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Aptus Court Reporting Expands Team & Relocates San Francisco Office

May 6th, 2016, San Francisco, CA — Aptus Court Reporting, a leading provider of court reporting, videography and legal technology services, has added two new members to its San Francisco Bay Area team: Brook Braunschweig and Danielle Belonio.

Brook Braunschweig, who touts a decade of legal industry sales experience, will join Aptus’ San Francisco Bay Area team as a Director of Business Development. Prior to joining Aptus, Braunschweig worked at DTI as Director of Sales and Business Development for its Bay Area market. Before that, she focused on developing and maintaining long-standing client relationships as an Account Executive with Merrill Corporation.

“I’m looking forward to joining the Aptus family and working in an environment that I know will provide my clients with the best possible experience,” says Braunschweig. “My prior experience in the industry combined with a strong company like Aptus will provide clients with an unparalleled customer service experience. I view the opportunity to work with an innovative and forward-thinking company like Aptus as an excellent way to advance my expertise and growth within the legal industry.”

Also joining the company as Director of Business Development for the Bay Area market is Danielle Belonio. With 11 years of experience in sales and three of those years focused on legal services, Belonio brings a substantial skillset to the Aptus team. In her prior position, Belonio served as an Account Executive with legal processing outsourcing company DTI LLC. Prior to that, she served as an Account Executive with business solutions provider Merrill Corporation focusing on applying the company’s services to applications in the legal industry.

“The Aptus culture is transparent. What you see is what you get and what you will find is a team of enthusiastic, knowledgeable, detail-oriented, responsive, and service-minded individuals. I couldn’t ask for more. I am thrilled to be a part of the Aptus team and to expand our culture in the Bay Area,” says Belonio.

Braunschweig and Belonio will join Aptus’ current San Francisco Bay Area representatives Danette Rugg and Kaitlyn Shelly, who have over two decades of combined sales experience in the court reporting industry.

In addition to building out its sales team, Aptus Court Reporting has relocated its Bay Area office to One Embarcadero Center, Suite 1060 in San Francisco, CA. In March 2016, the company announced the launch of a new office serving the Greater Los Angeles market along with the addition of Lori Cheyne as the Director of Business Development for the region. Aptus CR serves numerous markets throughout California including San Diego, Orange County, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento.

“We are thrilled to add the talent of Danielle and Brook to our growing Bay Area market. The addition of these two industry savvy individuals and the transition into our new office in San Francisco positions us extremely well to continue our business growth and expansion of the Aptus brand throughout California and beyond,” says Sandy Waite, Aptus’ Chief Operating Officer.

About Aptus Court Reporting:

Aptus Court Reporting is a full-service court reporting firm headquartered in San Diego, CA. The company provides decades of combined experience in the court reporting industry and offers videography, transcription, and trial support among its list of services. Its company focus is “connecting testimony and technology” for clients internationally. With over 35 years of combined experience in the litigation support business, Aptus provides a one-stop solution for your deposition and trial needs. For more information about Aptus Court reporting, please visit https://aptuscr.com.

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Are Court Reporters Now Technology Experts?

The Traditional Definition of Court Reporting

court-reporterCourt Reporter – noun

a stenographer employed to record and transcribe an official verbatim record of the legal proceedings of a court.

This is the definition of a court reporter (dictionary.com). Their job, as defined above, and understood by the courts is to capture everything that is being said in the room and then prepare a transcript. There is no official record without court reporters. While simply defined, the duties of a reporter in the modern day are expanding well beyond the “standard definition.”

Then vs. Now – A Court Reporter’s Arsenal of Technology

Let’s look at a few scenarios where technology is becoming more prevalent in depositions both in the actual room and remotely:

Real-time: This feature allows attorneys to instantly view the transcript in real-time, hence the name. This requires the reporter to set up the connection by setting up cloud-based streaming sessions and sometimes troubleshooting the connection to another attorney’s computer. Oh yeah, now you can stream to iPads and tablets as well, so make note of that.

eDepoze: Here’s a quick description of this product. It allows the attorneys to conduct a deposition with no paper exhibits. Using an iPad or laptop, eDepoze’s cloud-based server helps mark and store exhibits with the attorney marking everything. No need for the reporter to keep exhibit stickers. However, her role is still vital to the proceedings. The reporter must first go through a training session with an eDepoze rep. After that, they are a Certified eDepoze Reporter. Great, awesome, terrific. Now, the reporter will be responsible for helping all parties log in, including the witness. Should anything go wrong, since they are the Certified Reporter, are they responsible for troubleshooting as well?

Web-based Video Conferencing: This is a popular medium to conduct depositions. Often times, the reporter will be with the witness while counsel is remote. They may be asked to setup a laptop with a webcam. Sounds easy, right? Is it really, though? What happens if the connection fails? What happens if the webcam fails? What happens if the computer crashes?

When adding in all these technologies in addition to the normal duties of taking down what EVERYONE IN THE ROOM IS SAYING, court reporters end up going well beyond their “defined” role.

What do you think? Should the definition of a court reporter be expanded to include other duties?

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Aptus Court Reporting Continues Rapid Expansion with Acquisition of Brunson Court Reporters

[Press Release] San Diego, CA – Aptus Court Reporting announces its acquisition of Brunson Court Reporters, a prominent staple in the court reporting industry with over 50 years of experience. This merger continues to solidify Aptus’ commitment to expansion on a global scale, building on the Aptus brand of quality court reporting and innovative solutions.

Founded in the 1960s by Harrell W. Brunson and his wife Patricia, Brunson Court Reporters have provided quality court reporting services to clients across the San Diego area. An adaptor to change, the company has withstood challenges and celebrated growth. After retiring in the early 2000’s, the company has been owned and managed by Mary Rouse since 2008.

The blending of both companies continues to help position Aptus Court Reporting as a major force in the court reporting industry. Their rapid expansion efforts have resulted in the acquisition of powerhouse organizations that enhance their advancements in technology, dedication to superior customer service and focus on longevity.

“Brunson Court Reporters has survived off loyalty and superb reporting,” says former owner Mary Rouse. “Our motto at Brunson Court Reporters has been ‘Everything you need at OUR fingertips,’ as the business has been run by reporters since its inception. This merge is exciting for everyone involved because we’re combining the allegiance and trustworthiness of an established firm with the advancing technology and ambition of Aptus. Even more, the Aptus team is diligent in balancing personal relationships with superb work product, emphasizing a perfect match for our reporters.”

Ashley Walton, a co-founder of Aptus Court Reporting, expresses the team’s excitement about the merger. “The Brunson team saw an opportunity to offer further client focus and technology through Aptus and we are thrilled to be working with Mary, Doreen and their clients.”

ABOUT APTUS COURT REPORTING

Aptus Court Reporting is a full-service court reporting firm headquartered in San Diego, CA. The company provides decades of combined experience in the court reporting industry and offers videography, transcription, and trial support among its list of services. The company focus is “connecting testimony and technology” for clients nationwide. For more information about Aptus Court Reporting, please explore our website at https://aptuscr.com.

ABOUT BRUNSON COURT REPORTERS

Brunson Court Reporting was founded in the 1960s and has been a consistent staple in the San Diego legal community providing quality service and thorough court reporting.

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Make It Easier with Electronic Copies

We are definitely in the electronic age of technology. Paper files can be hard to keep track of and keep secure. Aptus provides a solution: electronic copies for clients with a private link to a secure repository where clients can view and download a full PDF, a mini PDF, or a .PTX (e-trans file).

Exhibits can be viewed and downloaded digitally, and files are available at your fingertips whenever you need them.

Benefits of electronic copies:

  • hyper-linked exhibits in PDF transcripts

  • electronically-signed transcripts

  • all exhibits included in one secure link

  • can be easily emailed to multiple counsel

Out with the old and in with the new! Technology is an ever-changing force in the legal industry and we are here to make sure your firm is kept up-to-date with the latest advancements.

Contact your sales rep to make sure you’re accessing all the features your electronic deliverables have to offer.

 

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One Depo. One Disc.

1The Aptus team streamlines our process as much as possible for our clients. We focus on quality and efficiency to get the job done – and to do that, we deliver your video depositions to you on one disc.

While many firms send two separate discs for video depositions, we stick with the one to make it quicker and easier for you to keep track of each depo. Focusing on quality over quantity, Aptus makes it easy on you and gives you the one thing you need to help with your case in one streamlined package.

What Is Included?

  • load files for trial presentation and case management software
  • synced video files
  • full and mini PDFs of testimony and exhibits

Our services are designed for the convenience of our clients. Contact your sales rep to schedule your deposition with us today.

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Aptus Continues Growth, Welcomes Three New Staff Members

Aptus Continues Growth, Welcomes Three New Staff Members

We are excited with our level of professional growth and the opportunities available to recruit highly-qualified candidates who will continue to uphold the quality of service and product we deliver to our clients. In recent months, we have added three top-notch individuals to the Aptus team. Welcome Romina, Jason, and Mike!

Romina Hussein

Ro-RoRomina Hussein joins our newly-expanded San Francisco office as our Business Development Executive helping the Aptus name grow in the San Francisco and Northern California market. Born and raised in the Bay Area, Romina is a UC Berkeley graduate and has previously worked as a paralegal post-college for four years. She comes from a big family, the third of four children, and embraces having her immediate family close by. Growing up in Oakland, she is a lover of Oakland As baseball and you can find her with her family and friends during baseball season tailgating and enjoying the games.

 

Jason C. Ferber

FerbsFor our Southern California offices, UCLA alumni Jason C. Ferber has joined the team traveling between our San Diego, Orange County, and Los Angeles offices as the Director of Business Development. For 10 years, he worked as Managing Partner at Whitmont Legal Technologies and also previously worked as Regional Sales Manager at Veritext Deposition Services. He has been in friendly competition and has known Derek for 15 years and now the stars have aligned for him to join the Aptus team. He and his wife Laura brought in 10 years of friendship to their now 14 years of marriage and together they have three sons: Ethan, Jackson and Owen. His hobbies include spending time with his family whether it is camping in their vintage VW bus or going on a family fishing trip.

 

Mike Tisa

mike-tisaMike Tisa is the most recent to join the San Diego office. He is the Director of Litigation Technology and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of video operations including video production, in addition to helping Aptus stay at the forefront of digital technology. He is heavily involved in the firm’s website and social media campaigns to gain better exposure online and to release relevant information to clients. And as a CLVS (Certified Legal Video Specialist) he will continue to be in the field covering video depositions for our clients. Mike’s previous positions have been Litigation Technology Manager for Shelburne Sherr Court Reporters in San Diego and four years at one of the largest independently owned court reporting firms in the country, PohlmanUSA Court Reporting in St. Louis, MO. He is the oldest of five brothers, one of whom works as a videographer in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas. He is a die hard Cardinals baseball fan, enjoys movies, and all things Beach Boys-related.

We are fortunate to have hired a new class of exceptional talent and look forward to having them be part of our Aptus family!

Aptus-Current

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Adapting to California Court Reporting Changes

California court reporters are among the many victims of drastic budget cuts sweeping through the state judicial system. According to Silicon Valley’s Mercury News, Governor Jerry Brown and the California legislature reduced the state court’s budget by $350 million in 2012 and 2013 isn’t looking much better. State courts are expected to see additional budget cuts of an estimated $200 million.

This dismal trend has certainly been felt in the San Diego court-reporting field. JD Supra Law News reported that as of November 5, 2012, the San Diego Superior Court only provides court reporters for criminal hearings and civil cases. As an effect of this cutback, the court was stripped of 30 San Diego court reporter positions. But this is just the beginning. The San Diego court system is expected to reduce the budget by an additional $33 million and implement 50 to 75 additional layoffs.

Other cities are experiencing the same hardships. The Los Angeles Superior Court let go of 60 official court reporters last year, reducing the budget by $10.2 million and this year will only bring more reductions. San Francisco court reporters have felt a similar squeeze, laying off 24 court reporters in 2011 as the trend towards privatizing court reporting continues to increase.

As court reporters in San Francisco all the way down to San Diego continue to get laid off, it has become incumbent upon the litigators to arrange their own reporters. Though some courts are turning to recording devices as an alternative, many civil cases so not allow this as an option. The risks of having no record of legal proceedings are daunting, and parties are grappling with the loss of opportunities for appeal since appellate courts require written transcripts.

To compensate for this void, many litigants are turning to companies like Aptus to provide skilled court reporters. At Aptus, a talented and reliable team can pick up the slack generated by these budget cuts, mitigating the disadvantages of the court’s shortcomings. Whether you’re looking for a San Francisco court reporter or your needs are in San Diego, Aptus has multiple offices on the west coast that can deliver quality court reporting services exceeding your expectations.