Private Investigation · Professional Practice
Hidden Truths
The Professional Practice of Private Investigations
by Daniel J. Conidi, Esquire · Mid-Atlantic Law Press · Available in English
The Definitive Guide to Professional Investigative Practice
Most people have no idea what professional investigation actually looks like. Television gets it wrong. The internet gets it wrong. And the gaps in that knowledge cost clients, attorneys, and businesses dearly — in wasted money, lost evidence, and cases that should have been won.
Daniel J. Conidi, Esquire is not a typical investigator. With 26 years as a Senior Special Agent with the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 14 years in private practice as a licensed attorney and licensed private detective, and certification as a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), he has operated at the highest levels of American law enforcement and legal practice — on both sides of the system.
As Director of the Mid-Atlantic Law Project — a nonprofit dedicated to putting professional knowledge directly in the hands of those who need it — Mr. Conidi has made education his mission. Hidden Truths is the result: a 16-chapter professional guide that pulls back the curtain on how investigations are actually conducted, what separates professional work product from amateur mistakes, and what every attorney, business, and individual needs to know before engaging an investigator.
Four decades inside the system. One book. Everything they never told you.
Book Contents — 16 Chapters
1
What investigators actually do — and why the profession is far more complex than most realize
2
Who is authorized to investigate, how the court system works, and how work product enters the legal record
3
The foundation of professional investigation — documentation, chain of custody, and report writing
4
The art and discipline of professional observation — legal boundaries, methods, and documentation
5
Coordination, complexity, and professional judgment in multi-operative surveillance
6
Tools, realities, legal constraints, and professional judgment in modern surveillance tech
7
Online research, digital evidence, social media investigation, and computer law
8
Professional methodology for comprehensive background research on individuals and entities
9
Asset tracing, fraud detection, and financial pattern analysis
10
Finding, approaching, and interviewing witnesses — producing usable testimony
11
Locating hidden assets, tracing ownership, and supporting judgment enforcement
12
Professional protective operations — threat assessment, advance work, and protective details
13
Marital, custody, and domestic matters — legal boundaries and professional standards
14
Professional methods for lawfully locating individuals — witnesses, debtors, and missing persons
15
What to look for, what to avoid, and the questions every client must ask
16
The professional standard — what separates legitimate investigative practice from everything else
Available on Amazon — Print and Kindle
Mid-Atlantic Law Press · Copyright © 2026 Daniel J. Conidi
This book is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice or professional investigative services and does not create an attorney-client or investigator-client relationship. Investigative laws and regulations vary by jurisdiction. Consult qualified legal counsel before undertaking any investigative activity.