Court Reporting Firm handles depositions for free in Planned Parenthood Federation of America v. John Ashcroft

February 23, 2004 (PRLEAP.COM) Business News
(New York, NY) Planned Parenthood Federation of America, has selected lipka.com, inc. to handle all depositions noticed nationwide by Plaintiff's in the case: Planned Parenthood Federation of America v. John Ashcroft. In an unusual and surprising twist, lipka.com has offered to provide their court reporting services for free.

"For the last 8 years we've been handling depositions for free for many of our clients,' said the firm's president, Michelle Lipka. "All law firms handle cases on a pro bono basis — and they usually have to bear the costs of disbursements on these matters. We're just trying to do our civic duty to help ease a trifle of the burden our client law firms take on annually,' she said. "It's a meaningful way to say 'thank you' to our clients for the other paying work they send our way, instead of sending a restaurant guide or a tacky plastic trifle for their desks at the end of the year!'

In what is turning into one of the most important litigations since Roe v. Wade, depositions began this week in the case, PPFA v. Ashcroft, which challenges the so-called Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003, and was filed on behalf of Planned Parenthood affiliates and their physicians, staff and patients. The lawsuit seeks an injunction against enforcement of the act and a declaration that it is unconstitutional.

When asked if her personal feelings about the issues at hand in this case contributed to her decision to handle these depositions for free, Ms. Lipka answered: "As officers of the court, we are required to have NO interest in the outcome of any case we handle depositions in – paying or not. We've handled depositions for free in all sorts of pro bono matters over the years, from patent and trademark issues to death row prisoners' rights.'

lipka.com also gives 10% of it's annual profits to ovarian cancer research, and is 100% female owned and operated. "I like to say we're the ‘feel good' court reporting choice,'' Ms. Lipka joked. "If Oprah and Ben & Jerry got together and opened a court reporting firm, I imagine it would be run like lipka.com!'

lipka.com handles depositions nationwide and specializes in patent and anti-trust litigation. It has branch offices in New York City and Portland, Oregon. They can be reached at 888-lipka-com or at www.lipka.com.

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Contact: Michelle Lipka
President
lipka.com, inc.
Stuyvesant Station
Post Office Box 2093
New York, NY 10009
212.260.8606 or
888.lipka.com
michelle@lipka.com
www.lipka.com