A Strictly Legal Deal : O.C. Court Reporting Company to Join N.Y. Firm Building National Network

By LESLIE EARNEST

Jan. 30, 1996 12 AM PT

SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

SANTA ANA —

One of Orange County’s oldest court reporting firms is being gobbled up by one of the nation’s largest legal reporting companies.

M&M; Certified Court Reporters, which was founded more than 40 years ago in Santa Ana, is being acquired by New York-based Esquire Communications Ltd. as part of Esquire’s effort to set up a national court reporting network, the companies said Monday. Financial terms were not disclosed.

M&M;, which handles depositions for hundreds of law firms, has 65 court reporters and branch offices in Los Angeles, San Diego and San Bernardino.

Harvey Melman, one of M&M;’s owners, said Esquire is acquiring regional agencies throughout the country in an effort to establish a national network in the $3.5-billion court reporting industry.

“It’s an area that’s been overlooked for years, and the time has come for this type of national service,” Melman said.

The transaction also would allow M&M; to provide nationwide service for its customers, he said.

M&M; would retain its name and be run by the three current owners, Melman said. M&M; management “will determine all the policy and pricing structure, so there’ll be no change,” he said.

Esquire acquired another Santa Ana court reporting firm, Sarnoff Deposition Service Inc., in 1994. The New York company also announced plans recently to acquire a San Diego company, Kitlas, Dickman & Associates. The Sarnoff and Kitlas firms have a total of more than 100 court reporters.

Esquire’s acquisitions of M&M; and the San Diego firm would boost the New York company’s annual revenue by more than 25%, said Malcolm L. Elvey, Esquire’s chief executive. The company expects to report annual revenue of more than $20 million for 1995, he said.

The company said a definitive agreement to acquire M&M; could be in place by June 30.

M&M; originally was named Pina & MacAuley after founders Roy Pina and William MacAuley, two Orange County Superior Court reporters who started the deposition agency in 1955. The name changed to MacAuley & Manning in 1963 when Pina retired and James Manning became a partner.

During the 1970s, MacAuley and Manning retired, but the new owners--Melman, Richard Barrett and Carlton Dawson--incorporated under the name M&M; Certified Court Reporters.

Esquire, which transcribed the O.J. Simpson trial for NBC, provides court reporting and related legal support services.

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In the Works

A New York firm, Esquire Communications, plans to acquire Orange County-based M&M; Certified Court Reporters. Details on the two companies and proposed acquisition:

M&M; Certified Court Reporters

Headquarters: Santa Ana

Business: Provides court reporters for legal depositions

Founded: 1955

Owners: Harvey Melman, Richard Barrett and Carlton Dawson

Employees: 14 (65 court reporters are employed as independent contractors)

Branches: San Diego, San Bernardino and Los Angeles

Purchase price: Not disclosed

Esquire Communications Ltd.

Headquarters: New York

Business: Legal deposition court reporting and information management

Chairman: Malcolm L. Elvey