Somehow this reminds me of the "Recovery Man" books by Kristine Katherine Rusch. A lone detective fights for the underdog (literal dog in this case), fighting against corporate interests in a high tech setting with aliens. The aliens here are quite relatable, rather than implacable, but they still hold most of the cards. By modern sensibility I mean little things like the protagonist is lesbian, but nobody makes a big deal out of it, including her.