SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW:
Zel & Korinna Saccani
Legal Translators and Interpreters
Q: Thank you for visiting us from Texas. What languages does your company translate?
Zel: I translate from various Western European languages (Spanish, Portuguese, French, German and Italian) into English, and from English into Spanish.
Q: Can your company help if I need a translation from a language other than those you just mentioned?
Korinna: As members of the American Translators Association (www.atanet.org), we can forward links with translators’ profiles and contact information. You can then contact the translators directly.
Q: Tell us about your ties to the state. What brings you so frequently to South Florida?
Zel: I’m a graduate of the University of Miami School of Law, and am a licensed Florida and D.C. attorney. I’m also a certified Florida and Texas court interpreter. I lived in Miami from 1995 to 2006, and travel back to the state frequently. About forty percent of our business comes from South Florida.
Q: What kind of documents do you mainly translate?
Zel: Ninety percent of our clients are lawyers. I translate all kinds of documents, ranging from contracts and agreements to birth and marriage certificates to business correspondence, websites and press releases.
Q: Why should a client hire a professional translator? Miami has a large bilingual population. Can’t anyone bilingual do the work?
Korinna: For less-complicated documents such as birth and marriage certificates, it’s definitely possible to hire a non-professional translator. When the document is more complex or the matter is high-stakes, it’s helpful to work with an experienced translator.
Q: What would be an example of a document where your company’s expertise adds value and warrants the expense?
Zel: I know that your office handles immigration cases. Let’s take a political asylum claim, for which an applicant submits a declaration and evidence, often in a foreign language. A properly-translated declaration and supporting documentation can make the difference between an asylum claim being found credible (i.e. approved) or non-credible (i.e. denied).
Q: With the internet, translation has become a global business. How does a client know whom to choose? And why should they pick a more expensive service provider, such as your company, if many faster, cheaper options are available locally or on-line?
Korinna: Clients have literally thousands of options in the unregulated translation field. We’ve had success among lawyers and bankers because both professions understand the high cost of getting translations wrong. Attorney and banking clients are normally willing to pay a little more (and wait a little longer) to receive an accurate and enforceable product.
Q: Could you list the three or four factors that distinguish your company from the competition?
Zel: Sure. (1) Twenty million words personally translated since 2000; (2) American Translator Association certified in the Spanish => English combination; (3) Licensed Florida and D.C. attorney; and (4) Certified Florida and D.C. court interpreter.
Q: How can clients reach you for translations?
Korinna: Our e-mail address is info@slbt.net and our phone number is (956) 465-8282.
Q: Thank you both for your time, and hope to see you on your next trip to Florida!