraud risk services. Its investigators handle internal and external threats including corporate and international fraud, employee or customer fraud, corruption, director or employee misconduct, regulatory non-compliance and asset recovery matters.
Financial investigation is supported by forensic accounting and technology specialists who can examine financial inconsistencies and digital evidence. RSM also covers insolvency investigations, ESG-related investigations, HR investigation support and whistleblowing matters, giving the practice a broader remit than financial fraud alone.
Key Facts:
Ideal for: UK organisations dealing with internal misconduct, fraud or whistleblower allegations
Specialization: Corporate fraud and misconduct investigations with accounting support
Location: United Kingdom
Contact Information:
Website: www.rsmuk.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/rsm-uk
Instagram: www.instagram.com/rsm.uk
Address: 4th Floor, G1 5 George Square, Glasgow G2 1DY
Phone: +44 (0)141 285 3900
Grant Thornton UK
Grant Thornton’s forensic and investigation practice combines forensic accounting, corporate intelligence, data analytics and investigation specialists. Its teams work on allegations of fraud, misconduct, wrongdoing, bribery and corruption as well as situations involving regulatory breaches or concerns about a counterparty.
Its corporate intelligence team can conduct discreet research into undisclosed relationships, whistleblower allegations and other information that may not be clear from public records. Asset tracing and integrity due diligence sit alongside the investigation work, which is useful when the issue involves counterparties or assets outside the company itself.
Key Facts:
Ideal for: Fraud and misconduct matters requiring both forensic accounting and corporate intelligence
Core services: Forensic investigations, corporate intelligence, asset tracing, integrity due diligence, data analytics
Specialization: Investigation teams supported by accounting and intelligence specialists
Location: United Kingdom with access to Grant Thornton’s wider international network
Address: Neo House Riverside Drive, Aberdeen, AB11 7LH
Phone: +44 (0)1224 925 986
KPMG UK
KPMG UK’s investigation and incident response team handles fraud, misconduct, corruption, cybercrime and other financial crime events. Investigations can involve analysis of complex financial information, accounting misstatements, internal misconduct and regulatory concerns, with forensic technology used when large data sets need to be examined.
The firm’s corporate intelligence capability adds enhanced due diligence, market intelligence, asset tracing, source-of-wealth research and litigation support. That combination can be useful when a corporate investigation extends beyond internal documents and requires research into counterparties, ownership networks or assets across multiple jurisdictions.
Key Facts:
Ideal for: Large financial investigations and matters involving regulatory or stakeholder scrutiny
Specialization: Financial investigations combined with technology and corporate intelligence
Location: United Kingdom
Contact Information:
Website: kpmg.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/KPMG
Twitter: x.com/kpmguk
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/kpmg-uk
Address: One Snowhill, Snowhill Queensway, B4 6GH , Birmingham, UK
Phone: +44 (0)121 232 3000
Deloitte UK
Deloitte’s Investigations and Crisis Support offering covers sensitive internal investigations into fraud, corruption and corporate misconduct. Its teams can also support businesses dealing with regulatory enquiries and use intelligence analysts and investigation technology to determine what happened and assess wider exposure.
The practice covers corporate intelligence, fraud and accounting investigations, corruption and misconduct investigations, regulatory enforcement support and integrity due diligence. Deloitte therefore suits organisations looking for an investigation provider that can work across financial evidence, intelligence, compliance and crisis response rather than treating each area separately.
Core services: Corporate intelligence, misconduct investigations, fraud investigations, integrity due diligence, crisis support
Specialization: Corporate investigation and crisis response within a multidisciplinary forensic practice
Location: United Kingdom
Contact Information:
Website: www.deloitte.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/deloitteuk
Twitter: x.com/deloitteuk
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/deloitte
Address: 9 Haymarket Square, Edinburgh, EH3 8RY, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 (0)131 221 0002
EY UK
EY’s investigation teams include investigators, forensic accountants, compliance professionals and technology specialists. They support companies responding to alleged fraud, bribery and other misconduct and can remain involved when the matter develops into regulatory, civil or criminal proceedings.
The investigation process can include analysis of different data sources, forensic technology and data visualisation to find links, patterns and anomalies. EY also works on acquisition-related bribery and corruption concerns and can help businesses improve controls after misconduct has been identified, making the practice suitable for investigations where remediation is likely to follow the fact-finding phase.
Key Facts:
Ideal for: Corporate misconduct investigations with significant regulatory or compliance implications
Core services: Fraud investigations, bribery and corruption investigations, forensic data analytics, regulatory support, compliance
Specialization: Multidisciplinary investigations involving financial and electronic evidence
Location: UK Forensic and Integrity Services leadership includes London-based professionals
Contact Information:
Website: www.ey.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/EY
Twitter: x.com/EYnews
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/ernstandyoung
Address: G1 Building, 5 George Square, Glasgow G2 1DY
Phone: +44 141 226 9000
PwC UK
PwC UK’s Forensic Investigations Team investigates both financial irregularities and broader integrity incidents. Financial investigations cover suspected misstatements, asset misappropriation, economic crime, suspicious transactions, bribery allegations and fraud-related whistleblower reports.
Its incident and integrity work reaches beyond accounting issues to employee or director misconduct, sensitive data loss, regulatory scrutiny, sanctions concerns, contract compliance and other allegations. Investigative analytics and eDiscovery teams can collect and analyse large amounts of electronic information, while PwC also offers investigations through a managed service model for organisations requiring additional investigation capacity.
Key Facts:
Ideal for: Large or data-heavy corporate investigations involving financial and non-financial allegations
Specialization: Combining forensic accounting with investigation technology and data analysis
Location: United Kingdom
Contact Information:
Website: www.pwc.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/PwCUK
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/pwc-uk
Instagram: www.instagram.com/pwc_uk
Address: The Capitol, 431 Union Street, Aberdeen, AB11 6DA
Phone: +44 (0)1224 210100
Conclusion
The UK corporate investigations market includes very different types of providers. Firms such as Acumon place forensic accounting, transaction analysis and asset tracing at the centre of an investigation, while specialist intelligence businesses such as Control Risks, S-RM and Nardello & Co. can bring deeper investigative research, intelligence gathering and cross-border capabilities. Larger advisory firms often combine investigation work with regulatory, technology, compliance and dispute services.
There is no single company that fits every corporate investigation. A suspected accounting fraud may require a different team from a bribery investigation spanning several countries or a misconduct case involving thousands of emails and digital records. The more useful comparison is therefore the type of evidence involved, the jurisdictions affected, the potential legal or regulatory consequences and whether forensic accounting, digital forensics or corporate intelligence will be central to the work.
AC
Written by the Acumon team
Acumon is an ICAEW-registered firm of chartered accountants and registered auditors
based in London, with offices in Pitstone, Aylesbury and Bournemouth. Need advice on
anything covered here? Talk to us.
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