About Spencer Legal Investigations

Producing results under pressure for more than two decades. We are ethical, effective, and educated.

Mike Spencer
Private Investigator in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Mike Spencer grew up the youngest of seven children in the New York City suburb of Wilton, Conn. He graduated from highly competitive Wilton High School and attended Franklin and Marshall College, where he earned a degree in English. Still in high school, he started writing for his local newspaper and developed an interest in journalism. Into college he continued his passion for reporting, working for local papers. Growing up and in college, he competed in wrestling, lacrosse, and rugby. Perhaps from a combination of birth order and sports, that competitive streak remains a big part of his personality. He brought his intensity to private investigations.

In his 20’s he worked as a general assignment and crime reporter for daily papers in Virginia, Florida, and California, including the Contra Costa Times. He earned admission to and graduated from UC-Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. His investigative thesis about a Vietnam combat veteran and post-traumatic stress disorder earned faculty honors. He reported on the Loma Prieta Earthquake, the East Bay Hills wildfire, and Hurricane Andrew. In Florida, he covered numerous local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Reporting instilled traits he brought to investigations: how to interview a variety of people, resourcefulness, being accurate with facts, knowledge of public records, and meeting tight deadlines.

Spencer worked under several licensed private investigators to obtain the hours in order to qualify for the private investigator test and licensing in California. He filled his early years with a variety of cases, from insurance defense investigations to criminal defense and infidelity investigations. One area he quickly gravitated to and excelled at was personal injury investigations. He started working on major cases for members of the Alameda Contra Costa Trial Lawyers Association. His success in personal injury investigations has played a part in numerous settlements well over $1 million. At every step in his career, he has tried to keep learning and improving. He prides himself on being able to get along with and help lawyers and all their staff. He was voted Best Private Investigator/Skip Tracer by readers of The Recorder legal newspaper.

His professional associations included memberships in: Alameda Contra Costa Trial Lawyers, San Francisco Trial Lawyers, and Santa Clara County Trial Lawyers Association. He is also active in Alameda and Contra Costa County bar associations. He attends many continuing education programs dealing with investigations and legal experts.

Spencer’s professional writing has also continued. In addition to publishing articles in local bar association magazines, he also contributes to Pursuit Magazine, a leading online national magazine of private investigators. A couple of years ago, his literary non-fiction book Private Eye Confidential, Stories From A Real P.I., was published by 99: The Press. The book is a mini-memoir that tells how he got into the business, shows how he runs the business, and recounts some of his early cases.

His book Private Eye Confidential is for sale on Amazon.

Associate members: Alameda and Contra Costa Bar Associations, San Francisco and Alameda Contra Costa Trial Lawyers Associations.

Mike Spencer Private Investigator
 
Client Testimonials

Mike Spencer is a great investigator and our law firm has worked with him for years.  He has found witnesses for me that were incredibly difficult to find.  In particular, he found and subpoenaed a key witness in a homicide trial that later testified that another person, not my client, had committed the homicide.  He is also honest, reliable, and a straight shooter.  I cannot recommend him highly enough.

Mike Spencer finds facts that others cannot find.  He has been very reliable over the years.

I use Mike Spencer for skip traces, recorded witness statements, human dat base searches, neighborhood canvassing for witnesses, scene photography, anything that needs boots on the ground asap to get the evidence, Mike is your man.

“Mike Spencer is a very good and very smart private investigator. I have worked with Mike on many cases both criminal and civil. Mike always comes through when we need him and we need him. He helps me and helps the clients. I highly recommend Mike to any attorney and or client. Mike is invaluable.”

“Mike is my ‘go to’ investigator. Getting a statement from a witness is not as easy as it sounds. But when I need to get a witness to cooperate I can rely on Mike to get the job done. Countless times Mike has come through with key statements that have made a difference in my criminal and civil cases.”

“What I also appreciated with Mike Spencer is that there were no surprises in his invoices. I have practiced law over 20 years and have hired many private investigators. If you think lawyers nickel and dime clients to death, lawyers are nothing compared to some private investigators! So I was pleasantly pleased with Mike’s invoices and reports. If you need an investigator in the Bay Area, call Mike Spencer first!”

“It was clear that Mr Spencer treated my final objective as his objective rather than taking the position that he had fulfilled the services of the original plan regardless of whether my objective was achieved or not. And just as importantly, the additional work required of him was all performed within the original retainer. – there was no ‘nickeling and dime-ing’ even when I asked him on occasion to look into this or that or follow-up on a side lead.”

“I have contacted SLI and used their services a couple of times over the past two years. I have always been satisfied with their results. The information provided was accurate and timely. No doubt, SLI prevented a close family member from being victimized financially. I know I can always count on Mike when I need investigative services.”

Voted Best Private Investigator by readers of The Recorder Legal Newspaper.
Contact Us
  • Available 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. 7 days a week.
  • Phone: (510) 593-3767
  • By Appointment Only

    We do not accept drop-ins.

  • inquiries@spencerpi.com
  • 1990 N. California Blvd 8th Floor

    Walnut Creek, CA 94596

Our Company
  • California PI License

    No. 27543.

  • Confidentiality Notice

    All communications and contact are held in the strictest confidentiality.