Litigation Support in a Multi-Million Dollar Partnership Dispute

When a business partnership unraveled during a volatile growth period, one co-founder suspected mismanagement and asset concealment by the other. With over $40 million at stake and delays in financial discovery, the plaintiff’s legal team retained The Grafton Group for discreet litigation support. What we uncovered shifted the courtroom strategy—and ultimately, the outcome.

The Situation

Travis Ellis and his former business partner co-managed a growing portfolio of real estate investments across Florida. When the partnership ended, Travis began noticing red flags—gaps in asset reporting, ambiguous property titles, and unauthorized withdrawals. The discrepancies were subtle, but persistent.

The litigation was already in motion, but delays in financial discovery and unusually vague asset disclosures signaled potential obstruction. Travis’s attorneys had reason to believe significant holdings were being concealed or quietly transferred, but lacked the admissible evidence to compel action. Internal audits hit a wall. Requests for clarity were met with deflections.

Meanwhile, critical court deadlines were approaching, and the window to shift the discovery strategy was closing. If hidden assets weren’t located quickly, they risked being lost to shell structures, relatives, or offshore accounts. The Grafton Group was brought in to discreetly uncover any hidden transfers, shell company involvement, or off-record activity that could support legal action and reshape the course of the case.

The Challenge

The opposing party was experienced, legally insulated, and appeared to be exploiting delays in the discovery process. Public-facing documents showed compliance, but behind the scenes, assets were moving.

Time was limited. The client’s legal team needed precise leads and compelling evidence—not hearsay—to justify a shift in courtroom momentum. Our investigation had to produce actionable intelligence while remaining invisible to the defense.

How The Grafton Group Responded

We launched a multi-phase investigation aligned directly with the litigation timeline. Our team conducted targeted surveillance on the subject during critical financial periods, while analysts traced assets across multiple Florida counties using public records, title registries, and interlinked LLC filings.

A forensic review of a previously surrendered company laptop—once believed to be “clean”—revealed metadata and access patterns that tied key property transactions to accounts affiliated with the subject’s relatives. Meanwhile, our lifestyle monitoring uncovered spending habits and meetings that contradicted sworn disclosures, indicating undisclosed income and continued control over allegedly sold assets.

Each thread of the investigation fed into a timeline-based evidence dossier, built in coordination with the legal team.

What We Discovered

One of the most pivotal findings was a quiet property transfer—valued at $2.4 million—just days before a key court deadline. The property had been moved into an LLC held by the subject’s brother. Surveillance footage documented the defendant attending off-record meetings with a developer involved in the transaction.

We also identified a separate stream of rental income being funneled through inactive corporate accounts, bypassing official ledgers. These income channels had not been disclosed in court.

Our investigation confirmed that the subject was actively shielding assets and withholding critical financial information under the guise of compliance.

The Outcome

The Grafton Group’s report gave the legal team a roadmap for a revised discovery motion, backed by photographic, digital, and public-record evidence. Within weeks of the new filings, the opposing party’s attorneys moved toward settlement.

Travis received a substantially improved financial outcome without going to trial.

• $14M increase in negotiated settlement
• Three properties recovered into the asset pool
• Court-admissible evidence gathered discreetly
• No press leaks or reputational damage to either party

Estimated Value Protected or Recovered: $15M–$18M

Client Perspective (Fictionalized)

“The Grafton Group didn’t just support my legal case—they changed the outcome. Their work gave my attorneys the leverage they needed to force the truth onto the record.”

— T.E., Plaintiff (name and details changed for privacy)

Legal Truth Requires More Than Discovery

When documents are delayed and facts are hidden, litigation support becomes more than a service—it’s your strategic edge. The Grafton Group works behind the scenes with attorneys and corporate clients to uncover, document, and deliver court-ready intelligence.

Contact Tim O’Rourke today for a confidential consultation.
We’ll help you uncover the evidence before the courtroom ever sees it.

Call (813) 658-9438 | (727) 648-3510 | (954) 353-8904 | (407) 374-8721 or Request a Legal Intelligence Briefing