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.