Wrongful Termination Investigation for Either Side, Through Counsel
Employment disputes are usually decided by who can prove what happened, and when, in the months before a firing. Birds Eye works for the attorney representing either the employee or the employer, finding former coworkers, testing timelines and gathering public records.
- Engaged by employee or employer counsel
- Former coworkers located and interviewed
- Sourced timelines of the months before firing
Who is counsel representing?
Pick the closest match and we will point you to the right next step.
What does a PI do in a wrongful termination case?
A PI working for either side's attorney locates and interviews former coworkers, builds a sourced timeline of complaints, discipline and the firing decision, researches public records on the parties, and gathers facts about post-termination employment when relevant. The attorney directs the work, handles legal strategy and decides how findings are used.
One Method, Whichever Side Hires Us
Wrongful termination claims can involve discrimination, retaliation for a complaint, whistleblowing, taking protected leave or a contract dispute. The legal theory belongs to counsel. The facts, however, look similar from either side: who said what, who knew about the complaint, who made the decision, and what happened to other employees in similar situations. Those questions are where a PI agency adds value.
Birds Eye accepts these matters only through an attorney, and we check for conflicts before starting so we never work both sides of the same dispute. Whichever side engages us, every wrongful termination investigation we run follows the same standard: gather facts that can be sourced and checked, and report them honestly, including the ones counsel would prefer not to hear. That consistency is what makes our work useful.
Finding Former Coworkers Who Saw It Happen
Current employees may be reluctant to speak, and in some situations counsel has to consider whether contact with a current employee of a represented company is permitted at all. Former employees are often freer to talk and more candid. Many of them have moved to new jobs or new cities, and the claimant may remember only a first name and a department.
Our PIs identify and locate these witnesses through public records, professional profiles and lawful research, then report to counsel. When counsel approves an interview, our PI explains who we work for, asks open questions and writes a neutral summary. We never contact anyone known to be represented about the dispute, and we never offer anything in exchange for a statement.
Building the Timeline Before the Termination
Retaliation and discrimination disputes often turn on sequence. Did the negative review come before or after the complaint? Was the reorganization planned before the employee requested leave? Our PIs build a chronology from the documents counsel provides, the client's own emails and messages, witness accounts and public information such as press releases, business filings and job postings. Key anchors include reviews, discipline, complaints, leave requests and replacement hiring.
Every entry carries its source and a confidence note. Where two sources conflict, both appear side by side so counsel can see the disagreement rather than a smoothed-over version. That kind of timeline is useful for preparing depositions and for realistic settlement discussions. It also shows counsel where more evidence is needed before a key date can be relied on, and which witnesses might fill that gap.
Talk it through with a licensed PI
Tell us what is happening. We will explain what the work involves and put scope, timeline and cost in writing before anything starts.
Public Records on the Parties and Decision Makers
Counsel sometimes needs to know whether the employer has faced similar claims, whether a supervisor has a history in prior disputes, or whether the claimant has filed related suits before. Our PIs search public court indexes, business registrations and other lawfully available sources and report what is there, with copies or citations counsel can verify. Each item is dated and sourced.
We do not obtain sealed records, personnel files or agency investigation files without legal process, and we do not use pretexting. If a record exists only in the other side's possession, getting it is a discovery matter for counsel. We can, however, help counsel identify which records are likely to exist and who probably holds them, so discovery requests can be targeted rather than broad.
Facts About Mitigation and Later Employment
Damages questions can depend on what the former employee did after leaving. Employer counsel may want to know whether the claimant found new work, started a business or is working in a way that conflicts with claimed limitations. Employee counsel may want help documenting a genuine job search. Our PIs can research public business filings, licensing records and publicly visible professional activity.
When employer counsel requests surveillance, it is conducted only from public places and is limited to what the case reasonably requires. Our employee surveillance page describes that work in more detail. For claimants, organized records of applications and responses are often the most useful thing we can help assemble. Both sides benefit from facts that are dated and sourced. Nothing is assumed.
What We Will Not Do in an Employment Dispute
We do not access company systems, email accounts or devices without clear authorization from the owner and counsel's approval. We do not record conversations secretly on counsel's behalf without the attorney first deciding it is appropriate, even though Tennessee generally permits one-party consent recording. We do not contact jurors or represented parties. Every method is one counsel approves. No shortcuts are taken.
We also do not decide whether a firing was lawful. That is a legal conclusion for counsel and, ultimately, a court or agency. Birds Eye delivers facts in a form that helps the attorney make that judgment. Findings are delivered to the engaging attorney only, and our PIs do not discuss the matter with witnesses beyond what an interview requires.
Common Deliverables in Termination Disputes
Witness locate list
Former coworkers identified and located, with confidence notes on each identification.
Interview summaries
Neutral written summaries of counsel-approved interviews.
Sourced chronology
A timeline of the employment relationship with each event's source shown.
Prior-claims search
Public court and agency index searches on the parties and key managers.
Post-termination research
Public business, licensing and professional activity after separation.
Conflict check
Confirmation we have no connection to the opposing party before work begins.
How Counsel Engages Us
Conflict check
Counsel names the parties and we confirm we can take the matter.
Define questions
The attorney identifies the facts that matter most to the claim or defense.
Written scope
Scope, timeline and cost are agreed in writing before any work begins.
Report and follow-up
Findings go to counsel, with follow-up tasks proposed only if they are useful.
How the same fact questions look from each side
| Fact question | Employee counsel may ask | Employer counsel may ask |
|---|---|---|
| Who witnessed the key events? | Find former coworkers who saw the treatment | Find witnesses to the performance problems |
| What was the sequence? | Did discipline follow the complaint? | Was the decision made before the complaint? |
| How were others treated? | Identify comparators who were not fired | Identify others disciplined for similar conduct |
| What history exists? | Prior claims against the employer or manager | Prior claims filed by the claimant |
| What happened after? | Document the job search | Research new work or business activity |
Useful Starting Materials
Counsel can share whatever is appropriate from this list.
Statewide coverage from Nashville
Birds Eye handles employment dispute fact-gathering across Tennessee, including Nashville, Franklin and Murfreesboro in Middle Tennessee, Knoxville and Chattanooga in East Tennessee, and Memphis and Jackson in West Tennessee. Former coworkers from a single workplace often scatter across the state or beyond, and our PIs can locate them wherever they have moved and conduct interviews in person or by phone as counsel prefers.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I hire a private investigator after being fired?
The best route is to hire an employment attorney first. Your lawyer can decide what facts matter and engage a PI agency to gather them. Birds Eye takes wrongful termination matters through counsel so the work supports the legal claim and respects contact rules. Bring any documents you already have, such as your termination letter, reviews and your own notes, to that first meeting with your lawyer.
Do you work for employers too?
Yes. We work for employer defense counsel as well as employee counsel, after a conflict check confirms we have no involvement with the other side of the dispute. The method is the same for both. We gather sourced facts, report them honestly and leave legal judgments to the attorney who engaged us.
Will former coworkers know who hired you?
Our PIs identify themselves and say they are working for an attorney involved in a dispute. We do not use false identities to obtain statements. Counsel decides how much detail to share with each witness. If a witness asks which side we represent, counsel decides in advance how that question will be answered truthfully.
Can you get my personnel file?
No. Personnel files and internal records are obtained through the employer or through discovery handled by your attorney. A PI cannot access them without authorization. If your attorney believes records are being withheld or destroyed, that is a matter for the court. We can help counsel understand what records likely exist.
How long does witness work take?
It depends on how much is known about each person and how many there are. We put scope, timeline and cost in writing first, and we often start with a small group of priority witnesses. Priority witnesses are usually located first so counsel can decide early whether broader interviews are worthwhile.
Can your findings be used in a deposition?
Counsel decides how to use our findings. Our summaries and timelines are written factually and sourced so the attorney can rely on them when preparing questions or evaluating testimony. Summaries are dated, identify the interviewer and separate direct quotes from paraphrase, which helps counsel judge how much weight each statement deserves.
Related pages
Get the Facts Behind the Firing
Employee or employer counsel can call or text (629) 310-8667 or email contact@delatorgroup.com. We run a conflict check and put scope and cost in writing.
Photography: Brian Wangenheim (Unsplash License). Last reviewed . General information, not legal advice.
