Australian businesses could face significant penalties for failing to comply with the new definition of ‘employment’ under section 15AA the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (FW Act). This new definition
Highly experienced, award-winning
employment lawyers based in Sydney.
We acknowledge the Gadigal of the Eora Nation, the Traditional Custodians of the land that we work together on. We respect Elders, both past and present.
We celebrate Diversity.
Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.
Administration Assistant
Making the move from hospitality Brendan joined Danny King Legal in March 2024. He was interested in working within the legal industry but most importantly was attracted to the positive and inclusive culture within the DKL team.
Brendan’s role includes onboarding new clients which requires dual strengths and capabilities – being extremely organised on the one hand, and extremely personable and supportive to clients on the other. He believes clients need to feel heard and having strong listening and empathy skills are a key part of his role.
Brendan’s energy and enthusiasm for everything he does is evident upon meeting him. He loves being busy and helping others no matter what the task. Having a hard-working ethic together with a fun and outgoing personality makes Brendan a valuable and vibrant member of the DKL team.
If he could have one superpower it would be speed because he packs so much into every day he would like to go even faster to get everything done.
When not working Brendan loves spending time with friends and enjoying the music scene and clubs. He also loves travelling and has been known to fly to London just to attend a concert or musical festival.
Experience Coordinator
April joined Danny King Legal in 2023 as an Experience Coordinator where she juggles various responsibilities across marketing and communication, client service, and administration.
Working closely with the Executive Experience Manager to ensure the firm is running smoothly and efficiently, April assists with the implementation of process and system improvements, and managing professional partners and suppliers.
Since 2018 she has worked in the financial services sector including with a boutique accountancy practice which has equipped her with the skills and experience to manage various tasks within a fast-paced professional services environment.
While she wishes she could mindread to help people in the most effective way possible, as a self-described chameleon with an insatiable thirst for knowledge, April is pragmatic and is always looking for ways to pre-empt what people might want.
She is grateful for the loving and accepting culture which Danny King Legal offers, and is excited to be able to learn more about the intricacies of employment law.
In her downtime, April loves to cook and exercise which enables her to stay focused and balanced in both her professional and personal life.
Client Services Coordinator
Ashleigh recently moved to Australia from the UK. She was attracted to the client services role at Danny King Legal after reading about the business’s progressive nature and meeting the friendly and inclusive DKL team.
With a warm East Midlands accent, Ashleigh immediately comes across as a kind and loyal person. She is motivated by trying new experiences and pushing herself outside her comfort zone. Having never worked in the legal profession, she is interested in learning more about employment law while applying her strong organisational skills and caring nature to all client interactions.
Ashleigh is often the first person a client speaks with, making her an integral part of the team. Clients need an understanding and reassuring person to listen to their stressful and emotional stories, and Ashleigh relishes the opportunity to support them.
In addition to her client-facing duties, Ashleigh plays a crucial role in the daily operations of the firm. Acting as Danny’s Executive Assistant, she uses her keen eye for detail to manage schedules seamlessly and facilitate effective communication. She also leads our record management, leveraging her logistical expertise to enhance processes and systems.
Ashleigh oversees the DKL office, ensuring it remains well-stocked, organised and welcoming for both team members and guests.
If Ashleigh could have one superpower, it would be the ability to see into the future. While this would certainly be useful in her role, it would also help her worry less about issues that often turn out to be trivial, allowing her to focus more on what truly matters in life.
Outside of work, Ashleigh is making the most of new experiences, enjoying weekends away with friends, exploring Sydney and beyond. She enjoys staying active, whether it’s walking to work or keeping up with regular reformer Pilates classes.
People, Culture and Finance Co-Ordinator
Louisa joined the Danny King Legal team in mid-2023 as Executive Assistant, and is now in the vital role of People, Culture & Finance Coordinator. She embodies DKL’s ethos of inclusivity and service quality that emphasises people’s value.
Having spent the past ten years caring for her family, Louisa has recently returned to the workforce. Before this, she had a professional background in office administration and maintained a love of learning, reflected in her degree in primary school teaching.
Within her responsibilities in our People & Culture department, Louisa plays a pivotal role in fostering a positive and inclusive work environment. She is a key member of our leadership team, championing the development and implementation of policies and procedures that align with DKL’s values and goals.
With Louisa’s keen eye for detail and incredible organisation skills, she seamlessly manages the day-to-day finances of DKL. Her ability to think critically about the pain points in this area have led to many process innovations that both help the team and support clients through their journey with us.
Louisa’s multifaceted skillset allows her to navigate between her responsibilities without friction, providing valuable support and insights to various functions within the firm.
She prides herself on having patience and being kind to others and derives a great sense of accomplishment from the support she provides her family.
While Louisa says the ability to stop time would be her superpower if she had to choose, in many ways, she’s working towards making this a reality through her efficiency and accuracy.
In her spare time, Louisa loves spending quality time with her family and friends. Her ideal weekend involves staying home with her family, diving into a good book, and taking leisurely walks with her dog and partner.
Currently completing:
Bachelor of Education – Early Childhood and Primary – University of Newcastle
Executive Experience Manager
Jaden has been an integral part of Danny King Legal since 2021, and is now head of Customer Success and Revenue.
A strong desire to help people drew Jaden to the legal industry, and being part of a team that makes a tangible and positive difference to people’s lives was their driver to join DKL. In particular, pursuing their passion for growth and development of the business and team, from both a personal and professional perspective.
In their role, Jaden leads all sales and marketing activities, and oversees the implementation of process and systems improvements, particularly relating to client onboarding, support, and relationship and matter management.
Drawing on their strong background in customer service, and with the flexibility and skill to juggle multiple projects with ease, Jaden spearheads many firm-wide initiatives, while also managing professional partners and Administration Team members.
Jaden’s dedication and drive is recognised by colleagues, and they are particularly renowned for leaning into and learning from mistakes, and for their considered and diligent work ethic.
Armed with good instincts and sensibilities, Jaden works with an agile mindset, striving to make considered, yet timely decisions, working with efficiency and purpose in every task they undertake.
When not enjoying their work with the DKL team, Jaden loves entertaining friends, spending time with family, and cooking.
Paralegal
Lily joined the Danny King Legal team in early 2024 as a paralegal in her third year of university in which she is studying law and arts (theatre and performance studies) in a double degree.
Lily was attracted to the legal industry by her desire to use the law as a tool to shape and progress our society for the better. Lily joined Danny King Legal recognising the close alignment of the firm’s goals and beliefs with her own. In particular, the firm’s dedication to providing an individualistic and holistic approach to helping clients achieve the best possible outcome for their circumstances.
Always striving to learn, Lily leads with empathy and brings her strong communication skills, teamwork and problem-solving attitude to her role. She is a vibrant, open-minded, and passionate member of the DKL team. Whilst driven to achieve on all levels, she most values her compassion and kindness, and loves that supporting others through difficult times is a core part of her role at the firm.
Outside of work, Lily is undertaking a screen acting course and participates in a number of UNSW Law Society activities. She loves the balance between the analytical side of the law and the creative side of the performing arts. She’d also love to have the ability to teleport and pop over to Paris for the weekend. We’re with you there, Lily!
Completing Bachelor of Laws/Arts (double degree)
University of New South Wales
Paralegal
Lillian joined Danny King Legal in mid-2023 as a Paralegal, following her passion for helping people on a one-to-one level.
Having initially planned to study medicine, Lillian’s enjoyment of interacting with people combined with her flair for public speaking, saw her pursue a career in law instead.
While criminal law is what attracted Lillian to the profession at first, her experiences with Danny King Legal have opened her eyes to the vast scope of issues which employment law covers.
From wrongful termination to discrimination, contracts, and bullying and harassment, Lillian assists with a diverse range of matters and is driven to learn and do the best she can for clients.
While she wishes she could see into the future and read people’s minds to save time, as a highly-driven and self-motivated individual, Lillian always goes above and beyond to deliver exceptional results for the team.
Lillian is currently completing her final year of study at Western Sydney University where she is studying a Bachelor of Laws and Criminology.
In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, hiking outdoors, running, or swimming, and loves playing the piano.
Bullying and harassment
Contracts
Unfair Dismissal
Currently completing:
Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Criminology Western Sydney University
Solicitor
Zara recently joined Danny King Legal as a solicitor after several years in the medical negligence area of law.
At first, Zara was attracted to areas in employment law such as unfair dismissal, bullying, and discrimination and harassment representing the applicant, due to a social justice mindset. However, since starting at Danny King Legal and gaining exposure to employer representation, she has developed a keen interest in respondent work as she enjoys assisting people in navigating their work dynamics and relationships.
Zara considers compassion to be equally as important as understanding the law in her role, as well as possessing strong writing and organisational skills. She believes integrity is the number one quality you need to have when supporting and doing all you can for clients who are coming to you at often one of the most stressful periods of their lives.
A strong desire to help people in the community every day through her work is what drives Zara, as well as continuing to learn about new areas of the law and develop her skills as a legal practitioner.
Zara would love the superpower of healing which clearly aligns to her supportive and compassionate nature, always putting others before herself.
Having just moved to Sydney, Zara loves spending time with friends and family, whilst being a talented pianist, and a wiz at board games.
Unfair Dismissal
Discrimination and Harassment
Bullying
Employer Representation
Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Development Studies (majoring in Globalisation and Economic Development)
University of Newcastle
Diploma of Legal Practice
University of Newcastle
Solicitor
Amy joined the Danny King Legal team in 2023, as a Graduate-at-Law, within the Legal Team.
Compassion and empathy are two traits that Amy believes are essential to thriving in the legal profession. By employing these qualities, she can make a meaningful social impact and establish valuable connections with her clients.
Amy’s strengths are in her written communication skills, especially legal drafting. Additionally, integrity is crucial for Amy in her role as it underpins an impartial and responsible viewpoint, without personal biases or conflicts.
This is why she had a keen interest in corporate law while studying, and employment law in particular as it deals closely with people and relationships, which she finds fascinating.
Amy began her studies with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Government and International Relations major before achieving a Bachelor of Law from the University of Sydney.
Her study in Government and International Relations grounded her in social justice and equity, which intersects with employment issues like discrimination and workplace harassment.
Amy’s profound interest in these issues was further enriched while working as a Client Intake Supervisor and legal assistant at Redfern Legal Centre. This non-profit organisation offers free legal aid to the community. This helped her develop communication skills and the ability to build rapport with different clients and communities. This experience gave her a further understanding of social inequality and a conscious awareness of the privileges and disadvantages among specific communities.
While she wishes that her superpower is to read peoples’ minds to tell if someone is truthful or not, Amy also puts her practical skill of crocheting to good use. She crochets cat toys for her local animal shelter.
Her love for her three cats sparked her downtime hobby.
Underpayments
Discrimination and harassment
Bachelor of Arts – Government and International Relations – University of Sydney
Bachelor of Laws – University of Sydney
Managing Partner
Sonia is the Managing Partner at Danny King Legal. Sonia has been part of the team since 2021, when she made her return to private legal practice following many years of working in-house.
In September 2024, she was appointed as Managing Partner of Danny King Legal, to run and manage the firm, alleviating additional responsibilities and duties from Danny and Kevin.
After acquiring a wealth of valuable experience within corporate organisations and for a union, Sonia ultimately realised that her true passion lay in directly helping and representing people, making her a natural fit for the firm.
Having finally found a workplace which embodies the same set of beliefs and values as her own, Sonia is grateful for the inclusive and supportive culture, and views joining Danny King Legal as one of her greatest professional accomplishments.
As a strong team player with a no-nonsense and straightforward approach to advising clients and working with colleagues, Sonia exudes conviction and brings an authentic and bubbly personality to her work.
While she wishes she possessed super-human speed to help people more quickly, Sonia’s drive and determination ensure that her clients always feel supported and are looked after.
Regardless of whether it’s providing legal advice, offering emotional support, or simply listening to another human vent, Sonia is driven by a desire to help, solve challenges, and make a positive and meaningful impact to people’s lives.
Sonia’s expertise and dedication has seen her recognised by the Doyle’s Guide as a Recommended employment lawyer for employee and trade union representation in 2024.
In addition to her work at Danny King Legal, Sonia is a fierce advocate for diversity and inclusion across the industry who volunteers for the Diverse Women in Law.
She has also recently become a Board Member of CuriousWorks, a Western Sydney-based organisation built by and for Western Sydney artists to develop the talent of the area’s working class, First nations and CaLD young people as emerging artists, writers, filmmakers, and cultural leaders.
In her spare time, Sonia likes socialising, all things sports, food, and wine.
Sonia enjoys tackling complex dispute resolution challenges to achieve the best outcomes for her clients, using an interest-based approach.
Sonia has acted for a range of employer clients spanning various industries. During her time as a legal counsel at labour hire and recruitment company, Hays Specialist Recruitment, she has been involved in representing and assisting the company in various disputes including bargaining for an enterprise agreement for black coal mining companies.
Some of Sonia’s work on employer-related matters include:
Sonia has extensive experience acting for employees in a range of industries, including members of unions such as the Australian and International Pilots Association.
Some of Sonia’s notable achievements have been negotiating enterprise agreements on behalf of pilots employed by the Qantas Group.
Sonia particularly specialises in assisting employees who experience difficulties in their workplace including:
Sonia prides herself on being down-to-earth, logical, and honest in her work, and seeks to be as upfront as possible with her clients while maintaining her approachability and empathy.
In addition to her work in litigation and non-litigation matters, Sonia is involved in mentoring and developing the skills of other solicitors, both within and external to the firm. Sonia is passionate about supporting diverse people, including women of colour and volunteers for an organisation specialising in this, Diverse Women in Law.
Sonia believes the importance of representation – you can’t be what you can’t see – and aspires every day to be a good role model and leader to her peers and the legal community more broadly.
Industrial and Workplace Relations
Enterprise Agreements
Modern Awards
Bargaining and Negotiating
Dispute Resolution
Sexual Harassment
Discrimination and Harassment
Unfair Dismissal
General Protections
Supreme Court of NSW – 8 October 2010
High Court of Australia – 11 May 2015
Bachelor of Laws – UWS
Master of Laws – UTS
Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice – UWS
MHFA
Partner
Kevin has been part of the Danny King Legal team since 2014.
As a long-time martial artist, former educator and public servant, Kevin channels a warrior-scholar mentality, balancing the need for enforcement of legal rights contextualised within their non-legal personal and commercial objectives.
For Kevin, achieving meaningful and lasting solutions to legal issues requires a degree of self-reflection and courage from all parties involved. While he is unwavering in his determination to fight for his clients, Kevin always takes an analytical approach to conflict resolution, and seeks to build client value in outcomes, which does away with the assumption that legal matters must be strictly adversarial. This requires helping clients to not just deal with immediate issues, but to seed longer-term disciplined practices that are considered, fair, and mindful for future growth.
He has been instrumental in building Danny King Legal’s people-centric culture and is a strong proponent of the notion that by investing in the firm’s people, great client results will follow.
While he wished he had the ability to read minds, he will settle for a lifelong practice in helping parties to communicate, which is more exciting anyway.
Working for both employee and employer clients, and having himself been immersed in public and private institutions, Kevin has developed a balanced and philosophical contextualisation for clients which ensures he is able to deliver insightful and impactful results.
Since 2022, Kevin has been recognised by the Doyle’s Guide as a Recommended lawyer for employee and trade union representation in NSW.
Besides being a partner at Danny King Legal, Kevin trains in judo and BJJ, and enjoys spending time with his family.
Kevin’s employer-side focus is on assisting small to medium enterprises in growing their business with everything from crisis response to long term employment relationship management.
He assists clients with adopting employer-agile frameworks to build employment culture systems, and also lead employer training programs to bolster in-house capabilities.
Additionally, he advises on prevention as well as intervention in matters of bullying, discrimination, and dismissals.
Although he runs all kinds of client matters, his pervious life interests in public service and healthcare have resulted in his particular focus in assisting third party human resources providers, aged care institutions, technology start-ups, and allied health care providers.
His efforts have contributed to the DKL team being recognised as the Workplace Relations and Employment Team of the Year by the Australian Law Awards for two consecutive years.
Kevin’s employee practice has a particular focus on assisting senior executives enforcing their rights against public financial corporations, state-owned enterprises, universities, government entities, and major corporations in the banking and technology industry.
His leadership has led to DKL to be recognised by the esteemed Doyle’s Guide in the categories of Employment Law Firm (Employee and Trade Union Representation) on the National and NSW lists since 2016.
Kevin’s philosophy and approach to his work is heavily influenced by his experience as a university educator at Macquarie University and the University of New South Wales.
Kevin is also a regular speaker at various CPD events, with some of his recent events being as chairs or presenters at various Thomson Reuters and Legalwise symposiums on employment law. He is regularly asked to speak on the intersection of employment law and mental health in the workplace, as well as bullying.
Kevin takes a community-oriented approach to practicing law and running the firm. He is an advocate for cultivating a people-centric culture which he believes is essential for empowering individual team members and delivering enhanced outcomes for clients.
Additionally, Kevin sees employment law as an opportunity to proactively build corporate social responsibility levels across the community more broadly.
His legal practice continues in a lifelong dedication to commerce and community, drawing upon the inspirations of his time as a small business owner, a card-carrying healthcare advocate, and passion for health and fitness.
He shares in his successes with his wife, their daughter, and two cats.
Healthcare Workers Representation
Human Resources Provider Support
Secondary and Tertiary Educator Representation
Compliance
Bullying
Policy Writing, Education and Corporate Social Responsibility
Dismissal and Termination
Discrimination and Harassment
Modern Awards
Performance Management
Contracts
Fair Work Act Applications
Supreme Court of NSW – 10 October 2014
High Court of Australia – 6 March 2016
Bachelor of Arts – Concordia University, Montreal
Juris Doctor – UNSW
Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice – The College of Law Australia
First aid
MHFA
Principal
From early on in her career, Danny realised that she didn’t fit the traditional mould of a lawyer – so she broke and rebuilt it.
This decision led to the creation of Danny King Legal in 2011, established out of the desire and necessity to build a truly differentiated practice, free from the rigidity of conventional norms.
As someone who embraces her neurodiversity, Danny is a strong proponent of thinking outside the box. This philosophy permeates the organisation’s culture and is embedded firmly in its DNA, both figuratively and literally.
Since its inception and with Danny at the helm, Danny King Legal has grown rapidly to become one of the leading specialist employment law firms today.
This success is not only a testament to the firm’s diverse expertise, client service and strong work ethic, but also demonstrates the power of an unorthodox mindset when solving complex issues for clients.
Sometimes referred to as the Grand Imperial Empress, Danny is often described as fun and loving, and has an unwavering commitment to empowering people and delivering the best possible outcomes for clients.
This has resulted in Danny being regularly recognised by the Doyle’s Guide since 2016, making both the employer and employee lists for NSW and nationally. More recently, Danny has been recognised as a pre-eminent practitioner in NSW for employees since 2021.
While Danny wished she could fly, simply because it looks fun, she never fails to retain a bird’s-eye view of a client’s situation, considering a range of legal and non-legal factors that inform the advice she provides.
Regardless of the matter, Danny always encourages clients and team members alike to be aspirational in their outlook. She leverages her experience and expertise to guide clients towards their goals, one step at a time.
Danny applies this same philosophy to growing and upskilling her team, where she focuses deeply on the individual, their experiences, aspirations, and how best they can be achieved.
Danny is actively involved in various initiatives, including the NSW Law Society, where she has been an Employment Law Committee Member since 2013.
Danny is also personally involved in an initiative led by the Molly Wardaguga Research Centre, which seeks to re-establish traditional maternity services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers and babies on Country.
Danny’s expertise and extensive experience in employee representation positions her as a highly sought-after and desirable adviser for the c-suite and senior executives who may be navigating challenging workplace situations.
She particularly specialises in assisting senior executives to play the role of ‘corporate survivor’. Some of Danny’s favourite matters of recent years include:
As an accomplished educator who has taught in prestigious institutions professionally and while sharing knowledge with peers, Danny has enjoyed excellent feedback on her engaging and approachable style. She values the development of and investment in the future of employment law. Some of her educational achievements include:
Danny believes the needs of the human are paramount. Her philosophy is to hold nothing back and build the absolute best version of everyone in the firm.
Danny is non-judgemental in her approach and retains a well-respected and objective outlook on all matters, priding herself on being the woman you can turn to, even in the face of the most difficult allegations.
She is known to use the Ricky Gervais line: ‘crisistunity’, and people who have worked with Danny have first-hand experience witnessing her exceptional abilities in finding opportunities during a crisis.
Danny delights in the antics of her two young children, playing cards with her enormous family, and dabbling in creative endeavours.
Danny King speaking to Lawyers Weekly about her business philosophy, how she started Danny King Legal, the importance of being authentic, and more…
Corporate Survivor
C-Suite Executives
Board Advisory
Allegations Response Management
Reputational Crisis Management
Workplace Culture Remediation
Gender Discrimination Remediation
Neurodiversity Initiatives
Director and Executive Liability
Restructuring
Supreme Court of NSW – 24 August 2007
High Court of Australia – 4 March 2016
NSW Law Society: Employment Law Committee Member – continuously since 2013
Course author, convenor and lecturer, Employment Law, as part of the Masters of Laws at the College of Law, continuously since 2017
Bachelor of Laws, First Class Hons and University Medal in Employment Law – UTS
Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice – UTS
Foundations of University Learning & Teaching – UNSW
MHFA
