Telephonic Deposition Soars in 2009 as Firms Seek Savings

PohlmanUSA Court Reporting says the use of telephonic depositions by law firms skyrocketed in 2009.

The trend reflects the impact that the recession has had on law firms, heightening the efforts of legal practitioners to deliver quality services quickly at the lowest cost possible. With attorney headcount in the U.S. declining four percent between 2008 and 2009 according to the 32nd annual survey by the National Law Journal, telephonic depositions are one way to enhance value.

Litigators and case participants use the technology set-up to “attend” an out-of-town deposition via a telephone conference call rather than face-to-face. This deposition technology generates significant savings by eliminating travel time and associated expenses including transportation, lodging and food. PohlmanUSA provides the service on a turn-key basis. It secures properly equipped conference space, schedules the deposition and invoices participants for facility use, further streamlining internal administration for its law clients.

“While nothing substitutes a live deposition appearance, advanced conferencing capabilities are the next best thing when traveling is not practical or economical,” says Patrick Stufflebeam, associate of HeplerBroom LLC. “Saving our clients money is always appreciated, and the availability of telephonic deposition services has expanded our capacity to fully participate in depositions at a greatly reduced cost.”

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PohlmanUSA Deploys High-Tech Litigation Support Services to Generate Cost and Time Savings

Law firms of all sizes are feeling the recession. In its recently released 32nd annual survey, the National Law Journal (NLJ) reports that attorney headcount across the nation’s top 250 law firms declined four percent (5,259 attorneys) year-to-year. The decline is the largest reported by the NLJ since it began collecting data in 1978.

Rescuing the law firms that seek cost-effective solutions to save time and reduce expense is St. Louis, Mo.-based PohlmanUSA Court Reporting.

PohlmanUSA eases the workload of litigators, paralegals and legal assistants, increases productivity, and saves time and money with sophisticated court reporting technology and services, including its proprietary online case management program, MyCase. And with a network of trusted peers and vendors, the firm offers a coast-to-coast reach.

Below is a run-down of PohlmanUSA’s popular time and money saving litigation support services tapped by litigators and paralegals every day:

MyCase, PohlmanUSA’s proprietary, online self-help case management program, was launched in August 2009. Housed on www.pohlmanusa.com, the innovative service allows 24/7 access to full deposition transcripts, an interactive deposition calendar, service scheduling, deposition e-alerts, live chat and more. Attorneys and paralegals working at the eleventh hour have unlimited access to case materials traditionally only available during regular office hours. In fact, in its first four months of operation, MyCase was used to instantly access, order and receive 111 documents after hours. More than 2,100 total documents were accessed in the same timeframe (through Dec. 10, 2009). The service also offers an online portal for organizing hundreds of documents for multiple active cases.

Interactive realtime translation streams deposition testimony realtime on the internet, text only. PohlmanUSA users have instant access to watch the deposition, flag sections of testimony and build a case as it happens. Additionally, the deposition text is instantly searchable by word and phrase online, providing a rough transcript for case development immediately at completion of the deposition. To-date, more than 160 clients have used the service.

Video synchronization merges a written transcript with the video deposition. DepoView video synchronization software plays a deposition video simultaneously with its text scrolling on the side. The service can quickly search an entire deposition by word and/or phrase, and snippets of video are easily clipped for cost-effective trial and settlement preparation. First available in 2004, use of video synchronization technology has soared 400 percent since 2007 at PohlmanUSA.

Telephonic depositions/video conferencing allows litigators and case participants to attend out-of-town depositions without spending the time and incurring expenses associated with travel. PohlmanUSA coordinates scheduling, equipment, billing and online registration, alleviating timely phone calls and streams of emails to secure attendance. In 2009 alone, the firm noticed a 25 percent increase in its telephonic and video conferencing service.

Need a conference room for that deposition? In addition to PohlmanUSA’s use of cutting-edge technology to save time and money, the firm takes on the hassle of scheduling conference rooms nationwide for its clients … even on a moment’s notice! It is the only known court reporting or litigation support agency that offers this first-class service. In 2009, PohlmanUSA scheduled 215 rooms in 120 different cities, handling all the legwork, equipment reservations and billing. 

PohlmanUSA’s mastery of time- and cost-saving litigation support services has enabled the firm to nearly double its staff to more than 80 in the past two years. In 2009, the agency acquired two court reporting agencies – Diane-Carole Reporting of Chicago, Illinois and Kriegshauser Reporting & Video of St. Louis, Missouri.

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Vicki Pohlman Chosen as One of the 2010 Most Influential Business Women

Vicki

PohlmanUSA founder and CEO, Vicki Pohlman, was recently selected by the St. Louis Business Journal for the 2010 Most Influential Business Women.

A court reporter for eight years, Vicki Pohlman in 1990 sought to realize her entrepreneurial dream, founding deposition and litigation support service provider PohlmanUSA and operating the business out of her home in Collinsville, Ill.

Today, with offices in downtown St. Louis and Chicago, PohlmanUSA serves hundreds of law firms across the country and ranks among the nation’s leaders in a complex, highly specialized field. Its geographic scope has tasked Pohlman to establish and sustain a nationwide network of court reporters and videographers as well as interpreters and translators skilled in multiple languages and versed in legal protocol.

A technology-forward philosophy – coupled with a continuously refreshed suite of cutting-edge services – enables Pohlman’s company to excel. Endless investment in improvements to an already state-of-the-industry interactive website affords attorneys 24/7 support, access to legal archives and access to a self-service deposition database, MyCase. PohlmanUSA also provides realtime reporting, telephonic deposition management, video conferencing and advanced videography via DepoView™.

As a part of her dedication to the community, Vicki Pohlman sends birthday cards to clients. She also surprises them with goodies and treats. Pohlman’s highly personal and caring touch extends to the greater community and serves as an example for staff to do the same. Pohlman is an active board member and former secretary for Women In Charge, a group that provides abused and/or impoverished young women and their families with career counseling, GED and job interview preparation, computer skills and childcare. Additionally, she mentors court reporting students in her leadership role with the Missouri Court Reporters Association. Nationally, she is active in the National Court Reporters’ Association, the Society for the Technological Advancement of Reporting and the Women Presidents’ Organization.

For the past two years, PohlmanUSA has conducted its own version of the “100 Neediest Cases” by adopting needy St. Louis families and lavishing them with toys, gift cards, clothing, household goods and food for Christmas. Additionally, she and PohlmanUSA staffers participate and organize charitable events for St. Louis Children’s Hospital and Gateway Pet Guardians.

Click here for the announcement in the St. Louis Business Journal.

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PohlmanUSA Court Reporting Relocates to New Downtown Saint Louis Headquarters

December 17, 2007 – PohlmanUSA Court Reporting in downtown St. Louis, Missouri moved its national headquarters to 10 South Broadway, Suite 1400, St. Louis, Missouri 63102. The office building is owned and managed by the Hertz Investment Group.

“Our relocation stems from the company’s unprecedented growth in recent years. The move will now enable us to better serve our national network of clients, provide our staff with state-of-the-art facilities and allow court reporters to better utilize our resources,” said Vicki Pohlman, founder and chief executive officer of PohlmanUSA Court Reporting. The Missouri court reporting firm works with court reporters and legal videographers across the state of Missouri. In addition to Missouri, PohlmanUSA’s vast array of court reporting services is available nationwide.

Process serving, real time court reporting, legal videography and videoconferencing are just a few of PohlmanUSA’s local Missouri and nationwide services. As an added benefit to using PohlmanUSA Court Reporting’s deposition services, you are encouraged to utilize some of the complimentary services. These include deposition conference room location, My Case online case management and much more.

When scheduling a court reporter in Saint Louis, Missouri or Chicago, Illinois, a Pohlman in-house conference room is available for the deposition. When scheduling court reporters nationwide, the PohlmanUSA scheduling department uses a database of conference rooms to suit the needs of the deposition. Locating conference rooms is an added feature for all PohlmanUSA clients. This reduces administrative time searching and setting up deposition locations.

Founded in 1990, St. Louis-based PohlmanUSA Court Reporting provides court reporting, legal videography and litigation support services to law firms nationwide through cutting-edge technology and premier service. PohlmanUSA court reporters are spread throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area and Missouri.

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Vicki Pohlman Featured in the St. Louis Post Dispatch

Founder of PohlmanUSA Court Reporting, Vicki Pohlman was spotlighted in the feature “Woman Knows How to Lay Down the Law” in the St. Louis Post Dispatch. The Friday, May 7, 2010 article discusses the evolution of Vicki Pohlman from a local St. Louis and Southern Illinois court reporter to the owner of a national litigation support agency. This growth is a result of her devotion and dedication to the profession of court reporting and technology’s place in the legal industry.

PohlmanUSA is a leader in court reporting technology. From the interactive online repository, MyCase, to realtime court reporting to global videoconferencing, Pohlman discusses how legal technology makes an impact in today’s litigation.

In addition to Vicki Pohlman’s passion for the court reporting industry, she gives back to the local community. The article highlights her philanthropic passions such as GED/job preparation organization Women in Charge.

In twenty years, Vicki Pohlman has created a nationwide court reporting agency that offers superior client support to law firms from New York to California. Her vision has grown the St. Louis, Missouri based court reporting firm to a nationwide litigation partner. With the acquisition of Diane-Carole Reporting in Chicago, Illinois, PohlmanUSA can now offer local service to the Chicagoland area as well.

To view the recent St. Louis Post Dispatch article, click HERE.

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PohlmanUSA Adopts Two Families to Brighten Holiday Season

The holidays will be a bit more cheerful this year for two St. Louis-area families thanks to PohlmanUSA! For the second year in a row, the firm is sharing its blessings by adopting local families in need.

“This has been an extremely rough year for many families,” says Vicki Pohlman, president and founder of PohlmanUSA. “The holidays are about kindness and sharing, and our team celebrates by giving back to the community. Adopting less-fortunate families is a joy-filled tradition of ours!”

This year, the first family has three children, one daughter and a younger set of twins (a boy and a girl). And the second family has four children, one daughter and three sons. All seven kids are younger than 10!

For both kids and parents, PohlmanUSA is collecting clothing, winter coats, gloves, hats and scarves, shoes, toys and games, towels, sheets and household goods, and gift cards for food. Each gift is individually wrapped and hand delivered to the parents just in time for Christmas morning.

“I love seeing so much enthusiasm and support from my co-workers on this project,” explains Tracy Bianco of PohlmanUSA. “It brightens all of our holidays just knowing we could make a difference for a couple families.”

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PohlmanUSA Court Reporting Acquires Kriegshauser Reporting & Video

In its second major acquisition of 2009, PohlmanUSA Court Reporting has acquired Kriegshauser Reporting&Video. Both firms are based in St. Louis, Mo.

Kriegshauser Court Reporting was founded by Gerard “Bo” Kriegshauser and has been serving the legal profession in the St. Louis and surrounding areas for nearly 20 years.

As a result of this acquisition, the PohlmanUSA staff grows to a record high of 80 court reporters and internal staff at its offices in downtown St. Louis and Chicago, Ill.

PohlmanUSA has nearly doubled its staffing in the past two years. “The Kriegshauser acquisition strengthens our organization by deepening our experienced, tech-savvy court reporting staff as we apply cutting-edge technology and superior internal processing to provide clients with cost-effective, coast-to-coast service reach,” says Vicki Pohlman, founder and president of PohlmanUSA.

Earlier this year, PohlmanUSA acquired Chicago, Ill.-based Diane-Carole Reporting, giving it a foothold in the Windy City legal reporting market. Pohlman projects that the acquisitions will boost 2009 revenues by approximately 20 percent and significantly strengthen the diversification of Pohlman’s client base in Chicago and surrounding areas.

PohlmanUSA’s St. Louis clients include Bryan Cave, LLP, Thompson Coburn, LLP, Husch Blackwell Sanders, LLP, Armstrong Teasdale, LLP, Greensfelder, Hemker&Gale, P.C. and Lathrop&Gage, LLP. Its Chicago client roster is topped by Schiff Hardin, LLP, Scariano, Himes&Petrarca, Segal, McCambridge, Singer & Mahoney, Ltd., Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman & Dicker, LLP, Matushek, Nilles & Sinars, L.L.C. and Sanchez, Daniels & Hoffman.

PohlmanUSA provides law offices across the country with court reporting and litigation support services, including transcripts, real time reporting, exhibit scanning, word indices, interpreters, in-house videoconferencing, video production and an innovative online self-service deposition database called MyCase.

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Realtime Translation

Realtime is the instantaneous translation of the spoken word into the written word. This text is then displayed on a computer monitor or large projection screen. It was first introduced in courtrooms for hearing impaired witnesses. The results of the realtime technology proved to be successful, and court reporters began using the technology for depositions.

The demand for realtime translation is becoming increasingly popular. This is especially true as travel costs rise, and clients are cutting costs.

With realtime, attorneys are able to review and cite testimony during the deposition. Realtime software also allows the attorney to highlight and annotate any portion of the testimony while the deposition is proceeding. The attorney can then leave the deposition with a rough copy of the transcript, further cutting expedite costs.

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Realtime Internet Streaming

Streaming via the Internet is the most recent technology advancement in realtime. Combined with appearing telephonically at the deposition, realtime streaming can eliminate travel expenses. This allows access to the deposition via the Internet in any setting. This is very useful for expert witnesses, co-counsel and parties across the country.

With realtime translation, you can build your case by searching current and previous testimony. You will never miss critical testimony using this technology. With realtime internet streaming, there are no software costs. In addition, attorneys can monitor multiple depositions simultaneously.

In order for realtime internet streaming to work you will need a high-speed Internet connection, Windows Media Player 9.0 or higher and Java 1.2 or higher.

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Greater Visual Impact

Everyone knows that a picture tells a thousand words. Thanks to advancements in legal technology, you will not have to go into trial unarmed. Video synchronization gives you the necessary tools to impact any jury using DepoView and DepoView DVD.

With video synchronization, you can view the deposition video and transcript simultaneously. It allows you to search key words, page and line numbers, edit and present video clips and quickly access information from video depositions. This technology also allows you to view exhibits on the screen, create and export clips and take snapshots of the video.

Ordering your next video synchronized is easy. Simply request the synched video when you schedule with PohlmanUSA or at the deposition.

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