Breaking From Tradition: How Danny King Legal Uses Actionstep to Run a Bold New Kind of Law Firm 

Danny King founded her eponymous law firm, Danny King Legal (DKL), with a vision to create a boutique employment law firm where everyone – from employees to clients – could thrive. Fifteen years later, her Sydney-based firm stands as a shining example of a modern legal practice that dares to do things differently. With a flatter hierarchy than traditional firms, DKL prioritises leveraging its people’s unique abilities and amplifying those talents through strategic use of technology. The result? A law firm that works smarter, not harder, allowing its team to minimise time spent on manual tasks and focus more on delivering a holistic strategy and experience to clients. 

The search for a smarter practice management solution 

Until 2019, DKL experimented with various practice management solutions, but none fully met the firm’s needs. They were looking for a modern, cloud-based platform that eliminated the need for an on-site server, enabled flexible work arrangements, and ensured compliance with trust accounting rules and regulations. Actionstep not only met these requirements but also unlocked powerful insights and efficiencies empowering DKL to oversee firm operations and manage data more effectively than ever before – something they weren’t expecting.  

Why Actionstep? A perfect fit for Danny King Legal 

When DKL began searching for a new practice management solution, trust accounting was a top priority. “Having a law degree is one thing when you’re running a law firm,” says Danny King, “but what about accounting? And business management? And everything else that goes into running a successful business?” Navigating New South Wales’s complex compliance requirements without an accounting background was challenging. Actionstep simplified accounting for DKL and is one of the few platforms approved by the Law Society for trust accounting services.  

Several additional factors sealed the deal for choosing Actionstep: 

• Cloud-based flexibility: DKL was ready to move beyond on-premise technology. Actionstep’s cloud-based technology gave the firm the flexibility they needed to operate efficiently from anywhere. 
• Streamlined accounting and reporting: Actionstep simplified end-of-month reporting. “It’s a really easy system,” says Louisa Knight, the firm’s People, Culture, and Finance Coordinator. “We know we’re following the rules and regulations, and we can see exactly how DKL is tracking.” 
• Great value: Actionstep’s pricing aligned well with DKL’s expectations, and the lack of a long-term contract ensured agility and adaptability as their team grew. 
• Limitless potential: Initially, the firm’s goal was to save time on manual processes, but they quickly realised that Actionstep could do much more for their firm’s entire business.  

DKL Partners
Kevin Yee, Partner (left), Danny King, Founder and Principal (middle), Sonia Chandra, Managing Partner (right)

Configurability is king 

Jaden Colbert, DKL’s Integrated Operations Executive, admits the team initially worried about being overwhelmed by Actionstep’s high degree of configurability. However, this quickly turned into excitement as they discovered new efficiencies and visibility into their business data, they didn’t know were possible. “Once you get the hang of it, you realise that just about everything is customisable, meaning you can tailor Actionstep to fit your business’s needs,” explained Colbert.  

One major transformation has been in time tracking and billing. “We can now easily and efficiently see how time is spent across each function without wasting time figuring out where. As a manager of four people, having that information at a glance is invaluable.” 

Seamless integrations further enhance Actionstep’s flexibility. Their firm’s email (Microsoft Outlook), bookkeeping (Xero), and phone system (VXT) are all integrated into Actionstep, saving hundreds of hours of manual work. “Technology is evolving so quickly. No one can keep up unless they collaborate. Actionstep is great because it collaborates,” says King. Previously, DKL logged nearly 300 hours annually managing their phone system—now it’s done in seconds. Knight summarises things perfectly: “Actionstep helps us eliminate time-consuming tasks,” she says.  

Louisa Knight, People, Culture, and Finance Coordinator & Jaden Colbert, Integrated Operations Executive

Pushing the limits of innovation 

Since implementing Actionstep three years ago, King has used the platform as a powerful foundation for innovation. She has reimagined what their law firm can achieve with Actionstep. Working alongside their Certified Consulting Partner, Hero Factory, they have tailored every aspect of the platform to suit their firm’s unique workflows. “With Actionstep we’ve built this beautiful scaffold that runs our entire business. It makes everything so much easier,” says King.  

Clients also benefit from this innovation. DKL’s custom sales workflow, built on top of Actionstep’s framework, ensures consistent and clear client communication. “The client experience is seamless from start to finish, making our customers feel a lot more confident and comfortable,” King explains. 

Great technology that elevates the client experience 

DKL strives to ensure clients feel confident in their law firm choice from first contact to final billing. Actionstep supports this approach at every stage:  

• Enhanced transparency with clients: Actionstep provides clients with real-time access to costs, case details, and other matter details that reduces client stress and uncertainty.  
• Trust accounting visibility: As an employment law firm, many of DKL’s clients have money in trust. Actionstep’s client portal allows them to track fund movement easily.  
• Frictionless client collaboration: “When all fee earners and admins can see what’s happening on a matter, they collaborate better and serve clients more effectively,” says Knight. Colbert agrees: “It helps prove to clients that they made the right decision trusting our guidance from the very start.” 

Looking to the future 

The confidence that Actionstep has empowered DKL with is undeniable. Before Actionstep, the firm spent more time gathering the right information than using it. Now, they proactively manage their business, leveraging firm data for more informed decision-making. Moving beyond spreadsheets, DKL embraces emerging technologies and is now even exploring AI-powered legal tools. “You’ve got to look at what’s available and then try stuff,” says King. “Experiment. Say yes to everything. What’s the worst that could happen?”  

With Actionstep’s powerful and flexible practice management platform, DKL is confident in its ability to adapt, innovate, and thrive in the future of legal technology.  

Ready to modernise your law firm? See how Actionstep can support your firm with intuitive practice management and legal accounting built around your team’s needs. Book a demo today.