AKF SERVICES

Always on the cutting edge of technology:

• AKF was the first (1979) reporting agency in Pittsburgh to utilize computer-aided transcription, and only the sixth nationwide.
• AKF was the first (1980) provider of CART services in America. Our first assignment was in the United States Supreme Court for a hearing-impaired attorney, which was also the first time any computer devices were permitted in their chambers.
• In 1986, AKF formed VITAC, which was the first for-profit closed-captioning company in America when it began captioning the 6:00 and 11:00 news for KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh (America's first commercial television station), and grew to become the largest captioning company in the nation. Its clients include every major network and cable station, and its engineers were instrumental in developing the captioning chip which is now in every television set.
• AKF was the first (1995) reporting agency in Pittsburgh to have a Web site.
• AKF was the first (2003) company in Pittsburgh to offer trial presentation services.
• AKF has provided Jumbotron scoreboard captioning for every Pittsburgh Pirates home game since PNC Park opened in 2001.
• AKF was the first (2007) reporting agency in Pittsburgh to provide online case management in which AKF custom-designed a Web site program enabling over 50 attorneys to upload and have immediate access to all pleadings, exhibits, and transcripts in a three-year case with over 100 depositions.

COURT REPORTING

All of our reporters are employees. No work is subbed out; no independent contractors.

• Offer remote reporting via Zoom, Teams, etc. 
• All of our reporters utilize computer-aided stenotype (no inferior mask or digital reporters/recorders).
• AKF has more Registered Professional Reporters, Registered Merit Reporters, Registered Diplomate Reporters, Certified Realtime Reporters than any other reporting agency in Western Pennsylvania.
• Standard 9-day delivery.
• Expedited and same-day delivery - our specialty.
• Interactive realtime - instantaneous stream of testimony onto your monitor with searching and annotating functionalities.
• Loaner laptops, plus realtime kits with flat-screen monitors for your realtime feeds.
• Rough ASCII - delivered immediately after deposition.
• Internet deposition streaming. You, your client, or your expert can simply log-on from your laptop at your desk.
• Hyperlinked and embedded exhibits with your electronic transcript.
• Video/text synchronization. Ideal for jury playback of witnesses who are difficult to understand (view our short video below).
• Multiple transcript formats: regular, compressed, ASCII, pdf, eTran, Word - all at no additional charge.
• CART and broadcast captioning: AKF has provided Jumbotron scoreboard captioning for every Pittsburgh Pirates home game since PNC Park opened in 2001.

VIDEO

• Remote Video Recorded Depositions Via Zoom/Teams etc.
• In-house videographers
• DVD (delivered on site)
• Video conversion to all major formats
• Time coding (date/hours/minutes/seconds) burned in
• Video synchronization with transcript testimony
• Day-in-the-life
• Site surveys
• Mock depositions and witness prepping
• CLEs and Seminars
• Elmo and other equipment rental (with or without a technician)
• Post-recording digital editing
• Duplicate recordings maintained in perpetuity for safe keeping
• Playback with either flat-screen monitors or projection screens as large as 10' x 10'

VIDEOCONFERENCING 

Let us do the work to schedule and coordinate your other VC sites with our network affiliates...ANYWHERE....ANYTIME

• 2 videoconference suites
• HD equipment
• Large 65-inch flat-screen monitor with panning/zooming camera
• Bridging capability with multiple sites
• Depositions
• Expert witness consultations
• Client meetings/consultations
• Training seminars
• Staff meetings
• Interviews
• International meetings

TRIAL PRESENTATION

Bring your case to life with Visual Technology!

AKF has provided professional Trial Presentation Services since 2003 in trials, hearings, arbitrations and depositions. With either strategically placed flat-screen monitors, or projection screens as large as 10' x 10', including a touch-screen monitor for the witness, you will have an impressionable impact on the jury with your demonstrable evidence, while opposing counsel fumbles with easels, overheads, transparencies, and passing around exhibits.

If your case doesn't go forward on your planned date, we have a very liberal cancellation policy unique only to AKF.

ONLINE CASE MANAGEMENT

We administer everything for you!
Put your entire case in iCloud for immediate access by all parties.

Not satisfied or impressed with the limitations of off-the-shelf case management programs? AKF commissioned the design and development of its own unique and detailed program that is unlike, and far superior to, any other. Although it was initially created to accommodate lengthy, multi-attorney and complex litigation, it is equally effective - and affordable - with cases of all sizes. Our program literally replicates the entire official court file - plus the filings, notifications, and distributions are accessible immediately to all parties within minutes of submission to our technical team for uploading.

It's this simple: all you need is email and Internet access. AKF will handle all the logistics. It's seamless and user-friendly applications track and document your entire case - among all parties - from initial filing of the Complaint, through discovery, trial, and appeal. Many courts no longer accept filing of any discovery materials (e.g. deposition transcripts). Our online case management program has unlimited space and is actually more complete than the court's case file.

We can manage cases anywhere in the nation, 24/7, via secure password-protected access and transmission encryption, allowing all parties to view or download pleadings, transcripts, exhibits, photographs, videos - literally everything in the court's case file.

All postings are immediate, followed by broadcast emailing of the posting to all counsel, with a unique log-on/viewing feature to ensure, document and date/time stamp receipt of postings by other counsel.

The Calendar of Events tab keeps all counsel aware of upcoming filing deadlines, meetings, hearings, and depositions.