More than a supplier: How Jayva became Antonelli & Antonelli’s trusted LEAP partner
Introduction
At Antonelli & Antonelli, client care is everything – and when it came to implementing new practice management software, the law firm wanted a partner who shared that same ethos of empathy, responsiveness and reliability.
Enter Jayva Global. As a certified LEAP partner, Jayva didn’t just install software; it provided hands-on support, tailored training and ongoing financial management services that feel more like having an in-house expert than an external consultant.
The result? A seamless transition to LEAP and continued peace of mind, with a trusted team always on hand to keep systems running smoothly, bookkeeping in check and staff focused on serving clients.
The client
As a family-owned and operated law firm, the ethos at Antonelli & Antonelli is very much about treating its clients’ legal matters as its own. As such, it’s committed to 100 percent satisfaction through delivering thoughtful and effective guidance, and vigorous representation in litigated matters – with relationship building at the core.
Attorney and partner, Daniel R. Antonelli, handles all aspects of probate, trust and estate administration and litigation. Amongst Daniel’s many accolades are being admitted to the New York State Bar in 2007, serving as a court-appointed fiduciary in New York State Surrogate’s Court, acting as trustee of the Brooklyn Bar Association, offering pro bono services, mentoring young lawyers and speaking at Continuing Legal Education seminars, to name a few.
Daniel’s most impressive trait is being easy to talk to and approaching legal services provision with empathy, to support clients at one of the most emotional and distressing periods of their lives, involving the death of a loved one.
Daniel comments, “I love hearing from clients that I did something to put them at ease. While many attorneys want to be viewed as a ‘pit bull’, in my opinion the role of an attorney is really more dynamic. Aggressive representation in a litigated matter is a must, but when working with a client, the most important skills are communication and compassion. I pride myself on having these skillsets in abundance.”
The challenge faced by Antonelli & Antonelli before the software switchover
Like many growing businesses, Antonelli & Antonelli was juggling multiple disconnected systems to manage its cases – one for timekeeping, another for documents, another for storage. This patchwork approach worked when the caseload was small, but as the practice expanded it became increasingly inefficient and difficult to maintain consistency.
Daniel explains that once the law firm hit 60 active matters, it became clear they needed a better solution to handle time recording, document automation and storage in one place. After evaluating the options, LEAP’s combination of rich features and sophisticated document automation stood out as the platform to take the law office forward.
“In the pre-LEAP era, I started out with a combination of applications. For time keeping, I used Bill for Time. For document creation, I used off-the-shelf systems such as Microsoft Word and Excel. For document storage, I used SharePoint.
“When we reached the 60-case milestone, something more robust and fully integrated was needed to be comprehensive enough to do everything simultaneously. Having researched the marketplace offerings, we chose LEAP backed by Jayva. It’s feature rich with sophisticated document automation built in, powered by templates and database pre-population.”
The solution delivered by Jayva Global
From the very beginning of Antonelli & Antonelli’s LEAP journey, Jayva played a hands-on role in making the transition smooth and stress-free. Acting as a true partner, Jayva provided expert training, implementation support and integration advice that felt seamless and reassuring to the team. Jayva’s deep knowledge of both LEAP and QuickBooks Online meant the law firm could not only go live confidently but also continue to refine processes and keep its financial data reconciled and compliant month after month.
Daniel adds, “We have six members of staff and LEAP’s supporting them really well – a total transformation to our earlier IT set up. From the word go, we received training through Jayva. In fact, it wasn’t totally obvious it was Jayva rather than LEAP, as the two organisations operate so closely together.
“Jayva is knowledgeable on LEAP and QuickBooks Online – the two systems we’d be running in tandem. Having the Jayva team on board to assist with implementation and training was extremely comforting. As a result of their positive input, uptake of the new software in our business has been strong.
“Now, with the installation complete, Jayva’s role has evolved into helping with integration between LEAP and QuickBooks Online, specifically making sure the financial figures in these systems reconcile with the money in our bank account. What began as assistance to switch over from CD-ROM storage of accounting records to the QuickBooks Online accounts software is now monthly support to keep our books in order.”
The benefits of the Jayva-LEAP solution
For Antonelli & Antonelli, Jayva’s role didn’t stop at implementation – it evolved into a long-standing partnership that delivers tangible business value every single month. Acting as far more than a technical helpdesk, Jayva provides a blend of bookkeeping, reconciliation, reporting and trouble-shooting support that feels like having an in-house finance and systems expert on call. This proactive, deeply knowledgeable service gives the law firm peace of mind, frees up staff time, reduces costs and ensures both LEAP and QuickBooks Online run at peak efficiency – enabling Daniel and his team to stay focused on clients rather than back-office complexities.
Daniel expands, “We’re given three hours of bookkeeping support each month. Jayva essentially acts in the capacity of chief financial officer and bookkeeper all in one. As well as reconciliation, Jayva runs a series of regular reports, such as profit and loss statements. In other words, Jayva’s support goes way beyond the realms of simple cashiering as it’s a detailed financial analysis for forecasting and planning purposes.
“As with any accounting function, we do occasionally run into situations where a certain matter needs to be checked and rectified as something’s gone awry. Over and above the three hours monthly, then, we utilise extra support on an ad hoc basis for ‘special’ problems that crop up unexpectedly.
“As a business owner, I'm always being pulled in a million different directions. I don’t have time to figure out technical issues. Instead, I need somebody to carry the weight for me. That’s why it’s so reassuring to use Jayva in a trouble-shooting way and have my problems solved. Jayva bridges the gap between my staff’s excellent general technical knowledge and limited LEAP expertise with customer support that’s second to none.
“Resolving a technical dilemma on my own or have my staff do it, could take three hours or more. The related overhead salary costs of doing so are substantial. In contrast, it would take somebody in Jayva half an hour maximum to fix. That’s a significant saving of hundreds of dollars. It’s the difference between $450 in house or $125 for Jayva, thereby cutting my expenditure by more than a third. And this is a conservative estimate.”
Parting words from Daniel Antonelli
Daniel concludes, “Any business owner can appreciate the volume of suppliers keeping the organisation operational. You can say ‘my telephone company stinks’, ‘my electricity provider is fine’, whatever. I can proudly and honestly claim Jayva’s one of my favourite suppliers. I couldn’t run my law firm as successfully without them.”