Features | Mike LaCorte & Conflict International: The Role, Risk, and Moral Compass of Professional International Investigation

Mike LaCorte, CEO and co-founder of Conflict International, views his industry not as one of secretive private eyes, but as a discipline of professional international investigators. His firm specializes in providing "distressed purchase" services for clients, meaning they are hired when an event has occurred and the client desperately needs to "connect those historical dots" to gain clarity.

Conflict International serves three primary groups: Legal Teams (Providing litigation support and intelligence for lawyers and their clients), Corporates (performing due diligence, employee screening, and investigating insider threats or trade secret theft) and Family Offices (Serving high-net-worth individuals, often for matrimonial, scam, or fraud cases).

The Non-Negotiables: Cases an Ethical Investigator Will Not Touch

Mike is clear that his firm has a strict onboarding process that acts as a vital ethical filter. Any case must be rooted in a "legitimate interest" and be proportionate to the objective.

"I need to confirm really whether you've got a case or not. And this isn't stalking or harassment. Right?"

This is where the line is drawn for services like surveillance:

• Stalking/Harassment: They will not "just follow that person there for a month" without cause, nor will they take a disproportionate case, such as following a spouse for five years "just to see that he's put one foot wrong".

• Illegal Activities: The firm routinely rejects requests to hack phones, access bank accounts, or view emails and WhatsApp messages. These actions are illegal and often don't provide the proof the client needs.

Mike notes that when a client's first questions are about illegal methods, it signals that they are "not really clear in what, what they need," and the investigator must then guide them toward legal and ethical steps.

The Emotional Toll and Moral Compass

The work often puts Mike and his team at the "sharp end" of people's lives, uncovering facts that can fundamentally change the direction of a client's life, especially in matrimonial or custody disputes; this carries a heavy emotional toll. The toughest cases for Mike are those involving children, particularly locating a child who has been taken in a family dispute across different jurisdictions. To manage the pressure of dealing with clients who are going through traumatic, low moments, and who call at all hours (Mike says his phone "rang three o'clock in the morning last night"), he emphasizes the need to actively distance oneself from the work.

Mike relies on a strong, focused moral compass to navigate this high-pressure, high-temptation industry. He states he keeps his values "clean and focused" and that providing the right support for the right reasons, even when challenging the client, earns respect.

Catch the full podcast now on the Aleksandra King Youtube Channel or discover more about the Investigative Skills of a PI.