Looking back on 2018, Aptus celebrated another fantastic year! Beyond our own successes and achievements, it’s fun to look back upon the interactions and experiences we shared with our clients. Taking a page from Instagram’s Top Nine theme, we’ve tagged each of our markets with its top nine moments from 2018 and briefly recapped each collage:

Bay Area

Our Bay Area team continued to chat it up around town by hosting coffee and trivia events. Brook Braunschweig organized, sponsored and participated in another successful six-week boot camp. Also, in what is becoming an annual staple, the team put on a Treat and Greet presentation at Vanity Beauty Lounge. Those who attended were treated to a mani/pedi while listening to our service offerings from our Director of Litigation Technology, Mike Tisa, as part of his monthly visits from San Diego to support the team.


Los Angeles and Orange County

The LA and OC markets matched the Bay Area team with successful coffee meet and greets, lunch and learn presentations and participated in The Association of Legal Administrators (Los Angeles Chapter) Justice Jog 5K Marathon in September.

San Diego

San Diego remained home base for a seventh year and once again contributed its sense of humor. It hosted coffee events like the Bay Area and LA markets, celebrated National Emoji Day, incorporated new technology and had a special guest at the end of the year!

instagram collage aptus court reporting san diego

Also, we made three big staffing changes in 2018:

In April, Jason Ferber, who has been with Aptus since 2013, was promoted to Director of Corporate Services. Under Jason’s direction, he’s helped foster new business relationships with corporations and in-house counsel across the country.

In June, Aptus added two Client Services Managers in Nia Rannie and Lola Tangitau. Nia and Lola came to Aptus with years of experience and previously worked with Ron Harrison, Managing Director of the Bay Area.

In December, Aptus expanded its presence in the Central Valley by adding Marj Walker. Marj will serve as a Director of Business Development in the Sacramento area.

Also happening in 2018:

Ryan Asanas of the San Diego office completed his exams and became a Certified Legal Video Specialist!

Without a doubt, we are looking forward to connecting with our clients and providing them with our unparalleled customer service and support in 2019!

Calendar photo by STIL on Unsplash

San Diego (PR Web) – Aptus Court Reporting announced today the opening of its Corporate Services Division based out of their San Diego corporate headquarters. This new division will expand the core Aptus offerings nationwide and will focus on creating new business relationships with corporations and in-house counsel across the country.

Jason FerberSpearheading the company’s new launch is Jason Ferber, recently promoted to Director of Corporate Services. With over 20 years’ experience in the legal industry working with law firms and corporations, Ferber is a seasoned professional ideally suited to oversee Aptus’ business development activities within this new division.

“Aptus has always offered the highest quality service and product, so I am excited to introduce our team to corporations throughout the country. Our service-focused ethos has been the key to our success and will be the driver for expanding our products and services to corporations. The potential is tremendous and the outcome is a “win-win” for everyone,” says Ferber.

“We are thrilled to have Jason expand his role with Aptus and apply his many years of relationship building, consultative selling and detailed attention to the building of business working directly with corporations. With his experience, I have no doubt he will excel in this new role,” says Derek Berg, Aptus’ President.

Since launching in San Diego in 2011, Aptus has expanded its market reach throughout California and beyond, with additional offices in San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Irvine, and Riverside. Combined with a number of recent key hires, the company continues to demonstrate a trajectory of growth and achievement.

About Aptus Court Reporting

Aptus Court Reporting is a full-service court reporting firm headquartered in San Diego, CA. The company provides court reporting, videography, transcription, and trial support among its list of services. Its company focus is “connecting testimony and technology” for clients globally. With decades of combined experience in the litigation support industry, Aptus provides a one-stop solution for deposition and trial needs. For more information about Aptus Court Reporting, please visit https://aptuscr.com.

We had a wonderful year! It’s important to celebrate accomplishments and we wanted to take a moment to thank and congratulate our team for all of our milestones, events and company wins.

January 2017

  • Johanna Torres joins the ACR San Diego team as a Business Development Manager
  • Mike Tisa hosts CLE on societal expectations of evidence presented in court

February 2017

  • Aptus acquires Barristers’ Reporting Service
  • Mike Tisa spoke on legal video technology at the Deposition Reporters Association of California Annual Convention in Napa, California

April 2017

  • Aptus opens its sixth office in Seattle, Washington

June 2017

  • Aptus co-hosted another Successful Food From the Bar event at our San Diego office
  • Aptus successfully completes a complicated, last-minute international video testimony session for a judge who has a reputation for being hard to please.

July 2017

  • The San Francisco offices’ Six Week Yoga Bootcamp, hosted by Yogi Melissa, comes to an end
  • Aptus expands into the Central Valley with the opening of its Fresno office
  • Jaime Gooch joins Aptus as Director of Business Development in the Fresno office

August 2017

  • We had some fun with the Solar Eclipse in our Los Angeles office

September 2017

October 2017

danielle-belonio-mike-tisa

November 2017

  • Marika Pickles and Brandon Wai join the Aptus San Francisco office as Directors of Business Development.
  • Julie Long joins the Aptus San Diego office as Director of Business Development
  • Aptus sponsors the 3rd Annual Girls on The Run Golf Tournament at the Loma Club in San Diego

December 2017

  • Mary Gagne Caceres joins the Aptus Los Angeles office as Director of Business Development

Cheers to another great year!

Mary-Gagne-Caceres-business-developmentAptus Court Reporting, the West Coast’s premier deposition and court reporting service, announced today the addition of Mary Gagne Caceres, serving as Director of Business Development out of their Los Angeles office.

“I am very excited to be part of the growing Aptus Team. Aptus’ reputation for delivering the latest technology coupled with good old-fashioned service are the same key denominators that I’ve built my career around. Their swift, courteous and efficient response to all client needs, while treating everyone with respect and genuine kindness and appreciation, is in harmony with my personal philosophy,” says Gagne.

Gagne brings an impressive resume, having begun her career as a Certified Shorthand Reporter, followed by 18 years as Business Development Executive for Sarnoff Court Reporters. Most recently Gagne served as Senior Account Executive for Veritext Legal Solutions.

“For many years I have had tremendous respect and admiration for Mary Gagne. Her reputation, industry knowledge, and accomplishments are unparalleled in the legal community. Having Mary join the Aptus family will have a tremendous impact on our future endeavors, not only in the Southern California markets but across all markets,” says Aptus President Derek Berg.

“Mary’s experience and relationships in the legal community are an impressive and natural result of her strong work ethic. She has a true dedication to serving her clients and we are thrilled to have Mary join our growing Los Angeles team,” says Jaclyn Swe, Aptus’ General Counsel and Los Angeles Regional Director of Sales.

About Aptus Court Reporting:

Since launching in San Diego in 2011, Aptus has expanded its territory throughout the West Coast of the US, with local offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Irvine, Riverside, Fresno and Seattle. The firm provides a wide range of services globally with clients on five continents.

Aptus Court Reporting is a full-service court reporting firm and a leading provider of court reporting services and litigation technology. They provide a one-stop solution for deposition and trial needs with services including court reporting, transcription, videography, video streaming, world-wide conference rooms, and more. The company’s mission is “Connecting Testimony and Technology.” For more information about Aptus Court Reporting, please visit https://aptuscr.com.

Julie Long - San Diego Business DevelopmentAptus Court Reporting, the West Coast’s premier deposition and court reporting service, announced today that they are expanding their presence in Southern California with the addition of Julie Long, Business Development Executive.

Long is a seasoned professional with three years’ experience in the legal industry and 14 years in software sales. She joins the San Diego team and will focus on creating new business relationships while ensuring existing clients continue to receive unparalleled service.

“I am thrilled to join the Aptus team. The core values of the company — take care of your people who then take care of clients — creates a genuine culture of exceeding expectations every single time. Adding these core values with Aptus’ state-of-the-art technology and nationwide infrastructure, and it’s impossible to find a better team to work with,” says Long.

“Since the inception of Aptus, we have taken great pride in working with the best in the business,” says Aptus Partner Ashley Walton. “Julie is truly one of those people. With her strong relationships in the San Diego legal community and her experience in business development, Julie brings tremendous value to Aptus. We are thrilled to have her talent on our team.”

About Aptus Court Reporting:

Since launching in San Diego in 2011, Aptus has expanded its territory throughout the West Coast of the US, with local offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Irvine, Riverside, Fresno, and Seattle. The firm provides a wide range of services globally with clients on five continents.

Aptus Court Reporting is a full-service court reporting firm and a leading provider of court reporting services and litigation technology. They provide a one-stop solution for deposition and trial needs with services including court reporting, transcription, videography, video streaming, worldwide conference rooms, and more. The company’s mission is “Connecting Testimony & Technology.” For more information about Aptus Court Reporting, please browse our website.

Marika Pickles(PR Web) San Francisco, CA -Aptus Court Reporting, the West Coast’s premier deposition and court reporting service announced today the addition of industry veterans Brandon Wai and Marika Pickles serving as Directors of Business Development out of their San Francisco office.

Earlier this year Aptus Court Reporting announced a new office in California’s Central Valley (Fresno) continuing their growth strategy throughout the west coast litigation markets.

“The Bay Area has always been a high market of interest for Aptus. With the additions of Brandon Wai and Marika Pickles to an already successful team, we believe the sky is the limit. The team’s dedication to their clients coupled with our focus on customer service and technology will ultimately enhance the all-important client experience,” says Aptus President Derek Berg.

Wai has served at the Senior Account Executive level and as a Regional Litigation Consultant in the Bay Area since 2001 and brings an impressive resume. Pickles joins Aptus from a national reporting firm where she served as Senior Account Executive from 2013 through 2017.

Brandon Wai - Bay Area Director of Business Development“The addition of Brandon Wai and Marika Pickles will enhance the already-successful Northern California Aptus. Their combined experience and dedication to high-quality client service is an excellent fit for us. We are most excited to bring on this additional talent to the team,” says Ron Harrison, Managing Director, Northern California.

According to Mike Tisa, CLVS and Director of Litigation Technology for Aptus, “Consistent with our focus on trial-ready deliverables, trial presentation and technology services, these additions to the Aptus team will further set us apart as the technology leader.”

About Aptus Court Reporting:

Since launching in San Diego in 2011, Aptus has expanded its territory throughout the West Coast of the US, with local offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Irvine, Riverside, Fresno and Seattle. The firm provides a wide range of services globally with clients on five continents.

Aptus Court Reporting is a full-service court reporting firm and a leading provider of court reporting services and litigation technology. They provide a one-stop solution for deposition and trial needs with services including court reporting, transcription, videography, video streaming, worldwide conference rooms, and more. The company’s mission is to “Connect Testimony with Technology.” For more information about Aptus Court Reporting, please browse our website.

While compliments from clients are always welcomed and valued, there is perhaps no greater compliment than one received from a sitting San Diego Superior Court Judge. On the 6th floor of the Broadway Court house, Judge Timothy Taylor presides on the bench from department 72. Those who have appeared before him knows he’s a fan of technology. Aptus’ client used this to their advantage when less than ideal circumstances presented themselves.

Just how did we accomplish this?

By delivering high-quality service during a last minute, complex situation.

Here’s what happened:

Aptus’ Director of Litigation Technology, Mike Tisa, received a call at 6pm from a client who needed to arrange remote testimony from Russia the next day. Russia is 10 hours ahead of California. To execute, the team would need to set up video and audio streaming with a flawless connection to ensure that no signal interruptions would affect the quality of the testimony.

Time to go to work!!

Tisa and his co-worker, Ryan Asanas, generally take last minute streaming requests in stride. However, most are for depositions and not directly into the courtroom where logistics are not as ideal as a deposition setting. Luckily, Tisa is no stranger to streaming testimony into the courtroom. He has been doing it for the better part of a decade and, in 2015, co-presented on exactly that topic at the National Court Reporter’s Association conference in Denver. Without hesitation, Tisa and Asanas prepped a laptop and set up everything so that it was ready to go the next morning. It went off without a hitch! The only difficulty was on the reporter’s end, but she was able to accurately transcribe the deponent’s heavy Russian accent without interruption throughout the testimony.

At the conclusion of the deposition, she was able to capture this transcription:


Judge Taylor San Diego Superior Court


As many San Diego firms know, this is a hard won compliment and we just couldn’t keep it to ourselves!

Judge Taylor

July 30, 2017, Fresno, CA (PR Web) – Aptus Court Reporting, the west coast’s premier deposition and court reporting service, announced today that it is expanding into the California Central Valley market. Aptus’ Fresno office, which is conveniently located at 516 West Shaw Avenue, Suite 200, will fulfill a need for quality court reporting and litigation technology services that has existed in the area.

Earlier this year, Aptus Court Reporting announced a new office in the Pacific Northwest, as well as the acquisition of the well-established Anaheim, CA firm, Barristers’ Court Reporting. Sandy Waite, Chief Operating Officer for the company, attributes the rapid growth to the continuing commitment to providing the legal community with expansive services for which Aptus is known.

Jaime GoochJoining the Aptus team and spearheading the company’s new market launch is Jaime Gooch, Director of Business Development. Ms. Gooch served as a Regional Litigation Consultant and Regional Account Manager for Esquire Deposition Solutions prior to joining Aptus. She has years of additional account management experience, making her the top candidate to lead the Central Valley expansion efforts.

“I didn’t think companies like Aptus existed until I met the team. I fell in love with their passion for the industry, the ‘white glove’ treatment they give all their clients, and the way they valued and respected their employees. The energy was also very contagious and I’m so thankful to be a part of the Aptus family now.”

“Jaime exemplifies everything we stand for here at Aptus. The common shared interests will help propel the Aptus brand throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond. We are excited to enhance our footprint and bring on a talent like Ms. Gooch to our team,” says President Derek Berg.

About Aptus Court Reporting:

Since launching in San Diego in 2011, Aptus has expanded its territory throughout the west coast of the US, with local offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Irvine, Riverside, and Seattle. The firm provides a wide range of services globally with clients on five continents.

Aptus Court Reporting is a full-service court reporting firm and a leading provider of court reporting services and litigation technology. They provide a one-stop solution for deposition and trial needs with services including court reporting, transcription, videography, video streaming, worldwide conference rooms, and more. The company’s mission is to “Connect Testimony with Technology.” For more information about Aptus Court Reporting, please visit htt://aptuscr.com.

Business person at a conference table

It’s hard to believe that it’s already been one year since our San Francisco team moved to our new location in Embarcadero Center. We’ve welcomed many new clients in the Bay Area and continued to provide excellent service to our valued long-standing clients.

Here are a few highlights from the last year.

May 2016

Aptus Court Reporting San Francisco moved into our new, high-tech office in the famous Embarcadero area of the city. The new office offers multiple boardrooms and conference rooms that can seat up to 12 people comfortably. Other amenities within the office include video conferencing capabilities, conference phone lines, high-speed wi-fi, and access to digital projects for presentations.

Along with a new office, we also welcomed two new team members, Brook Braunschweig and Danielle Belonio. Both women have been integral in expanding the Aptus footprint in the Bay Area along with long-time team member Danette Rugg.

June 2016

Ronald Harrison joined the team as the Managing Director of the Northern California Division of Aptus. Harrison is a court reporting industry veteran with over three decades of experience in delivering quality service to clients.

The team also hosted a successful presentation event at Vanity Nail Salon in the city.

The girls

July 2016

Aptus co-hosted a happy hour and pre-screening of Jason Bourne at the iconic Kabuki Theater for over 100 attorneys, paralegals, and secretaries. We were able to raise over $1,200 for Legal Services for Children.

apk

September 2016

Aptus hosted corporate boot camp in San Francisco where team members had fun with team-building exercises.

SF office anniversary bootcamp

October 2016

Aptus attended ABTL Annual Conference in Kapalua, Hawaii.

November 2016

We hosted a client appreciation breakfast for over 120 attendees for current and future clients.

February 2017

Aptus hosted a “We love our Court Reporters” Happy Hour at several of our California offices including the San Francisco office.

Director of Litigation Technology and CLVS, Mike Tisa, presents Legal Videos in Today’s Tech World at Deposition Reports Association of California Annual Convention in Napa. The presentation addressed current technology applications in legal videography.

SF office anniversary mike tisa legal videos

May 2017

Director of Litigation Technology, Mike Tisa, presents CLE on Video Quality Expectations from Jurors in Bay Area. The presentation addresses how society has influenced what jurors expect to see in trial presentation and ways that attorneys can better prepare at the time of trial.

We are looking forward to another successful year providing top-quality court reporting services, deposition conference rooms, litigation technology, trial support services, and videography services to clients here in the Bay area and across the world.

We are also celebrating the expansion of our local offices into the Pacific Northwest with the opening of our Seattle office last month!

If you haven’t partnered with Aptus for your trial and deposition needs, please give us a call to start a dialogue about how we can help. We have assisted with depositions around the globe.

As part of our ongoing commitment to greener operations and a reduced carbon footprint, the entire Aptus Court Reporting team makes contributions in a variety of ways. From using public transportation to embracing digital media and even running paperless whenever possible, we make Earth Day a year-round proposition. Here are five ways Aptus Court Reporting goes green every day:

Hybrid Transportation Saves Gas and Cuts Emissions

Our company Prius is used to commute and relay items between offices, reducing the impact our operations have on the environment. Many members of our team are particularly eco-conscious and opt for public transportation such as the Coaster or BART to travel to and from work.

Cloud Files Reduce Paper Use

Our innovative cloud based storage holds the exhibits, files and more for every case we handle, without expiration. Our system includes the full transcript and hyperlinked exhibits, making it easier than ever to find what you need. Best of all, this system allows our team and clients to reduce the amount of paper documents required for depositions and trial prep while allowing for easy access wherever there is a secure internet connection.

Electronic Submission of Video Packets

The video packets completed by videographers are optimized into PDF format, allowing for electronic submissions. By working electronically, we have streamlined our work flow and drastically cut down on the amount of resources we use. Since files are transferred electronically, mail trucks and couriers are not needed to transfer physical papers or DVD, thus reducing carbon emissions.

Embracing Digital Media

At Aptus, we have fully embraced digital media technology. By using digital video uploads we can fully serve our clients’ needs while also reducing the amount of paper packaging and DVDs we use.

Individual Local Office Efforts

Each of our offices and individual departments have embraced our green initiatives as well. Each department is provided with recycling bins and our offices are equipped with motion detected light sensors to reduce unnecessary energy expenditure. Fun fact: did you know that the energy saved from recycling one aluminum can will power a computer for three hours? Just think of how many hours of saved power are in those recycling bins!

Our deep commitment to running an eco-friendly business extends to everything we do, from the way we handle information to the way we deal with disposable items. Ultimately the financial savings realized through saving energy and resources is cost savings that can be passed onto you, the client.

How do you go green in your firm?