What Due Diligence Consulting does

Due Diligence Consulting LLC (DDC) is a privately held, boutique consulting firm headquartered in Naples, Florida, founded in 2005 by Peter Barakett, formerly General Counsel and Chief Operating Officer at hedge fund Atticus Capital LLC. The firm specializes in comprehensive executive background checks, investment due diligence, bespoke investigations, litigation support, proxy contest research, and intelligence/protective services for a client base of family offices, hedge funds, private equity firms, law firms, public companies, venture capital funds, foundations, and accounting firms. Services are delivered through two affiliated entities: DDC and DDC Investigations LLC, a Florida-licensed private investigative agency (License # A1300198).

The firm's core methodology is a proprietary, multi-layered research process that investigates persons and entities across every contact, connection, and name variation, sourcing to the most original primary record possible through calls, in-person checks, and written records requests. This is supplemented by proprietary in-house databases built from large-scale data sets for asset searches and complex investigations, as well as comprehensive social media and online presence screening. Research coverage spans more than 60 countries, and the firm has supported engagements including a $1.2 billion acquisition by a major U.S. conglomerate and a U.S. public company's approximately $750 million acquisition of a private company.

DDC operates an enterprise professional services model charging hourly rates starting at $200/hour with a $2,000 minimum engagement, refunding unused budget when work comes in under scope. The go-to-market is direct, relationship-driven enterprise sales with no resellers or marketplace channels, supplemented by content marketing via the firm's website and earned media coverage in outlets including Institutional Investor. No external funding, M&A activity, or institutional investors are disclosed.

Name

Due Diligence Consulting

Legal name

Due Diligence Consulting LLC

Website

https://duediligenceconsulting.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Due Diligence Consulting is a boutique Florida-based consulting firm providing comprehensive executive background checks, investment due diligence, and bespoke investigations for family offices, hedge funds, private equity firms, law firms, and public companies across more than 60 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Investigative Due Diligence Services

NAICS

Investigation and Personal Background Check Services (561611), Management Consulting Services (54161), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Due Diligence & Investigative Research (BPAHALAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate Due Diligence & Third-Party Risk Investigations (BPAKAEAC), Transaction Services (Financial, Tax & Commercial Due Diligence) (BPAHAOAB), Due Diligence Advisory (Commercial/Financial/Operational) (BPAHADAE)

Keywords

• Executive background checks
• Investment due diligence
• Private investigations
• Litigation support research
• Public records research

Headquarters

HQ city

Naples

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Professional Services - Hourly Billing: DDC charges hourly for investigative and due diligence services rather than flat rate pricing. Their rates start at $200/hour with a $2,000 minimum charge per engagement. If work comes in under budget, they refund the difference to clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Due Diligence Consulting is a boutique consulting firm that provides comprehensive executive background checks, investment due diligence, intelligence and protective services, and bespoke investigations for institutional clients. Services are delivered through a proprietary multi-layered research methodology that researches persons and entities everywhere they have a contact or connection, under every name variation, and to the most original source level possible, supported by proprietary in-house databases and primary source verification.

Product overview

Due Diligence Consulting (DDC) is a boutique consulting firm providing investigative and research services through two affiliated entities: Due Diligence Consulting LLC and DDC Investigations LLC (Florida License # A1300198). The core offering centers on comprehensive executive background checks and investment due diligence using proprietary multi-layered research methods. Services are delivered through a portfolio of integrated offerings: Background Checks (pre-employment and employment verification), Intelligence & Protective Services (threat assessments, security), Investment Due Diligence (M&A research, operational DD, reputational risk), Investigations (fraud, asset searches, litigation support), and specialized modules including Proxy Contests, Special Situations Research, and Investment Research. The firm operates on an hourly billing model starting at $200/hour with a $2000 minimum.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Background Checks Comprehensive pre-employment and employment-related background checks covering criminal records, civil litigation, bio/resume confirmations, education verification, professional licenses, adverse media, social media screening, financial profiles, and associated entity searches for employers, boards, and institutional clients.
• Intelligence and Protective Services Elite-level, discrete intelligence capabilities for family office, corporate, and security applications including threat assessments, site security, monitoring of hostile persons, and protective programs for high-net-worth individuals and corporate clients.
• Investment Due Diligence Comprehensive investment due diligence using proprietary multi-layered research approaches, covering mergers and acquisitions, executive background checks, activist campaigns, operational due diligence, audit compliance, IPO/SPAC deals, reputational risk, and supply chain research for institutional investors.
• Investigations Bespoke investigative services including litigation support, corruption/bribery/fraud investigations, asset searches, internal investigations, expert witness resume verification, witness/party locate services, and skip tracing for corporate, legal, and institutional clients.
• DDC Investigations Florida licensed private investigative agency (License # A1300198) affiliated with Due Diligence Consulting LLC, providing full-service licensed private investigation capabilities including vetting household staff, background checks, and related investigative work.

Quantifiable outcome

• DDC identified more than $50 million in assets missed by other professionals who had spent over $1 million in fees.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kroll: Kroll is a global investigative and risk consulting firm providing due diligence, background checks, M&A advisory, and asset search services. It is the most direct large-scale competitor to DDC across executive background checks and investment due diligence.
• Mintz Group: Mintz Group is a specialized investigative firm focused on due diligence, asset tracing, and background investigations for law firms, investment firms, and corporates. It directly competes with DDC in bespoke investigative research for M&A and litigation.
• Nardello & Co. Nardello & Co. is a boutique global investigations firm offering due diligence, fraud investigations, and intelligence services to law firms, financial institutions, and high-net-worth clients — a closely analogous boutique competitor to DDC.
• Control Risks: Control Risks is a global risk consultancy specializing in investigations, due diligence, political risk, and protective intelligence for corporate and financial clients. It overlaps DDC's intelligence, due diligence, and protective services offerings.
• Guidepost Solutions: Guidepost Solutions provides investigative, due diligence, security, and compliance consulting to corporations, law firms, and high-net-worth individuals. It competes directly with DDC in background investigations, M&A diligence, and protective intelligence.
• Pinkerton: Pinkerton is a longstanding global investigations and protective services firm offering due diligence, background screening, and corporate intelligence. It overlaps DDC's background check and protective intelligence offerings at a larger global scale.

Broad incumbents

• FTI Consulting: FTI Consulting is a large global advisory firm offering transaction due diligence, forensic investigations, and expert services. While broader in scope, its Corporate Finance & Restructuring and Forensic & Litigation Consulting segments compete directly with DDC's M&A due diligence and investigations.
• Berkeley Research Group: BRG is a global consulting firm with expertise in M&A due diligence, forensic investigations, and litigation support. It competes with DDC's investment due diligence and investigations services as part of a broader advisory portfolio.

Emerging players

• Sterling: Sterling is a background screening and identity verification provider serving enterprise employers. While more focused on high-volume employment screening than DDC's bespoke executive work, it competes in adjacent background check territory and is increasingly layering in investigative depth.

Others

• HireRight: HireRight is a large global background screening provider focused on employment-related checks. While it is more volume-driven and less bespoke than DDC, it represents an adjacent background check category that could increasingly compete on routine diligence work.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Due Diligence Consulting