California Court Reporters Board Files Lawsuit Against US Legal!

4-14-11

Back in December we advised you that US Legal - a firm not owned by a CSR - had been fined by the Court Reporters Board (Board) for violating the Board's gift-giving rules.

CCRA and DRA applauded the Board's action as an important first step in ensuring fair and level marketplace competition between deposition firms owned by California CSRs (licensees) and those not owned by licensees. While firms owned by licensees have complied with the Board's modest regulation limiting the value of gifts to $100 annually, those firms owned by corporations have apparently ignored the regulation and have continued to offer increasingly more valuable gifts in exchange for business.

US Legal was found to be in clear violation of the rules, was cited and fined by the Board and is refusing to pay the fine, presumably on the grounds that it does not believe the Board has jurisdiction over it.

CCRA and DRA again applaud the Boards action, this time following through with a lawsuit.

Legislative Visit

CCRA is busy visiting various offices of the legislature, demonstrating realtime and meeting with staff in regards to the ER bills proposed this year.

Pictured below are CCRA President Debby Steinman and CCRA member Dina Lidis making a presentation at Assemblyman Donald Wagner's (70th Assembly Disctrict) offices on March 15, 2011.

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Tax and Legal Information

Dear CCRA or DRA Member:

Both of Californias court reporting trade associations representing deposition reporters want to make you aware of some important tax and legal information for you and your clients.

As you may know, many court reporting firms have been promising valuable incentives to law firm secretaries and assistants in exchange for those secretaries and assistants booking depositions with the firm. CCRA and DRA retained the law firm of Hanson Bridgett to review the tax implications of these incentives.

According to the Hanson Bridgett analysis, your clients should be aware that offers of such incentives raise potentially serious tax consequences for law firms and their employees. As Hanson Bridgett writes: CLICK HERE TO READ MORE