In 1986, Donna and Laura formed Ayotte & Shackelford, Inc.  They quickly embraced the computer technologies which began to develop in the early 1980s.  To this day, they continue to provide the most up-to-date computer-aided technology for their clients, which is essential to time and cost-efficient management of legal resources. 

Donna and Laura are well-known to the local legal community of attorneys, judges, court personnel, and auxiliary staff, because they are active court reporters involved in day-to day depositions and know what is important to their clients.  They care deeply about the quality of their professional and business relationships.  Their attention to detail and always putting their clients’ needs first is the key to their many years of success. They also credit their Office Manager of almost 20 years, “Roni” Hernandez, for being the “go-to” person.  She has established trusting relationships with the secretaries and paralegals. It is rare for business partnerships to withstand the test of time, but Donna and Laura have accomplished this feat for the past 32 years.   

The Ayotte & Shackelford Directory of Attorneys is an icon within the local legal community,  a publication they have been producing for over two decades without charge.  As one might imagine, it has steadily increased in size as the result of growth of the local population and the welcome influx of legal professionals from other locales and satellite offices.  It lists relevant contact data for all locally practicing attorneys in one convenient document, together with information regarding the Judges and Commissioners serving the Riverside Superior Court and the Public Defenders and Prosecutors assigned to Indio.  While a hard copy is produced only every two years, their new Online Legal Directory is kept up-to-date as changes are noted.  The legal community has come to rely on this convenient one-stop source of local information and it is unlikely there is an attorney, paralegal, secretary, or legal staff person in the desert who doesn't have it sitting next to their computer keyboard or telephone. 

Donna Ayotte Evans and her husband have raised six children in Palm Desert, five boys and one girl.  The boys are avid surfers, as is Donna’s husband, who also happens to be a legal professional in the community. Their daughter is an accomplished horseback rider.  The children’s occupations range from being a college student, paramedic, EMT and career counselor, to a newly minted lawyer who specializes in Intellectual Property in the San Diego area.

Laura Shackelford began her career in commercial banking in San Diego.  After being offered an opportunity to go into the lending program with San Diego Trust & Savings, she decided she wanted to make a career change.  Laura's court reporting career has afforded her the opportunity to work not only with attorneys and judges, but she has also worked with best-selling authors such as Marianne Willliamson, Neale Donald Walsch and Barbara Marx Hubbard. 

Laura is also a spiritual counselor, as well as a highly sought after motivational speaker.  She feels her two greatest accomplishments are her two sons:  Ryan, who created the Ayotte & Shackelford web site and majors in computer technology; and Cory, who is in his third year of law school in the Orange County area.

Isn't it reassuring to know that your court reporting resource persons are professionals thoroughly dedicated to, and fully trained and informed for, the work they love?