Joe Huber, Director of Business Operations

Four Decades in Records Retrieval

Joe started in records retrieval in 1984. Records were produced on paper then, and copies were made with portable microfilm cameras such as the Recordak RP-1. Today records are produced electronically or scanned to digital files, and Joe has worked through that change with the industry.

Over 42 years, Joe has overseen hundreds of thousands of subpoenas and records requests. He has always worked in California, and he also handles requests in other states. Asked what he would want a paralegal or attorney to know about him, Joe pointed to one assignment:

“I personally handled all of the records requests regarding one of the largest Los Angeles area lawsuits.”

Joe Huber, Director of Business Operations

California State Court Subpoenas

Joe’s specialty is California State Court subpoenas and the rules for how they are prepared, noticed, and served. He also handles federal court subpoenas and records requests in other states. Most of his work involves medical, employment, and financial records, and he knows the HIPAA rules that apply to protected health information.

Joe is also clear about a term that confuses many people. In California, the deposition officer on a records subpoena doesn’t take testimony. It is a registered, bonded professional photocopier that receives the records under the subpoena (CCP § 2020.420). Direct Legal Support is registered as one, and Joe is the deposition officer under that registration, for the subpoenas your office serves or our office serves.

Working With Joe

What paralegals and attorneys can expect:

• Phone and email. Joe works with law firms by phone and email, and some questions are best settled with a call.
• Realistic timelines. Routine orders typically set production about 35 days after the subpoena is issued. Rush orders can be as soon as 20 days after issuance.
• Complete paperwork. The custodian’s declaration and proof of service come with your records.
• Straight answers. As deposition officer, Direct Legal receives and delivers records. We can’t argue your case with a custodian, and no one can promise that every subpoena will produce records. What Joe offers is close follow-up and a clear report on where every request stands.
• Attention to detail. “We are a boutique business,” Joe says, “that provides attention to detail on every order that most larger companies overlook.”

A Note From a Client

Drew Taylor, a senior paralegal who has worked with Direct Legal for many years, posted this review after Joe helped her office with a difficult, time-sensitive service assignment:

“We were dealing with a particularly difficult, high-profile, and extremely time-sensitive matter involving service on a self-represented party who was very challenging to reach. There were multiple moving parts, significant deadlines, and circumstances that required close attention, persistence, communication, and good judgment. Joe handled the situation exceptionally well from beginning to end.”

“What impressed me most was his responsiveness, follow-through, professionalism, patience, and personal involvement. Joe did not simply pass the assignment along and wait for someone else to handle it. He remained actively involved, communicated with the process server, kept me updated as circumstances developed, answered my questions, helped problem-solve when obstacles arose, and made sure our office had the information and documentation we needed.”

“I have worked in the legal field for many years, and one thing I have learned is that it can be surprisingly difficult to find people who are not only knowledgeable about what they do, but who are also dependable, thorough, communicative, and genuinely committed to getting the job done correctly. Joe is one of those people.”

“Direct Legal is very fortunate to have him.”

Drew Taylor, Senior Paralegal, The Law Office of Pardeep Bains, APC, Modesto · Google review

She also wrote to our management:

“There are many people who can process an assignment. Far fewer take personal responsibility for helping a client navigate a difficult one. Joe did that.”

Drew Taylor, Senior Paralegal, The Law Office of Pardeep Bains, APC, Modesto

Related Services

• Records retrieval by subpoenaMedical, employment, and business records by subpoena, with deposition officer services.
• Out-of-state subpoenasForeign subpoenas domesticated in a California court and California subpoenas to be domesticated in other states.
• Process servingRegistered, bonded service of process throughout California and nationwide.
• Court document retrievalCopies of filed documents and case files from any California courthouse.

Questions About Joe