Press Release 3/28/2011
Temecula, CA - March 28, 2011 - Few industries have been completely untouched by the Great Recession but court reporting
may be one of the more resistant professions during this downturn.
You have seen them in court and on TV: the court stenographer or deposition reporter sits
silently listening to testimony while their fingers flail away at lightning speed. Court reporters
are responsible for keeping an accurate record during legal proceedings. And that may be the
exact reason why they are still in such high demand despite an economic slowdown -- there is
still a lot of litigation going on.
“Even while housing is in a slump and jobs are scarce, we have seen an increase in the
numbers of depositions,” says court reporting agency owner Todd Olivas, of Todd Olivas &
Associates Court Reporting in Temecula, California. “In fact, many of our clients choose to take
a deposition sooner rather than later to avoid protracted costs and get to a settlement quicker.”
All of that adds up to more business for court reporting agencies such as Olivas’.
While no industry-wide statistics exist, Olivas claims business is good. “We had our best year
in 2009, up 15% from 2008. Due in part to a very large job from the Environmental Protection Agency that accounted for nearly $300,000. Our 2010 numbers were good -- not great -- but good considering the recession. If you remove the EPA job from the numbers, we flatlined in 2010. However, in 2011 we are on track to book a 20% to 25% growth pattern. So I'm very pleased with our progress.” Olivas attributes
the increase in the volume of depositions to the increase in litigation as well as a rebound in
Workers Compensation claims. “During Governor Schwarzenegger’s reign, the pendulum
swung very far to the right a far as being in favor of the insurance companies. Injured workers
still exist though, and I personally have witnessed my Workers Comp clients increase their
volume of depositions accordingly.”
All of that makes Olivas optimistic for the future of his company as well as the court reporting
industry in general. “There is no such thing as a recession-proof industry, but I happen to
belong to one that is at minimum recession resistant. And for that I’m very grateful.”
For additional information on Todd Olivas, his court reporting agency or student speaking schedule, visit www.ToddOlivas.com.
Contact
Todd Olivas, President of Todd Olivas & Associates, Inc.
41690 Enterprise Circle North
Suite 200CC
Temecula, CA 92590
(951) 296-0114 Telephone
(951) 848-0789 Fax
http://www.ToddOlivas.com