Helena Tsapoitis-Barbesin
helena@transcriptsontario.ca
Direct: (416) 889-6054
CCR – Certified Court Reporter since 2004
ACT – Authorized Court Transcriptionist since 2016
Testimonials:
“Helena and Co. are the best. Very responsive, professional and accommodating!”
Mitch Engel, Barrister & Solicitor – Mitch Engel & Associate
“Helena and Amanda may very well be the best in the business. The care and commitment that comes from Transcripts Ontario never leaves us with any concerns about getting the job done. They are kind, quick, professional, and reliable – there is no one we would rather go to for all our transcription needs.”
Michelle Locano, Paralegal – Moriah Law
“My firm has consistently depended on Helena to get quality transcripts done quickly, and for a reasonable price. She is always quick to respond, easy to work with, and I trust that she will provide me with estimates that are accurate. I would trust Helena if I needed a transcript for my own bail review, appeal, or any criminal law matter!”
Sebastian Becker, J.D., B.A. – Bottomley VanderHeyden
“Helena has been one of our firm’s go-to transcriptionists for several years now. She and the team at Transcripts Ontario consistently deliver accurate, high-quality work, even under the tightest timelines. We know we can always trust her to treat our most sensitive and confidential matters with care. I could not recommend her services enough.”
Suhanna De Silva, Legal Assistant – Addario Law Group
“As a criminal lawyer, accuracy, confidentiality, and turnaround time are critical when working with transcripts. I have relied on Helena and her team for many years on several projects, and their work has consistently exceeded expectations. They are meticulous, professional, and responsive — a rare combination. Whether it’s court proceedings, client interviews, or video witness statements, I know I can count on them for reliable and high-quality results. Their service has become a valuable extension of my practice, and I recommend them without hesitation.”
Lea Scardicchio, LL.B. (Hons), B.A. (Hons) – Scardicchio Law Office
“For the past seven years, our firm has consistently relied on Helena for all of our transcription requirements, regardless of the project’s size. From concise proceedings to intricate trials spanning several weeks, Helena and her team have always been dependable in preparing our transcripts. We appreciate her responsiveness, the speed of service, and her excellent ability to prioritize urgent requests. We highly recommend her services.”
Alexandra Floyd, Licensed Paralegal – Furgiuele Law
“The team at Transcripts Ontario is our go to transcriptionist! They are excellent at not just communicating the needs and wants of their clientele but is also very prompt with how long transcripts take to be prepared! I would highly recommend this team to anyone needing transcripts!”
Kevin Gai, Licensed Paralegal – Posner Craig Stein LLP
“Helena and her team at Transcripts Ontario always deliver on time. Their communication is excellent, and they consistently deliver amazing work. They are clearly committed to great service. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for transcription services.”
Sydney Cosby – Posner Craig Stein LLP
“In a busy criminal defence practice, having a reliable transcriptionist is crucial, which is exactly what Helena is. Our office has worked with Helena for a number of years and she remains consistent, very responsive, professional, and an absolute pleasure to work with. I will always trust in Helena to provide us with amazing service and highly accurate transcripts. She has gone above and beyond assisting in dire circumstances with tight turnaround times that I am also very grateful for. I highly recommend her services.”
Jeanine Frazer – Posner Craig Stein LLP
“This was a difficult transcript and you did it perfectly – paragraphs and punctuation were exactly as I would have wanted, which isn’t easy when it’s an oral judgment. Thank you for doing such a great job!”
Judge Peter Bawden – Superior Court of Justice, Ontario
“Helena does excellent work and her turnaround times are remarkable. I needed a lengthy transcript overnight and Helena was able to pull it off and still deliver the quality she is known for. She is a pleasure to work with as well – truly a top-notch transcriptionist.”
Andrew Allen, Assistant Crown Attorney
“Helena is the best. Her transcripts are perfect. She goes the extra mile to ensure that there are no unintelligible sections. She works super fast if you need something urgently. She’s a pleasure to deal with. I highly recommend her services.”
Meghan Scott, Assistant Crown Attorney, Team Lead, Central Toronto Intimate Partner Violence Team
“I have been practising law for 29 years. I have a very busy practice and sometimes ask for transcripts last minute or urgently. I started using Helena’s services as a transcriptionist over a year ago and have not turned back since. Helena is very professional and pleasant to work with. She gets the job done even when there are urgent requests, large requests, and all other types of requests. I would recommend her services to anyone that is looking for a professional, reliable and punctual transcriptionist.”
Diane Magas, LL.B., Barrister & Solicitor – Magas Law
“Helena is extremely diligent. She is professional, highly trained and motivated to ensure that all of our transcripts are perfect. She always goes above and beyond the call of duty. I have had to call on her for more than a few emergencies and she always comes through. I can always rely on her and I know the job will always be done right. Helena cares about her clients and always double and triple checks facts and spellings on each transcript. Her level of detail is extraordinary. I highly recommend Helena.”
Leora Shemesh, Criminal Defence Lawyer – Leora Shemesh Criminal Law
“Helena is — by far — the best transcriptionist I’ve worked with. She is responsive and always delivers. In short, you can count on Helena… I know I do!”
Nate Jackson, Criminal Defence Lawyer – Simcoe Chambers Criminal Law
“Over the past five years, Helena has transcribed all my matters. Whether the job is a simple set-date or a complex multi-day hearing, Helena is consistently fast, accurate and reliable. Helena’s quick responses keeps me apprised of the status of her work. Simply put, Helena’s friendly disposition and diligent work ethic makes her a pleasure to work with.”
Janelle Belton, J.D. – Bottomley Barristers
“Helena has been assisting me with transcribing court proceedings, including prelim and trial testimony, as well as witness interviews for many years. My firm has been so delighted with not just the quality of her work, and accuracy of the transcriptions, but also her extremely customer focused approach. She responds almost immediately to each request and is a problem solver when we are a bit challenged to get projects done on a rush basis. It has been an absolute pleasure working with Helena and I cannot say more about how fantastic her work ethic is, the quality of the work and the timeliness of completion of the work. Thank you so much, Helena.”
Joseph A. Neuberger, Senior Partner – Neuberger & Partners LLP
“Helena is just the absolute best and my first call anytime I need a transcript. From start to finish, she’s a joy to deal with. She’s friendly, always responds right away to my requests, works at lightning speed and always accommodates any deadline that I have. I also never have to worry about the quality, her work is exceptional. It’s such a relief to have someone reliable, professional and pleasant like Helena to work with. I recommend her to anyone who asks and I will forever be grateful to my former articling student for introducing me to her.”
Danielle J. Vincent, B.Sc.(Hons), J.D. – Michel & Vincent Law
“Helena is a top flight professional and an indispensable part of my practice. Helena handles the ‘ins and outs’ of transcript ordering and production and is able to turn out accurate transcripts in record time. Thank you Helena for being there for both me and my clients. In large measure, I credit your reliable, accurate and speedy transcriptions for the great results I am able to achieve for my clients.”
Karen McArthur, Criminal Defence Lawyer
“Helena is a fixed point in my practice. I can always count on her. There are no excuses and no drama. Her work product is outstanding, she is easy to work with and I never have to chase her no matter the complexity of the request. I can’t recommend her highly enough.”
David Connally, Barrister & Solicitor
“I’ve only had the pleasure of using Helena as my transcriptionist for the past 1.5 years. I wish I had discovered her services earlier. Highly highly recommended. You will not be disappointed.”
Quality of service: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Professionalism: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Turnaround time: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Sense of humour: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
S. Jay Passi, Barrister & Solicitor – Passi & Patel Criminal Lawyers
“I highly recommend Helena as a transcriptionist. She is extremely punctual (she often gets transcripts to me well before I expected them, in fact!), dependable and, above all else, an absolute pleasure to work with. I am always confident when I place an order with Helena that transcripts will be of the highest quality, and done on time. Helena is good at keeping in regular contact to let me know if there are issues obtaining audio recordings, judicial approval, etc. I never have to worry that things aren’t being done because she makes sure I’m up to speed. Helena is also a great project manager for complicated files. I trust her to make smart decisions and to deal with courts on my behalf.”
Lisa Jorgensen, Chief of Staff to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
“Helena was recommended to me by a lawyer I work with. I have continued to trust her with all of the transcripts I order because her service is both friendly and highly professional. She has provided me with rush transcripts when I needed them fast and always has incredible attention to details.”
Diana Davison, Legal Researcher
“I have been practicing criminal litigation for 20 years. I have seen and experienced discipline, tenacity, and professionalism from players in the Criminal Justice System in that time. However, Helena stands heads and shoulders above the rest. She single-handedly saved me from missing crucial 11b deadline extensions in Toronto Superior Court, due to the unprofessional actions of another individual in her field. Helena produced hundreds of pages of transcripts within days. She worked throughout the Civic long weekend to ensure I met the deadline extension granted by the Case Managing Judge. Do not waste time with an unprofessional, unmotivated, and inefficient reporters and risk your professional reputation – Hire Helena.”
Enzo M. Battigaglia, ESQ., Barrister
“Having a transcriptionist that you can always count on is so incredibly important to the function of a busy criminal practice, and Helena is exactly that. I know that once I have put in a request, Helena will do all that she can to sort out any issues that may come up and always gets the order done within requested timelines. I have never once had to follow up with her to inquire about a request. Most importantly, Helena does all of the very demanding work of transcribing while never complaining about tight deadlines and always having something fun to share. She is truly a pleasure to work with and I recommend her to everyone who is looking for a transcriptionist that they can rely on.”
Madalyn Bavaro, Criminal Defence Lawyer
“Thank you for everything you have done. Your work ethic is exemplary and your personality bright and warm as the sun! Superior Court Trials can be lengthy and demanding and I pushed you to the limits, with multiple last minute requests with extremely tight deadlines. You were always willing to take on, with no complaints. It has been an absolute pleasure!”
Tania Tanti, Paralegal – Public Prosecution Service of Canada
“It’s been just over 5 years since I left big-firm life and realized the true value of running an efficient practice. That requires having people I can trust and Helena is a huge part of my team. She makes the ordering process easy and I know that as soon as she acknowledges the order, I don’t have to worry about it. Like magic, my transcripts arrive electronically and in hard copy just as I ordered and when I need them. Hands down, she’s honestly the best!”
Jordana H. Goldlist, Criminal Defence Lawyer – JHG Criminal Law
“Helena is one of the best transcriptionists I have worked with. Her transcripts are always prepared in advance of the requested due date. The accuracy of her transcriptions is phenomenal. She goes out of her way to assist when we require transcripts on an urgent basis. She came highly recommended to my office and I have since referred her to others.”
Heather Curtis, Legal Assistant – Leora Shemesh Criminal Law
“I have had the pleasure of working with Helena and I can advise it is indeed a pleasure. Her efforts make my job easier and made it one less thing I had to track for my client. Because Helena is very proactive, my client doesn’t pay extra fees for me to actively monitor progress, I am kept in the loop and can so advise my client. Many thanks and it was truly a joy working with you.”
Bruce Parsons, Paralegal – Parsons Legal
“Helena came to us very highly recommended, and she has exceeded every expectation. She is hard-working and dedicated. I can always trust that the transcripts will be done to perfection, and exactly as I like them. Her experience is truly unmatched.”
Jordan Casey, Crown Attorney – Guns & Gangs Unit, Toronto
“Absolutely incredible service. Amazing turnaround time. Highly recommended.”
S. Jay Passi, Barrister & Solicitor – Passi & Patel Criminal Lawyers
“As a busy criminal law firm, we trust Helena to complete all of our transcription requests/needs in an accurate and timely manner. She always conducts herself and completes her work in a professional way.”
Michelle Mendez, Office Manager – The Law Office of Nicholas Charitsis
“Helena has been nothing short of a pleasure to work with. She is 100% reliable, she follows up to make sure she is up-to-date on everything. She is extremely organized and does her job exceptionally well. She is one of those people that goes “above and beyond” her job description. I recommend her 100%.”
Biana Pasternak, Licensed Paralegal – Tatangelo Legal Services
“I often use Helena’s transcription services and I highly recommend her. As part of my practice, I often provide the Crown with copies of my transcripts, and I have yet to receive a complaint about their accuracy. In addition, Helena has never missed a deadline and she understands the importance of the transcripts in the overall criminal process and I believe this pushes her to get them done quickly and accurately. She is a pleasure to deal with too.”
John J. Navarrete, Crown Attorney – Guns & Gangs Unit, Toronto