Our attorneys use dictation to create documents. Until 2004, we dictated using Sony microcassettes, which secretaries later transcribed with desktop transcription machines. The little tape recorders seemed the height of modernity; we had no reason to change.
Then, to the surprise of everyone in the firm, one of our partners, John Methfessel, left in 2003 to start a new company – a digital dictation company called Verdatum, based in New York City. Later our lawyer-turned-entrepreneur dropped by our offices with a digital dictation system built solely for law firms and explained how digital dictation could increase our productivity, cut our costs and delight our cost-conscious clients. We decided to check out this new technology.
