Deposing a Willing Russian Witness

Unfortunately, not all countries permit the taking of depositions.  Mainland China, though a party to the Hague Evidence Convention, is just one example.  Russia is not a party to the Hague Evidence Convention, and does not permit the taking of voluntary depositions of willing witnesses.  There are ways to depose your voluntary Russian witness, however, provided that your witness is willing to travel.  Russia is a vast country, so nearby countries may be considered as alternative sites for your deposition.  For example, Finland lies near northwest Russia, and permits depositions of willing witnesses, regardless of that witness’ nationality.

As well as being a convenient location to depose your witness thanks to the proximity to Russia, Finland is a superb choice because of the amenities her cities have to offer.  Helsinki is renowned for excellent service, as well as safety.   The city is home to countless luxury hotels which can accommodate you in style during your stay, as well as provide comfortable meeting space for your depositions.  To get informed hotel recommendations, it is best to work with a court reporting firm with a longstanding presence in Finland.  They can also reserve the conference room for your depositions at the best rates, and coordinate with the hotel on your behalf to take care of all the logistical details involved.

Scheduling with a court reporting firm experienced in covering depositions in Finland makes for much easier planning and execution.  Your court reporter and videographer can handle on-the-ground logistics like printing exhibits, ensuring sensitive documents are properly destroyed after your depos have finished, as well as solving any technical difficulties which can and sometimes do occur.  One option to simplify the logistics of your depositions is to use paperless exhibits.  Going paperless makes for easy organization and maintenance of your exhibits, and helps reduce costs, while maintaining confidentiality.

While assisting with the logistics of your depositions, your realtime reporter will also provide to you the rough draft of your transcript within an hour of the conclusion of the deposition.  This provides the opportunity to immediately flag testimony for follow-up.  The value of realtime, with an instant verbatim record of the proceedings available during the proceedings cannot be overstated.  The reporter can also provide a loaner laptop for your realtime access, if this is needed.

For more information on Finland depositions, or other options for taking a deposition of a willing Russian witness, contact International Scheduling at Planet Depos, at 888-443-3767, or via email at international@planetdepos.com.