Who We Are

With over 40 years of global experience, the Fairfax Group helps resolve the world’s most complex and sensitive challenges related to crisis and risk management, compliance, security, and more. Our network of experts reaches organizations worldwide, and spans across both public and private sectors, providing industry-standard solutions designed to fit the specific needs and requirements of each individual client.

Headed by industry expert Michael J. Hershman, the Fairfax Group distinguishes itself with its unparalleled breadth of international experience across the corporate, government, and NGO sectors.

Michael Hershman brings global expertise from a wide range of industries, establishing one of the most extensive contact networks in the business. Where other agencies and firms must start from scratch, the Fairfax Group can immediately act — the foundation and experience are already in place.

Through longstanding strategic partnerships and advanced technological capabilities, coupled with its unparalleled experience, insights, and global network, the Fairfax Group remains at the forefront of innovative investigative services designed to meet the world’s most pressing security challenges.

Integrity and Accountability

The Fairfax Group believes in its core values of integrity and accountability — values that we believe all businesses, governments and civil organizations should apply alongside boldness, innovation, and trust.

We believe in practicing what we preach, which is why we support Transparency International and other key advocacy organizations that promote worldwide integrity and global professionalism.

Agile Responses to Evolving Threats

In today’s world, time is dead and distance is moot. Threats evolve quickly, and so do the technologies we use to combat those threats.

While we specialize in providing individualized solutions for complex problems, we also know that what is complex today may not be tomorrow. What’s more, a new set of complex challenges is likely just around the corner. That’s why we believe in responding with agility to threats as they are — and as they evolve.

Human Sources Meet Technology

We implement technology that goes beyond ordinary open source resources, operating on the intersection of human intelligence and AI and ML-driven technology.

It’s open source intelligence on steroids, combining the unique insights of on-the-ground assets and resources with the data-driven intelligence of modern AI and ML systems.

Results Now and for the Long-Term

The Fairfax Group doesn’t stop when your crisis is under control — in today’s vulnerability-ridden business and government worlds, risk management is a task that never ends.

In addition to responding to acute security and intelligence crises, we’ll audit and finesse your existing risk protection systems, so you’re protected for the long term.

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The History of the Fairfax Group

The Fairfax Group takes its name from Fairfax, Virginia, where Michael J. Hershman, a globally recognized expert in transparency and accountability, founded the company more than four decades ago. From its inception, the Fairfax Group quickly earned a reputation as the go-to firm for handling sensitive and complex crisis and security management cases.

One of the company’s earliest milestones was its work for General Electric, a pivotal case involving trade secret protection that resulted in criminal convictions and a large civil settlement. This experience set the tone for the Fairfax Group’s ability to navigate high-stakes, multi-dimensional investigations.

Under Hershman’s leadership, the company grew from a solo operation to a globally respected team of professionals drawn from the highest ranks of government, business, and law enforcement. Notably, Fairfax Group merged with Decision Strategies International in 1997, creating a powerhouse in investigative and risk management services, known as DSFX.

Following another acquisition in 2001 by SPX Corporation, Hershman re-established the independent Fairfax Group in 2006, returning its headquarters to Fairfax County, Virginia.

Throughout its history, the Fairfax Group has been instrumental in numerous high-profile investigations and compliance initiatives, including the Bofors scandal and major corporate clients such as Siemens AG, FIFA, and NBC. Hershman’s deep experience spans decades of global work in corporate governance, anti-corruption efforts, and crisis management, making the Fairfax Group one of the top global firms in risk management and investigative services.

Today, the Fairfax Group remains committed to providing world-class solutions for clients spanning across numerous public and private sectors and industries, leveraging a unique blend of investigative prowess, global experience, and cutting-edge technology.

Meet our Founder

Michael Hershman is an internationally recognized expert on matters relating to business ethics, governance, litigation, and security. Hershman’s career began in the late 1960s as a Special Agent in U.S. Military Intelligence, where he specialized in counterterrorism and was awarded the U.S. Army Commendation Medal. Following his military service, Hershman spent time investigating government misconduct and financial fraud for the New York City Department of Investigations and New York State Special Corruption Prosecutors’ Office. In this post, he was also responsible for investigations of inmate deaths in the New York City Correctional System.

Later, Hershman went on to serve as a Senior Staff Investigator for the Senate Watergate Committee led by U.S. Senator Sam Ervin of North Carolina. He then worked as Chief Investigator for the joint Presidential and Congressional commission reviewing state and federal laws on wiretapping and electronic surveillance. After the wiretap commission hearings, Hershman joined the Federal Election Commission as Chief Investigator, where he was responsible for audits and investigations of candidates and their campaign committees.

After this, Hershman served as Deputy Staff Director for the Subcommittee on International Organizations of the Committee on International Relations of the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs to investigate the “Koreagate” bribery scandal, which implicated several U.S. political officeholders. Immediately prior to founding the Fairfax Group, Hershman served as Deputy Auditor General for the Foreign Assistance Program of the U.S. Agency for International Development (AID), where he led investigations and audits of major U.S. funded projects overseas and was responsible for worldwide security for all foreign AID missions. He was awarded the Superior Honor Medal for his service at AID.

In 1983, Hershman founded the Fairfax Group and since then has been retained by governments, corporations, NGOs, and international financial institutions to assist on matters relating to transparency and accountability in governance and compliance. As founder of Fairfax Group, Hershman has participated in some of the most prominent disputes around world. From high profile events including the Olympics and Super Bowls, to targeted terrorist attacks, Hershman has leveraged his extensive expertise to assist individuals and entities facing complex security threats across various professions and industries. Fairfax merged with Decision Strategies International in 1997, becoming Decision Strategies/Fairfax International L.L.C. (DSFX), headquartered in New York. In 2001, DSFX was acquired by its client, SPX Corporation, headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, with Hershman remaining as chairman of the new SPX subsidiary. In late 2006, he left SPX then re-established the Fairfax Group where it had originally been founded, in Fairfax County, Virginia. Fairfax clients have included domestic and international governments, law firms, and corporate clients such as General Electric, NBC, and Pfister. Noted investigations include the Bofors scandal, which transpired following Hershman’s revelation that Swedish arms manufacturer Bofors had bribed Indian politicians to win a bid to supply the country with military-grade artillery weapons. Bofors also had attempted to bribe Hershman to halt investigation and undermine key figure Vishwanath Pratap Singh. In addition, Hershman was named independent compliance advisor to the board of directors of Siemens in 2006, to structure its governance and transparency, helping mitigate pending fines through compliance, to be levied following its worldwide bribery scandal.

In 1993, Hershman joined Peter Eiger, formerly of World Bank, in co-founding Transparency International (TI) as a director of its board. The watchdog group is based in Germany and cited as the foremost NGO battling corruption globally, with a mission to “stop corruption and promote transparency, accountability and integrity at all levels. TI has since grown internationally, now accounting for more than 90 national chapters.

Since 2008, Hershman has been named each year to Ethisphere Institute’s list of 100 most ethical global leaders in business ethics. Hershman received commendation for business ethics from The General Assembly of the Virginia House of Delegates in its House Joint Resolution 1002 in 2009. In 2010, he was a founder of the International Anti-Corruption Academy in Vienna, Austria. In 2012, Hershman served on the independent governance committee for FIFA, soccer’s global governing body, following an array of scandals. After two years of investigation, he surmised that a “complete reorganization of FIFA, with a change in leadership and in the top staff” was necessary. In 2013, he was awarded Columbia Business School’s ‘Botwinick Award for Business Ethics’. In 2015, he chaired the Ad Hoc Police Practices Review Commission in Fairfax County, Virginia. Hershman would go on to serve as Group CEO of the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) in June 2016. In addition, he has previously served as an independent monitor of International Medical Corps, as well as an advisor on corruption matters to Interpol. He currently serves as a board member the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), Coalition for Integrity, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and sits on the board of trustees for Marymount University.

Hershman earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York. He has given hundreds of speeches throughout the world on issues related to transparency and accountability and has provided commentary on ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, and the Fox News Channel, as well as countless national radio shows. For five years he was the co-host of the Public Radio Law Show. He has been quoted and published in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the New York Post, the Washington Post, USA Today, the Financial Times, the National Law Journal, and other print media.