Public Interest Investigations

What Public Interest Investigations does

Public Interest Investigations, Inc. (PII), founded in 1984 and headquartered in Los Angeles, California, is a privately held boutique investigation firm operating under California Private Investigator License #PI19508. The firm conducts neutral third-party civil and criminal investigations for corporations, public agencies, law firms, non-profits, universities, and K-12 school districts. Its service portfolio is organized into five practice areas: Corporate Investigations (harassment, discrimination, EEO, fraud, whistle-blower, climate surveys, workplace violence, LGBTQ+ matters), Public Sector Investigations, Campus Investigations (Title IX sexual misconduct, Title VI anti-discrimination, faculty/staff misconduct, K-12), Human Rights/Capital Litigation Investigations (capital mitigation, human trafficking, international human rights), and Litigation Support (employment, civil rights, trial preparation, class actions, court-supervised monitoring). The firm further monetizes its expertise through training programs—The Truth Matters® (a registered trademark), Title IX training via the T9 Mastered joint venture with Van Dermyden Makus Law Corporation, and a California POST investigator training program developed under Senate Bill 2.

PII's core methodology is its trauma-informed interview technique, based on the Forensic Experiential Trauma Interview (FETI) process developed by Russell Strand, which the firm has applied across four decades of high-profile matters including the Abu Ghraib torture case (Al Shimari v. CACI, $42 million verdict, 2024), the El Monte Thai garment worker enslavement case, UC Board of Regents investigations, and the Denny's restaurant chain court-supervised civil rights monitor role spanning 30+ states. The 16-person team is composed of licensed investigators, attorneys, AWI-CH certified specialists, a CFE, investigative reporters, and human rights specialists—a deliberate talent mosaic the firm positions as its primary differentiator. Keith Rohman (President and Founder) and Barbara Dalton (VP, Managing Partner and Legal Director) lead the firm; Anetta Stark (CFE, AWI-CH) rejoined as Operations Manager in 2024.

PII's business model is entirely professional services fee-for-engagement, with no disclosed pricing and no software product. Revenue derives from custom investigation engagements, court-supervised monitoring retainers (e.g., Denny's Civil Rights Monitor), and training program fees. Go-to-market is direct-to-client enterprise field sales underpinned by professional referrals, AWI and CALPELRA conference presence, earned media commentary in outlets such as the Los Angeles Times and Washington Post, blog/newsletter content, and association-level leadership. The firm holds no external funding, has no parent company, and operates with full ownership by its principals.

Name

Public Interest Investigations

Legal name

Public Interest Investigations, Inc.

Website

https://piila.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Public Interest Investigations is a Los Angeles-based, privately held boutique (founded 1984) that conducts neutral trauma-informed workplace, Title IX, human rights, and litigation-support investigations for corporations, universities, public agencies, and law firms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Investigative Services

NAICS

Investigation and Personal Background Check Services (561611), Investigation and Security Services (5616)

SIC

Services-Detective, Guard & Armored Car Services (7381)

akta.pro primary industry

Workplace Misconduct, Ethics & Compliance Investigations (BPAKAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fraud Investigations & Claims Support (Insurance/Financial) (BPAKAEAD), Corporate Due Diligence & Third-Party Risk Investigations (BPAKAEAC), Due Diligence & Investigative Research (BPAHALAI), White-Collar Defense & Investigations (BPAHAAAJ), Investigations & Background Screening Services (IMAIAEAK), Litigation Support & Civil Investigations (Witness/Asset/Skip Tracing) (BPAKAEAE)

Keywords

• Workplace investigation services
• Title IX investigations
• Trauma informed interviewing
• Civil litigation support
• Human rights investigations

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Services - Workplace Investigations: Neutral third-party workplace investigations for corporations and public sector clients including allegations of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, fraud, and misconduct.
2. Title IX Campus Investigations: Sexual misconduct investigations for colleges, universities, and K-12 institutions under Title IX regulations.
3. Litigation Support: Trial preparation, class action investigations, court-supervised monitoring, and litigation research for attorneys.
4. Training Services: Training programs including The Truth Matters workplace investigation training, Title IX training for campus investigators, and California POST investigator training.
5. Human Rights / Criminal Investigations: High-level investigations for civil and criminal matters including capital litigation mitigation, human trafficking, and international human rights cases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Public Interest Investigations conducts neutral, third-party fact-finding investigations for organizations facing complex workplace, civil rights, and criminal matters, including harassment, discrimination, retaliation, Title IX sexual misconduct, fraud, whistle-blower, police misconduct, and human rights cases. The firm also provides litigation support (court-supervised monitoring, class action investigations, trial preparation) and trademarked workplace investigation training ("The Truth Matters®") to corporations, public agencies, universities, school districts, and law firms. Investigations are carried out by a 16-member team using trauma-informed interview techniques grounded in the Forensic Experiential Trauma Interview (FETI) methodology to produce legally defensible findings.

Product overview

Public Interest Investigations (PII) offers a comprehensive suite of professional investigation services rather than a software product. The company operates as a single unified service offering across five main practice areas: Corporate Investigations, Public Sector Investigations, Campus Investigations, Human Rights/Capital Litigation Investigations, and Litigation Support. Within these practice areas, PII provides specialized sub-services including court-supervised monitoring, class action investigations, trial preparation, and The Truth Matters training program. The firm differentiates through trauma-informed interview techniques, intense analytical focus, and deep legal knowledge combined with diverse investigative backgrounds in employment law, journalism, criminal law, and human rights.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Corporate Investigations

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully represented detainees resulting in $42 million verdict against CACI for Abu Ghraib torture
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and significant.

• T9 MasteredcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture with Van Dermyden Makus Law Corporation to offer custom training programs for Title IX investigators. PII's Keith Rohman, Nora Rohman, and Cathleen Watkins present training through T9 Mastered's Essentials and Advanced programs covering fundamentals of investigating campus sexual misconduct complaints.
• Van Dermyden Makus Law Corporation (VMLC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founded T9 Mastered with PII to offer custom training programs for Title IX investigators. Founder Sue Ann Van Dermyden served on AWI founding board and as president. Collaboration on high-profile investigations including Sacramento Kings matter.
• Association of Workplace Investigators (AWI)coreOthersPII investigators are active members and presenters at AWI conferences. Keith Rohman serves as President. PII sponsored the 2024 AWI Annual Conference. Nora Rohman serves on AWI Diversity and Inclusion Committee and as trainer for AWI's accreditation program.
• California POST (Peace Officer Standards and Training)significantImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPII developed and delivered training program for POST investigators on conducting neutral investigations of police misconduct and drafting effective reports under California Senate Bill 2 (SB-2). Keith Rohman and Cathleen Watkins delivered three-day training covering investigative report writing.
• Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPII served as principal investigators for CCR attorneys representing detainees at Abu Ghraib prison in Al Shimari v. CACI. This landmark case resulted in $42 million verdict for three torture survivors.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Pinkerton: Long-standing investigations and security firm offering corporate investigations, background checks, and workplace misconduct services as part of a comprehensive security offering. Comparable in investigations, broader in scope.
• JAMS: Alternative dispute resolution provider offering neutrals and investigators for workplace and employment matters through its panel of retired judges and attorneys. Competes for neutral third-party investigation mandates.
• Consilio: Global legal services firm providing eDiscovery, document review, and litigation support including investigations support for class actions and complex litigation. Comparable in PII's class action and trial preparation services.
• Guidepost Solutions: Investigations, compliance, and monitoring firm offering workplace misconduct, Title IX, and court-appointed monitorship services. Closest broad-incumbent overlap with PII's court-supervised monitoring and campus investigations.
• FTI Consulting: Global consulting firm with a dedicated Forensic & Litigation Consulting segment providing independent investigations, monitorship, and litigation support. Comparable in litigation support and court-supervised monitoring work.
• Seyfarth Shaw: Large employment-focused law firm with a dedicated Workplace Investigations practice conducting neutral internal investigations for employers. A broad incumbent that competes with PII for corporate investigation mandates.
• Kroll: Global investigations, risk advisory, and litigation consulting firm offering workplace misconduct and internal investigations as part of a broad portfolio. A large incumbent that competes for sensitive enterprise investigations engagements.

Direct peers

• T9 Mastered: Joint venture between PII and Van Dermyden Makus Law Corporation delivering Title IX Essentials and Advanced training programs. Operates as PII's training arm in the campus sexual misconduct investigation market.
• Margolis & Heffron Investigations: California-based workplace and Title IX investigations firm providing neutral third-party investigations for employers and educational institutions. Closest comparable boutique competitor in PII's core service lines.
• Van Dermyden Makus Law Corporation: Co-founder of T9 Mastered with PII for Title IX investigator training; collaborates on high-profile investigations including the Sacramento Kings matter. Directly comparable Title IX and campus investigation practice with shared leadership.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/public-interest-investigations
• Facebookfacebook.com/Public-Interest-Investigations-Inc-170769319623218

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

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 Public Interest Investigations