You should look into your state's procedures for securing a judgment with a lien at the earliest possibility. Provided no one has recorded a large or numerous liens earlier and provided the defendant has some assets to pay the judgment...the judgment lien will assist you in securing the judgment until you can execute on it. Hopefully there are some assets there to get.

Don't forget that a defendant's accounts receivable in the hands of its clients are an asset that can be garnished to pay a judgment.