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The firm
Ellsworth & Kane exists to make one part of litigation completely predictable: the record.
Our position
A deposition agency judged on the boring things
Litigation teams do not choose a reporting firm because of its marketing. They choose one because the reporter showed up, the exhibits came back in order, the transcript arrived when it was promised, and the invoice matched the quote.
Those are unglamorous commitments. They are also the ones that determine whether a matter runs smoothly, and they are the commitments we organise the entire firm around.
We are deliberately built for depth of service rather than breadth of product. We do court reporting, the services that attach directly to it, and nothing else. That focus is why a coordinator who answers your call can tell you the status of your transcript without transferring you.
Operating commitments
What you can hold us to
These are the standards we ask clients to measure us against. They are stated plainly so that a failure is obvious rather than arguable.
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Same business day confirmation
Every setting received during business hours is confirmed the same day, with a named coordinator and a named reporter. If we cannot staff it, you learn that immediately rather than the day before.
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Quoted before the proceeding
Appearance fees, per page rates, expedite tiers, video charges, and interpreting costs are provided in writing in advance. Charges that arise on the day are raised on the day.
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Named accountability
One coordinator owns your matter end to end. You are not routed to a queue, and you do not explain the background of your case twice.
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Delivery on the promised date
If a transcript will be late, we tell you before the due date passes, with a revised date and the reason. Silence is not an acceptable answer at this firm.
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Secure handling throughout
Testimony is confidential. Transcripts, exhibits, and video move by encrypted link to named recipients, never as open attachments to a distribution list.
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Equal treatment of parties
Every service we offer is offered to all parties on identical terms. We take no instruction that would require us to favour one side of a matter.
Regulatory standing
The rules we work under
We would rather publish our obligations than leave clients to assume them. These are the principal authorities that govern how a California reporting firm may operate.
- Firm registration
- A firm that is not a shorthand reporting corporation must be registered with the Court Reporters Board of California and must designate a reporter in charge who is a certified reporter, a California resident, and a full time employee. We will provide our registration details on request.
- Certification of reporters
- Shorthand reporting in California may be performed only by an individual holding a current certificate. Certification attaches to the reporter, never to the firm. We do not describe Ellsworth & Kane as certified, because a company cannot be.
- Professional standards
- The professional standards of practice require truthful advertising, confidentiality of proceedings, freedom from bias, and the avoidance of any relationship that compromises impartiality, including compensation connected to the outcome of a proceeding. They also cap gifts exchanged with clients.
- Transcript conduct
- California law prohibits providing a transcript to one party in advance of the others, offering a service to only one party, charging fees other than those permitted for certified court transcripts, and failing to notify parties of transcript and expedite requests. Volume discounts across long term or multi case arrangements remain permitted.
- Independence from government
- We are a private company. We do not use seals, insignia, or language suggesting a connection to or endorsement by any court or government agency, and we are not appointed by any court.
Working with us
For firms that set regularly
If your practice generates recurring depositions, we will record your preferences once and apply them to every future setting without your team restating them. That covers delivery formats, rough draft defaults, expedite standing instructions, copy distribution, billing contacts and matter references, preferred videographers and interpreters, and any protocol your clients require for confidential testimony.
For insurers, corporate legal departments, and firms with volume, we will discuss rate structures that reflect that volume, consistent with the rules permitting long term and multi case arrangements.
- Standing delivery and format preferences
- Consolidated invoicing by matter or by client
- Preferred reporter continuity across a matter
- Protective order and confidentiality protocols on file
- Single point of contact for scheduling and billing questions
- Volume arrangements for recurring work
Talk to a coordinator
Questions about coverage, rates, or how we would handle a specific matter are answered by a person, not a form response.