Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP is a full-service international law firm with nearly 350 attorneys across more than 50 specialized practice areas. Todd Heffner, Partner in the Construction Law Practice, handles some of the firm’s most complicated disputes in the construction and energy sectors. He spoke with us to share how he’s now using Verbit’s legal-tech solution, Legal Visor, to empower his work and provide him with a competitive edge in the legal sphere.
“Construction is really complex, and it leads to a lot of disputes,” Todd explains. “We’re often arguing about specific contract terms and who’s responsible for cost overruns, generally.”
Todd’s team regularly handles cases involving multiple parties, lots of documents, and depositions. Todd recalls one case where “I think there was something like 15 fact depositions over five weeks, so when they do come, they come in big waves like that,” he said.
Before encountering Verbit’s Legal Visor solution, preparing outlines and reviewing testimony manually consumed significant time and energy, leaving Todd and his team with an intense workload and less bandwidth for strategic analysis.
Todd first experienced Legal Visor during a demonstration in the Atlanta office. He said watching the live transcript manage multiple speakers in real-time immediately showed him its potential.
“Just seeing the quality of the transcript in real time…it was really good. That made me think, ‘Wow, this could really help with a lot of the tedious parts of the job.’”
Before fully implementing Legal Visor, Todd and his firm ensured the technology met the highest standards for security and compliance.
“Our firm has an AI committee that makes sure any tool we use is vetted thoroughly,” he explained. “Once our tech team verified that Verbit met the appropriate conditions to trust client data with it, we felt confident moving forward. It’s table stakes that any reputable AI vendor is going to keep your data secure.”
Since adopting Legal Visor, Todd has used it across arbitrations, depositions, and hearings. The real-time feed allows him to track every detail without losing focus.
“People zone out. Being able to just go back 15 or 20 seconds or a couple of minutes to see what you missed is incredibly useful.”
Paired with AI insights, the platform acts like an extra associate in the room. Todd describes it this way: “I genuinely think of it as bringing an additional associate with me to a deposition or a hearing.”
“I would 100 percent absolutely recommend other lawyers give it a go. Selfishly, I hope they don’t, because that means I’ll continue to have an advantage.”
Todd shared how Legal Visor transforms his post-deposition workflows. He and his team can quickly search transcripts, locate relevant testimony, and generate clear summaries for clients, reducing manual review time while improving collaboration.
“Once you have the transcript, just being able to query it is really great. Now you can find what you need efficiently. An associate can just log in and pull up what I needed much more efficiently. That’s just a great tool to have.”
Clients also benefit from receiving clear, structured updates, which Todd and his team provide quickly using Verbit’s legal transcription technology and generative AI.
“Clients love receiving summaries of the work we do, and anything that expedites that is super useful,” he says.
For Todd, Legal Visor provides more than efficiency. He shared that it gives him a competitive advantage. It reduces reliance on manual transcription and offers him the ability to access transcripts immediately after depositions are completed. These capabilities – combined with the real-time insights provided – strengthen his ability to achieve the best outcomes for clients, he says.
“Litigators are competitive people. Having [Verbit] is an advantage over someone who isn’t using it in their depositions. It gives you a better chance to get the better result at the end of the day.”
Todd emphasizes that Verbit is not just a technology provider, but a collaborative partner. He said that onboarding was simple, and questions are answered promptly, ensuring a smooth experience.
“It’s very user friendly,” he continued. “Compared to some of the bigger tools we have to use, Legal Visor is much closer to ready-to-use out-of-the-box.”
Todd also contributes feedback on his use of Verbit’s legal transcription technology, which informs product development and investment decisions on Verbit’s side.
“I do truly feel like a valued customer. The things I’m suggesting are given serious consideration.”
“Once you have the transcript, just being able to query it is really great. Now you can find what you need efficiently. An associate can just log in and pull up what I needed much more efficiently. That’s just a great tool to have.”
Todd says that he is confident about the value Legal Visor brings to modern litigation and the new way of work in law firms and for attorneys.
“I would 100 percent absolutely recommend other lawyers give it a go. Selfishly, I hope they don’t, because that means I’ll continue to have an advantage.”
“Anyone who uses it seriously will quickly realize they want it all the time,” he continued. If they can’t use it, they’ll feel like something is missing. “It’s already awesome, and if it just keeps getting better, it’s going to continue to have a place in my practice.”
Todd and his team are regularly using Verbit’s technology and the Legal Visor solution for:
Todd’s experience highlights how Verbit’s Legal Visor can save time, enhance accuracy, and provide a competitive edge in high-stakes litigation. From real-time transcripts to searchable records and shareable summaries, Legal Visor empowers attorneys to work smarter, stay focused, and deliver better outcomes for clients. To see Legal Visor in action, schedule a demo today.
Explore our legal transcription technology and how solutions like Legal Visor and Legal Capture can be used to streamline your firm’s legal workflow. Let’s explore ways to offer your team with a strategic advantage in any case.
