Case Studies
Client: Law firm
Location: Brisbane
Situation: In civil litigation, the discovery phase is a crucial part of almost all cases. There are legal rights and responsibilities on both sides, and getting it wrong can have serious consequences. This was the situation one of our Queensland-based legal clients faced when working on a large civil case in which many of the documents required accurate translation by a NAATI-certified translator.
Problem: Two main issues faced the law firm involved. The first was the size of the case and the number of documents that had to be translated. As a significant legal practice, they had the expertise and resources to handle the case, but they also needed a translation service with similar capacity.
The second problem our client faced was the diverse range of languages involved. They needed translations for documents in Chinese Mandarin plus several other languages as part of the case.
Outcome: The law firm considered contracting out the translations to multiple suppliers, but we had both the capacity to handle all the documents and the expertise to provide translations in all the languages they required. Each one of the translators who worked on the project was NAATI-certified.
Working with only one translation services provider reduced the complexity and cost of the project for our client. In addition, the client was highly satisfied with the quality of work we delivered.
Client: Police department
Location: Western Australia
Situation: Financial fraud cases are among the most complex that any police force anywhere in the world investigates. They regularly have to bring in outside assistance, including forensic accountants, to help with the investigation. When the investigation crosses international borders, translation services are also often required.
Problem: This was the situation faced by the police in WA as they investigated a fraud case that involved participants from a number of Central and Eastern European countries. As part of the investigation, they had audio recordings of some of the suspects discussing the potential fraud. The suspects were talking in Russian, however, so the recordings had to be translated. In addition, the subject matter of the case was extremely complex.
Outcome: We were able to provide the police with a translator who had experience of both legal and financial translation. The translator provided the police with an accurate translation of the audio recordings which included explanations of the slang phrases and local idioms used by the participants in the conversations. Our expert translated over 20 hours of audio recordings for the police. Those translations later became a central piece of evidence in the prosecution’s case.
Client: Law firm
Location: Sydney
Situation: Australia has always been a popular destination for tourists, students wanting to study, people looking for work, and those who want to relocate to make a better life for their families. These visitors come from just about every country in the world and, inevitably, some will find themselves in situations where they need assistance from a lawyer. Not being able to speak English, or speaking very broken English, presents significant challenges for both the individual and the law firm representing them.
Problem: A law firm in Sydney recently found themselves in this situation when they had a client who was from Somalia and who only spoke Somali. The lawyer working on the case needed an interpreter to help her communicate with the man so she could properly represent him in court.
Outcome: Our team of translators and interpreters includes Somali speakers, so we were able to provide the law firm with an interpreter quickly. The interpreter also had legal experience, so was able to assist the lawyer, particularly in relation to explaining to the Somali man how the legal system in Australia operates. This put the man in a position to give clear direction to the lawyer, and it allowed the lawyer to provide appropriate advice and fulfil her duties.
Client: Law firm
Location: Melbourne
Situation: Dealing with inheritance matters is something that many law firms in Australia face on a daily basis. Tracking down and then communicating with family members, or others mentioned in wills, is part of the process. In Australia’s modern, multicultural society, many people now have close connections that cross international borders. As a result, dealing with issues of inheritance now often involves contacting people outside Australia.
Problem: One of our clients in Melbourne faces this situation regularly. It is important in these cases not to assume that the person being written to speaks English, even though that might be the case. In addition, all inheritance matters involve a death. This makes the issue delicate as you have to take common sensitivities into account, as well as different cultural traditions. While doing all of this, the law firm has legal responsibilities to the client whose estate they are working to settle.
Outcome: We provide regular assistance to this client, which includes translating letters and other documents into multiple languages, depending on requirements. We also provide interpreter services for telephone calls, audio conference calls, video conference calls, and face-to-face meetings that sometimes take place. We have always been able to provide this client with a suitably qualified translator in the language they need who also has legal experience. We are continuing to work with them, and look forward to doing so long into the future.
Client: Law firm representing a major Australian company
Location: Sydney
Situation: Globalised trade facilitated by the Internet presents challenges to Australian companies who have valuable intellectual property assets. Companies must protect those assets not only in Australia, but also elsewhere in the world. After all, it is almost as easy now for an unscrupulous operator in a foreign country to steal a company’s trademark, breach the terms of a patent, or infringe on copyright as it is for someone here to do it. This sort of intellectual property crime can cost Australian companies millions.
Problem: One of our clients represents a large Australian company. One of the responsibilities they have is to protect the intellectual property of the company both in Australia and abroad. This involves a number of IP assets, although the most common issue they deal with is theft and misrepresentation of trademarks. Dealing with this involves using the legal system in multiple countries, which means that the law firm here must coordinate their efforts with lawyers in those countries, many of whom don’t speak English.
Outcome: We have been working with the Australian law firm for several months now providing both translation and interpreting services. The work has led to prosecutions in several jurisdictions, and a reduction in fake goods for sale bearing the company’s logo and brand.
